When my dad suggested we have today’s guest on the podcast, I had an emotional reaction. Helen Veit recently published Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History, and, as she wisely writes in it, “Saying that mass childhood pickiness isn’t inevitable can sound offensive—like you’re undermining people’s personal experiences or questioning their parenting.”
Despite knowing that my feelings are at least partly illogical, this is how I feel every time someone says that pickiness can be avoided. Saying that places the blame directly in the lap of the parents—or at least that’s how it feels for me and so many other people whose children aren’t ordering uni when they’re out for sushi or indulging in kale salads. I also happen to have the added pressure of being closely related to one of our country’s most beloved food writers, a person who did a good job of feeding his kids.
I admitted this to Helen in our conversation; she was gracious and understanding, and all the anxieties that go along with feeding your kids are things that she’s probably already studied and considered deeply. Her kids happen to be great eaters, but she doesn’t gloat. Rather, she gently offers some tools for grownups to employ while feeding their kids, tools that I personally found quite useful.
And even if you’re not ready to make a change in whatever your family dynamic might be, or if you don’t have kids, Helen’s book is a really interesting look at the history of how kids ate, and eat; and how fussy eating came to define “children’s food”—this is what Helen calls the foods that picky eaters tend to gravitate towards—and reshape American diets at large. We’re glad to introduce you to her today.
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