Picky eating: a toddler's continuing approach to mealtime.

Research indicates that three primary components play a role in the picky eating phenomenon: development, personal preferences, and the family. Picky eating is an aspect of child development. Children will develop their own preferences when given the appropriate tools to do so. Parents are their children's greatest role models. An understanding of these concepts can help guide the primary care provider in making appropriate recommendations to parents to improve their toddlers' eating behaviors.