Unlocking the Gut-Health Connection in Picky Eaters: Essential Insights for Parents

The information here is strictly educational and not medical advice. It should not substitute professional medical consultation.

When your child refuses anything that isn’t a chicken nugget or plain pasta, you might wonder if it’s just a phase or something more. Surprisingly, your child’s gut health might be the link to why they turn up their nose to anything green.  Let’s take a look at how gut health could be influencing their behavior, mood, and yes—even those infamous picky eating habits.  

The Gut Microbiome: Tiny Helpers with Big Jobs

Inside every person (yes, even your toddler!) lives a bustling community of trillions of tiny helpers (or microbes), known as the gut microbiome. These tiny helpers play a role in digestion, supporting the immune system, and influencing mood, behavior, and food preferences. (1, 2, 3) 

When the microbiome is balanced, it helps your child feel good—physically and mentally. But when things go off track (also called an imbalance), it can lead to all kinds of issues, including constipation, mood swings, poor immunity (sick often), skin conditions like eczema, picky eating and more! (1, 2, 3, 4) 

Think of your child’s gut as the MVP of their body. When it’s healthy, it is able to digest food properly, fight off sickness, and even handle stress better. But when the gut’s out of whack? Well, they might start avoiding certain foods, become more sensitive to textures, or experience discomfort that makes them less willing to try new things.

Is Picky Eating a Symptom of Gut Imbalance?

For some kids, picky eating might be a sign of gut-related issues.  The microbes in our kiddo’s belly may be sending signals to crave and want their favorite food over and over to continue to feed their growth (5)

For other kiddos, picky eating may lead to an imbalance in the gut microbiome which will further worsen their picky eating.  Many picky eaters struggle to consume a wide variety of foods that would include foods that are higher in fiber - fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (Taylor & Emmett, 2019) A higher fiber diet helps with feeding the beneficial microbes in our kiddo’s gut to help maintain balance and reduce overgrowth of the opportunistic (potentially harmful) microbes  (1,2) 

Lower fiber diets and/or diets higher in ultra-processed foods can impact digestion leading to constipation and discomfort which can worsen a kiddo’s willingness to want to try new things.  

Diets that are high in ultra-processed foods will not only lack fiber but will likely lack a lot of key nutrients needed for growth and development.  Certain nutrient deficiencies like zinc could cause kids to have lower appetites further reducing their willingness to branch out. (6, 7, 8, 9).

Other Symptoms of Gut Imbalance

Aside from picky eating, kids with gut health imbalances might experience:

• Constipation: Constipation is a common condition in children, affecting up to 30% of school-age children. (6).
  Like I mentioned, constipation is associated with picky eating due to a typically lower intake of fiber foods.(6).  Less fiber foods can lead to fewer beneficial bacteria in the gut and can slow digestion.  Check out this post for how to help constipated kids!
  
  
  

• Eczema and Skin Issues:  Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a common childhood condition characterized by the inflammation of skin with intense itching  dryness, flaking, blistering, oozing, and bleeding
  
  Initially, disruptions in the gut microbiome, influenced by factors such as diet, antibiotic use, and stress, lead to an imbalance of the microbes in our gut – called gut dysbiosis.  This triggers what is called “leaky gut” where bacteria and other inflammatory particles get into the bloodstream.  Once in the bloodstream our immune system activates a response to attack and can manifest the “attack” in our skin (10)  For kiddos with eczema, this can increase or worsen their flare-ups causing increased discomfort.  Which can carry over to their sleep, play, behavior, and eating habits.  
  
  
  

• Mood Swings and Meltdowns: Our gut and our brain are connected like a two-way street through what is called our vagus nerve.  The vagus nerve runs from our brain through the body to the large intestines.  (3)
  
  When the road is clear, the gut sends signals to the brain that “we are feeling good, we are happy”.  The brain can also send signals back to the gut to say “feeling good up here, no danger, we are happy”.  When there is a traffic jam, or there are wrong signals sent, miscommunication between the two happens. Resulting in issues with the gut, brain, immune system, or more. (3, 4, 11)
  
  What’s even more fascinating is 80-90% of this communication happens from the gut to the brain. The gut microbiome makes the majority of our brain chemicals 
  
  

• Serotonin: helps us relax (imbalance could cause anxiety, depression, IBS, etc) 

• Dopamine: helps us focus (imbalance could cause ADHD, addiction)

• GABA: helps get us out of fight or flight mode and reduce stress

• Acetylcholine: helps us learn, remember, and process information. 

• Melatonin: regulates the sleep cycle regulate normal gut function
  (4, 11).
  
  

If any of the gut is out of balance and causing an imbalance with our brain chemicals, you may already imagine how challenging meal times may be with your kiddo.  If their brains feel a little out of sorts for their body doesn’t feel safe, you can imagine how challenging it may be to get them to try new foods.  

Solutions to Support Gut Health (and Tame Picky Eating!)

First download the FREE Tummy Talk Cheat Sheet: 6 Simple Steps to Supporting Your Child’s Gut, Boosting Their Immune System, and Improving Mood for the full step-by-step process to have as an easy reference tool! 

Supporting gut health can help improve picky eating and overall well-being. Here are some ways to do it:

1. Test don’t guess. If you are concerned about your kiddo’s gut health, diet, picky eating, or worried there might be some underlying issues, always consult with your child’s pediatrician to talk about appropriate next steps for your child.  If you are looking to get a more detailed picture of your child’s specific gut microbiome, you can check out this at-home Tiny Health Gut Test code BSW for $20 off.  This will give you a detailed look at your child’s specific gut type, risk factors for chronic conditions based on the specific microbes in your child’s gut, how to optimize it with better, more friendly microbes, and detailed tips specific to your child’s results. 
   
   
   

2. Increase Fiber Intake: fiber helps bulk stool in our kiddo’s tummy, making it easier to pass through and make them more regular.  The more regular their bowel movements, the better our gut is at eliminating waste products and keeping our system in check (1, 2, 8, 11).

   Examples of fiber include:

   -fruits (oranges, berries, apples, etc)
   -vegetables (Brussel sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, etc)
   -legumes (lentils, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, etc)
   -nuts/seeds (pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc) (check out Tiny Sprouts for a quick and convenient way to boost fiber in any meal or snack! CODE: CIERRA10 for 10% off)
   
   **Make sure to increase fiber slowly and increase water intake as you do. Taking a slower approach can help reduce chances of discomfort or upset that may come with a rapid increase in fiber.
   
   
   

3. Add Probiotics: Prebiotic fibers in foods like bananas and asparagus support beneficial bacteria growth. Probiotics on the other hand are live microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast, that are found in some foods and are intended to improve the balance of good bacteria in our kiddo’s gut (1, 11). Examples include:

   -Sauerkraut
   -Kimchi
   -Kombucha
   -Yogurt
   -Pickles without vinegar
   -Miso

   
   If the thought of these foods for your kiddo seems far fetched, start small.  Simply start with exposing them.  You could start by adding greek yogurt to their smoothies, change up the pickles you buy, or add drops of sauerkraut brine to some of their accepted dips like ketchup or ranch. 
   
   You can consider a probiotic supplement (especially after use of antibiotics, check out this post for why), but I recommend testing not guessing so you know exactly which ones to buy to best support your kiddo’s gut (and not waste your money).  
   
   
   

4. Stay Consistent: Gut health doesn’t change overnight. Keep introducing new, gut-friendly foods, even if your child doesn’t take to them right away. Building a healthy microbiome takes time.  Patience, consistent exposure, and a pressure-free approach can really make a difference in the mealtime environment to foster a healthy relationship with food and a positive experience for trying new foods. (8)
   
   

Summary

An imbalanced microbiome can fuel selective eating, affect mood, and lead to other health issues. By incorporating more fiber, and probiotics removing the pressure to eat, and staying consistent, you can help nourish your child’s gut, opening the door to a more adventurous palate. For more detailed guidance, join us in Bite Sized Basics: Thriving Beyond Picky Eating where we’ll dive deep into gut health, nutrition strategies, and personalized solutions for your family and your picky eater.

Additional tools/resources

• For my full constipation protocol for kids including lifestyle modifications, foods to consider and avoid, and supplements and other support strategies, check out Bite Sized Academy! Bite Sized Academy offers busy parents practical, stress-free strategies to reduce mealtime battles and get kids interested in a wider variety of foods. With ready-to-use tools, meal plans, recipes, kids' cooking classes, and expert support on health topics, you’ll feel empowered and supported every step of the way. Join a community of moms who understand your struggles and make mealtime easier, healthier, and more enjoyable for your family.

• For 10% off Growing Up Prebiotics use code: BITESIZED at checkout!

• Disclaimer

  Medical/General: The content, information, opinions, and suggestions listed here have been created with typically developing children and babies in mind. The information here is generalized for a broad audience. The information here should by no means be used as a substitute for medical advice or for any circumstance be used in place of emergency services. Your child is an individual and may have needs or considerations beyond generally accepted practices. If your child has underlying medical or developmental differences, including but not limited to prematurity, developmental delay, sensory processing differences, gastrointestinal differences, cardiopulmonary disease processes, or neurological differences, we strongly recommend you discuss your child's feeding plan with the child's doctor, health care provider or therapy team. By accessing this site and the information in it, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. By using and accepting the information on this site, the author (Cierra Crowley) is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any suggestions discussed. It is important to talk to your child’s pediatrician or medical provider to start anything new or make any changes.

  Affiliation: this page contains affiliate links from which I can earn small commissions (at no additional cost to you).

• References

  1. AKAGAWA, S., AKAGAWA, Y., YAMANOUCHI, S., KIMATA, T., TSUJI, S., & KANEKO, K. (2021). Development of the gut microbiota and dysbiosis in children. Bioscience of Microbiota, Food and Health, 40(1), 12–18. https://doi.org/10.12938/bmfh.2020-034  

  2. Zhang P. (2022). Influence of Foods and Nutrition on the Gut Microbiome and Implications for Intestinal Health. International journal of molecular sciences, 23(17), 9588. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23179588 

  3. Grenham, S., Clarke, G., Cryan, J. F., & Dinan, T. G. (2011). Brain-gut-microbe communication in health and disease. Frontiers in physiology, 2, 94. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2011.00094 

  4. Sampson, T. R., & Mazmanian, S. K. (2015). Control of brain development, function, and behavior by the microbiome. Cell host & microbe, 17(5), 565–576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2015.04.011 

  5. Alcock, J., Maley, C. C., & Aktipis, C. A. (2014). Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms. BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, 36(10), 940–949. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.201400071 

  6. Taylor, C. M., & Emmett, P. M. (2019). Picky eating in children: causes and consequences. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(2), 161–169. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665118002586 

  7. Wolf, J., Sandstead, H. H., & Rink, L. (2022). Zinc. Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, 2, 963–984. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-822946-0.00034-9 

  8. Rensberry, M. (2018). Interventions for Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Children Five Years and Younger. American Family Physician, 98(7), 419–420. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2018/1001/p419.html

  9. Cloyd, J. (2023, December 18). Nutritional Deficiencies in Children: Early Detection and Management Through Functional Medicine. Rupa Health. https://www.rupahealth.com/post/nutritional-deficiencies-in-children-early-detection-and-ma

  10. Cloyd, J. (2024, September 18). Eczema and Diet: Exploring the Gut-Skin Connection for Healthier Outcomes. Rupa Health. https://www.rupahealth.com/post/eczema-and-diet-exploring-the-gut-skin-connection-for-healthier-outcomes

  11. Mitrea, L., Nemeş, S. A., Szabo, K., Teleky, B. E., & Vodnar, D. C. (2022). Guts Imbalance Imbalances the Brain: A Review of Gut Microbiota Association With Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders. Frontiers in medicine, 9, 813204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.813204