... not always, though. I agree that food pickiness that has no rhyme or reason to it, and seems to wax/wane with a desire for attention is probably in that category. However--
I'd be a very wealthy woman if I had a dollar for every person I've met who thought that their child was just being "stubborn" regarding food preferences...
only to find out that the child had true IgE-mediated allergies confirmed by a board-certified physician, and occasionally for which epinephrine was prescribed.
In some cases, these children were actually saving their own lives by refusing to eat particular foods.
The most common offenders in this context, by the way, are:
nuts, fish/seafood, mustard/seeds, eggs, and milk.
Very seldom are children truly allergic to fruits or vegetables, or to food additives. My suggestion to parents of very picky eaters is to ask the child to describe the BASIS for the aversion. Descriptions of metallic tastes, itching, or extreme 'bad' smell are red flags. I have a shellfish allergy; believe me when I say that shrimp cocktail
smells to me like the local landfill in August. I realize that it doesn't smell that way to others-- but my body seems to know that shrimp is the smell of death for me.
Intolerances are another matter; and gluten-based foods, preservatives/dyes, sulfites, and dairy products top that particular list.
Seriously, though; if your family has evidence of atopic conditions (asthma, allergies, or eczema), and especially if you've seen any of those things in the child in question, it might do to make note of particular food aversions.
We
never make food a power struggle. Ever. My husband and I both were forced to eat food allergens as children. Our parents felt incredibly guilty about that.
It's tough. He's the ULTRA picky one, I'll eat almost anything, and both kids fall somewhere in between. Dinner planning is a pain, lol