From Codfish Cakes to Cap’n Crunch
Helen Zoe Veit's book 'Picky' explores the historical transformation of American children's eating habits from omnivorous diets in the 1800s to today's selective consumption of processed foods. The shift is attributed to reformers, industrialization, marketing, and evolving parenting philosophies. Veit argues that cultural attitudes, pseudoscience, and commercial influences collectively fostered modern picky eating among children.
- ▪Children in the 19th century ate diverse, adult-style foods like codfish cakes, jellied pork brain, and fermented dishes without issue.
- ▪Reformers in the 1800s began promoting bland, 'special' children's food, linking indiscriminate eating to health risks and moral failings.
- ▪Industrialization introduced processed foods like mac 'n' cheese and sugary cereals, which, combined with child-targeted marketing, reshaped kids' diets.
- ▪Pediatrician Benjamin Spock's influential parenting advice initially discouraged strict food rules, later contributing to entrenched picky eating habits.
- ▪Veit traces how prejudice, parental guilt, and pseudoscientific claims about nutrition helped normalize selective eating in American children.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Culture From Codfish Cakes to Cap’n Crunch REVIEW: ‘Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History’ by Helen Zoe Veit (USDA/Wikimedia Commons) Bonnie S. Benwick May 3, 2026 image/svg+xml .st0{fill:none;stroke:#384f61;stroke-width:2;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:10;} .st1{fill:none;stroke:#384f61;stroke-width:2;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:10;} If you have never encountered, or had to provide sustenance for, kiddos who eat a narrow, self-selected range of foods, count yourself among the rarest of gastronomic unicorns. For the rest of us, a source that offers context and sets a forward course ought to be a home run.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Freebeacon.
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