The psychology of food aversions: Why some people don’t grow out of picky eating — and when that’s a problem

Korin Miller

October 20, 2023·5 min read

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It’s normal to have foods you love and ones you aren’t as into, but food aversions take it to another level. There are certain foods some people just won’t touch — and that can stay with them for a lifetime.

Case in point: 78-year-old sports commentator Al Michaels recently shared with CNN that he has never knowingly eaten a vegetable. “I was born when my parents were 18,” Michaels told host Chris Wallace. “So [my mom] just let me have the run of the course. And I always pushed the vegetables away. To this day, no.” Michaels also called carrots an “objectionable vegetable,” adding, “I just don’t even like the look of it. And I surmise what it might taste like, in terms of the texture of it. It just doesn’t look like something that would go down well.”

Conventional thinking is that people will eventually grow out of picky eating habits, but Michaels is proof that isn’t always the case. Why are some people still disgusted by certain foods or food groups, and how much does it actually matter? Psychologists and a nutritionist break it down.

What does a food aversion look like?

A food aversion is more intense than not caring for something. “A food aversion is a strong dislike for a particular food,” Rebecca G. Boswell, supervising psychologist at the Princeton Center for Eating Disorders at Penn Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. “Food aversion can happen suddenly and can be for foods you previously enjoyed or foods you’ve tasted but didn’t like.”

People with food aversions usually have a strong reaction when they see, smell or taste foods they don’t like, Boswell says. “Some people will cough, gag or vomit when exposed to these foods,” she notes.

Why do food aversions happen?

It depends. “One reason food aversions occur is a survival mechanism,” Jennifer Carter, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. “If we eat something and feel sick and/or vomit, it could be harmful to us, so we don’t want to eat it again.”

Boswell says people can form food aversions quickly — and they can be generalized to foods with similar tastes, smells or textures. “There are some developmental components to food aversions,” she says. “Picky or selective eating is more common in children as they learn about which foods are safe and unsafe to eat.” Typically, kids grow out of this, but some may not, she says.

Food aversions can also be linked to pregnancy, trouble chewing and swallowing, or differences in sensory processing, Boswell says.

Are food aversions an issue?

Food aversions can be an issue from a health standpoint, but they don’t necessarily need to be problematic, dietitian Jessica Cording, author of The Little Book of Game Changers,tells Yahoo Life. “The important thing to keep in mind is whether that food aversion is impacting your quality of life,” she says. “If it’s just a few preferences but someone eats other foods in that food group, it’s not a huge issue.”

But Cording says there are “signs that something deeper is going on” if aversions keep someone from meeting their nutritional needs, or refusal to eat certain foods affects their mental or physical health. “In my experience as a registered dietitian, I’ve found that there can be a psychological component to these more extreme aversions,” she says.

There is a condition known as avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), which is a condition defined by avoiding foods that leads to having trouble meeting appropriate nutritional needs, Boswell says. It’s linked with significant weight loss, nutritional deficiency and dependence on supplements, she adds. “People with ARFID do not experience concerns about body size or shape — fear of weight gain — as in other eating disorders, but do experience the same negative medical and psychological consequences of malnutrition,” she says.

People with ARFID may eat only at home because their food preferences are so limited or will eat only foods of one color or texture because they feel high levels of stress or anxiety otherwise, Carter says. But not all food aversions fall under ARFID, she notes. “If the food aversion is about a preference, then it’s probably not an eating disorder. For example, I love mushrooms, but many of my friends hate them,” she says. “If the food aversion is related to distress, such as significant anxiety, and interferes with functioning, then it could be a symptom of an eating disorder.”

Is there anything you can do about food aversions?

If you hate a random food like bananas and it has no impact on your life, Cording says you’re fine to keep on avoiding it. But if you’re facing nutritional gaps, she recommends taking steps to fix that.

“Working with a dietitian who can provide guidance on ways to introduce foods you need, and supplements to fill in gaps where needed, can be helpful,” she says. “But it’s also important to address the mental health side with a licensed therapist.” Conditions like ARFID and general food aversions are treatable, Boswell says. “Treatment typically includes making sure that someone is receiving adequate nutrition and then introducing feared and avoided foods and textures slowly and repeatedly,” she explains.

But experts say there’s no need to worry if you just don’t like any given food. “It’s fine to avoid foods you hate as long as you’re getting what you need biologically, socially and psychologically,” Carter says.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please visit the National Eating Disorders Association website at nationaleatingdisorders.org for more information.