About this episode
Dr. Helen Zoe Veit discusses how modern culture has influenced picky eating in children and offers insights from her new book.
We've all seen the child who eats three foods on repeat, refuses anything green, and can't abide by food touching other food. But social historian Dr. Helen Zoe Veit says picky eating isn't some timeless childhood phase, and it's not simply hardwired biology. She argues it's something modern culture helped create, driven by a century of shifting family life, anxious parenting advice, and a food industry built around ultra-processed convenience. And that's the good news. Veit says if pickiness is shaped by the world kids grow up in, it's not permanent. With the right approach, children can learn to eat differently. Her new book is Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History.
People in this episode
Guest: Dr. Helen Zoe Veit
Topics covered
- picky eating
- childhood development
- parenting
- food culture
- modern society
Keywords
- picky eaters
- food preferences
- parenting advice
- ultra-processed food
- child nutrition
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History
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