Why Texture Matters For Picky Eaters

Texture is often the primary reason we choose or refuse foods. We may crave the way something feels in our mouth and, though we like the taste, it's not our primary reason for wanting it. Or we hate the way something feels in our mouths and even if we loved the taste we still wouldn't put it in our mouths because of it's texture. Kids are the same way. We want them to taste foods to see if they like them, but during those tastes kids are also deciding if they like the way the food feels and that may be their primary reason for choosing or refusing it when they see it again.As our feeding skills develop we develop food preferences based on how foods taste, feel and break apart in our mouths. So, even if you've never though of it, your child probably already has texture preferences!When trying to expand a child's diet to include new foods, it can be really helpful to pay attention to those preferences and start to offer new foods within a favorite texture category. For example, if a child loves purees and you want to introduce apple into their diet, you'll probably have more success offering pureed applesauce rather than crunchy apple slices.Get the simple worksheet to help find out your child's texture preference.by signing up for the free resource library here! Once you start paying attention to your child's texture preference you might start to notice patterns in your child's food refusal that can help you figure out how to best support their food learning and exploration.As always, I'd love to hear from you! Comment below to share with the community or use the contact page to send me a private message with any comments or questions. Best of luck and happy food play!