Picky (How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History)

Argues that kids ate like everyone else until industrialization, popular psychology, media, and advertising created the problematic idea of "children's food."

Are children naturally picky eaters? Most Americans today would say yes. Picky children are everywhere, and nobody expects children to like the same foods as adults. But historian Helen Veit kept bumping into older sources describing American kids eating wildly diverse and flavorful foods – and, interestingly, eating them with pleasure and curiosity. They ate spicy relishes, vinegary pickles, bitter greens, and a huge variety of animal species. They spent their allowance on raw oysters and looked forward to their daily coffee. The more research she did, the clearer it became that this kind of happy, omnivorous children’s eating was historically normal for our species – vastly more so than a diet of cheese pizza, fruit gushers, and chocolate milk.

So what happened to make modern children such incredibly narrow eaters? The answers are fascinating and surprising, involving child mortality rates, nutrition science and milk-drinking, marketing, highly processed food, new myths about child psychology, and misconceptions about the science of taste. PICKY tells the story of how mass childhood pickiness emerged over the 20th century, and how a world filled with cheerfully un-picky children is still possible.

This book title, Picky (How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History), ISBN: 9781250402509, by Helen Veit, published by St. Martin's Publishing Group (February 24, 2026) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.

Unlike Amazon and other retailers who may also offer Picky (How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History) books on their website, we specialize in large quantities and provide personal service, from trusted, experienced, friendly people in Portland, Oregon. We offer a Price Match Guarantee, and QuickQuote form, to make purchasing quick and easy.

Prefer to work with a human being when you order Picky (How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History) books in bulk? Our Book Specialists are standing by Monday-Friday 8-5 PST, ready to help!