Book Review: Picky by Helen Zoe Veit

“An eye-opening investigation into why American kids no longer eat broadly and with gusto…”

Goodreads blurb for Picky

Review:

As a child, I was (and still am) an extremely picky eater, so the title and synopsis of this book immediately caught my eye. I never thought of pickiness as being a ‘new’ thing among children, but it made sense as I read on. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book (excluding the lengthy bibliography) as it explored the history of eating habits throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. I loved the inclusion of old recipes as well. It was so interesting to see the evolution of food on the page. With this was also the impact of the cultures and classes various people grew up in, as this also had an impact on how many kids approached food. Psychiatry and parenting trends are among other external contributors to the phenomenon. 

For how engrossed I was with the beginning of the book, the ending was a disappointment. It felt unfinished. I thought there would be an equal amount of time spent on efforts that can be made to help kids broaden their tastes. The author briefly shares a tidbit about her own children’s eating, but that’s about it. Although I was more interested in the history, it wasn’t rounded off well. It felt like it was building to something and then the thought was abandoned. Even one more chapter discussing ways for parents/guardians/caregivers to approach new eating habits with children would make a huge difference. 

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free digital ARC of the book!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The history of food and eating habits.
• The inclusion of recipes.

What I didn’t like:

• It didn’t offer much of a solution, nor did it offer much guidance.
• I felt like it ended abruptly.
• The bibliography took up about 50% of the book. (This may be an ARC issue.)

Afterthoughts:

I’ll be curious to see if there are any additions in the final publication.

Where to buy the book: