Picky eaters are made, not born

I see you picky eaters and you are not victims.  

Several scientific studies show that with some new flavors, your body cannot determine whether or not you like it until you've tried it 8-15 times.  Don't believe me?  Google it.  It's vastly studied/documented by credible organizations.

With that understanding as our foundation, anyone, at any age, that tries any food for the first time and says they don't like it - should really be saying, I don't like it today, or I don't like it yet.  If a child or a grown ass person tries something once, doesn't immediately love it and never tries it again assuming that will be the forever taste experience, they are actively choosing to limit their palate, likely their nutrition, and absolutely their lifelong potential for enjoying tons of flavors, foods, and related experiences.  (As often good things lead to other unexpected good things).

Most children that are picky eaters have had this enforced as a born trait by their parents, or had it reenforced by parents that are also picky eaters and don't want to believe they've been making a choice this whole time.  If someone wants to stop being a picky eater, or encourage their child/partner/friend/whoever to move away from the mac n cheese and chicken fingers for once - all you have do it - be open to trying all of the things you think you don't like, several times.  MANY of them will start to taste different and all of a sudden you'll realize I LOVE avocado!  What is this cilantro?  Do other people know about it?  Olives are the shit!  Where have truffles been all of my life?!  And so on and so forth.

I will further posit, for the sake of everyone's health, liking lots of foods is not only surely a path to better nutrition, better health, and a more pleasant life - it also helps out when you get older and may have to lose weight or have a health condition that will limit what you can eat.  Someone that has only enjoyed potato chips and pizza - that finds themselves faced with a life or death situation where eating differently is the necessary life path - will adjust much harder, and with many more challenges - than someone who can say - oh, I can only eat Mediterranean foods from now on?  No problem, I love fish, tomatoes, whole grains, nuts, veggies, etc.

If you want your pallet to grow up with you, all of the power is actually in your hands.