The short answer
Many selective eaters are deeply aware of texture, flavor, and smell. That awareness can make eating hard early on, but with safe, hands-on experiences it can grow into a real strength. Several chefs say they were picky eaters as kids, and cooking is what changed things for them. If you’re in New York, you’ll find a list of kids’ cooking classes below.
Many children who are selective with food are deeply aware of texture, flavor, smell, and how food feels in their body.
This heightened awareness can make eating difficult in the early years. Certain textures may feel overwhelming. Strong flavors may feel too intense. A new food may create uncertainty simply because the sensory experience is unfamiliar.
That same sensitivity, the ability to notice the smallest differences in taste, smell, and texture, can also become an incredible strength.
In fact, several chefs have shared that they were picky eaters growing up. Over time, their curiosity about food, combined with supportive experiences in the kitchen, transformed that sensitivity into something powerful: a refined palate and a deep understanding of flavor.
Here are four chefs who once struggled with food and later turned their awareness into a culinary advantage, plus cooking classes in New York where your child can start exploring.
From Picky Eater to Chef: 4 Real Stories
Story 1
Chase Bailey
Young chef, YouTube host & cookbook author
Chase was diagnosed with autism as a toddler and experienced challenges with sensory processing, which made food particularly overwhelming. His turning point came at age eight, when he discovered cooking shows. Watching others cook and eat helped him slowly become curious about food in a way that felt safe.
He went on to launch his YouTube cooking show, “Chase ’N Yur Face,” cooking alongside well-known chefs, and later expanded into acting and filmmaking.
“For most of his childhood, Chase Bailey liked exactly three foods: chips and dip, cookies, and pizza.”Read more about Chase →
Story 2
Jason Quinn
Chef & MasterChef Season 8 winner
Growing up in Irvine, Jason describes himself as an “insanely picky eater.” Everything began to change when he discovered cooking. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion.
Cooking let him explore ingredients, flavor, and technique in a way that felt safe and exciting rather than overwhelming.
“It was almost like a curse… If you get the bug, you have to do it.”Read the full interview →
Story 3
Nickolas Gutierrez
Founder of Picky Eaters
Growing up in Brooklyn, Nickolas had a very limited diet. Like many selective eaters, unfamiliar foods felt overwhelming and unpredictable: “Whether it was texture, taste, smell, color, or the way it looked, I came up with any reason to avoid eating things I didn’t know.”
Learning to cook changed that. Understanding ingredients and technique made him curious about the very foods he used to avoid.
“As I learned to cook… I became increasingly curious and found myself seeking out ways to incorporate ingredients that I’d previously avoided at all costs.”Read his full story →
Story 4
Juliette Feller
Chef & food writer
As a child, unfamiliar foods created genuine anxiety for Juliette. In her article “Bite by Bite: From Picky Eater to Passionate Chef,” she describes “a genuine fear of experiencing an unpleasant taste.”
Learning to cook let her see ingredients individually, understand how flavors work together, and explore food at her own pace. Curiosity gradually replaced fear.
“Cooking empowered me and my eating habits. Everything I made, I ate.”Read her full story →
When Sensory Awareness Becomes a Strength
Many children who are selective with food are not simply being “difficult.” Often, they are deeply aware of the sensory properties of food:
This awareness can make unfamiliar foods feel overwhelming at first. But with the right support, that sensitivity can become a powerful advantage. Children who notice these details often develop an incredible ability to appreciate food once they feel safe exploring it.
Learn more about why messy, sensory food play matters in Messes That Matter.
The Power of Hands-On Food Experiences
One of the most helpful ways to support selective eaters is to let them interact with food without pressure to eat it right away. Notice that every chef above found their way in through cooking. When children are invited to:
- Touch food
- Cook with food
- Smell ingredients
- Prepare meals
- Explore food through play
…something begins to shift.
Want a simple way to start at home? Try the Learning Plate, a pressure-free way to explore new foods step by step.
Cooking Classes for Kids in New York
Every chef above found their way in through the kitchen. If your child is curious, a cooking class can be a fun, low-pressure way to explore new foods alongside other kids. Here are a few I like for younger and more cautious eaters, around New York City and Long Island.
What to look for if your child is a cautious eater
- A caregiver-and-me format for younger kids, so they have you close by
- Small groups and hands-on jobs like mixing, pouring, and kneading
- Teachers who let kids explore and taste at their own pace
- Allergy-friendly kitchens if your child has food allergies
Manhattan
Taste Buds Kitchen
Caregiver & Me classes for little ones, plus drop-off series, workshops, and camps for older kids in a nut-free kitchen.
Visit website →Kids at Work
Early-childhood classes where toddlers and their grown-ups make simple recipes together using kid-friendly tools.
Visit website →The Art Farm NYC
Farm Foodies classes built around seasonal produce, with a visit to the petting zoo while the food cooks.
Visit website →Brooklyn
Allora
Italian-inspired cooking for kids: fresh pasta, pizza, and focaccia. Toddler classes with a caregiver, plus after-school and camps.
Visit website →Le Meraviglie Art
A weekly parent-and-child cooking series focused on cooking, creativity, and connection.
Visit website →Queens
NY Preschool & Kids Club
Weekly drop-off cooking classes where each session explores a simple recipe and a different cuisine.
Visit website →Long Island
What’s Cooking
Weekly classes, workshops, and camps, plus family sessions where parents and preschoolers cook together.
Visit website →WowMoms Long Island
Toddler and preschool cooking classes, alongside art, music, and sensory play.
Visit website →Kids Feeding Wellness is not affiliated with these programs. Class schedules, ages, and locations change often, and some classes are seasonal, so we recommend calling ahead. Links checked October 2026.
A message for parents
If your child is cautious with food, it does not mean something is wrong. It may simply mean they are paying closer attention to the sensory experience of eating.
With patience, supportive exposure, and opportunities to explore food in creative ways, children can build confidence over time.
Your child doesn’t need fixing.
They need understanding, safety, and space to grow.
And from there, amazing things can unfold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is being sensitive to food a bad thing?
No. Noticing small differences in texture, flavor, and smell is a skill. It can make new foods harder at first, but with safe, low-pressure experiences, that same awareness can become a real appreciation for food.
How can I get my picky eater involved in cooking?
Start small and keep it pressure-free: washing vegetables, stirring, pouring, smelling spices, or setting out ingredients. The goal is exploring food, not eating it. If your child enjoys it, a kids’ cooking class (see our New York list above) can build on that at home.
When is picky eating more than a phase?
Reach out if your child accepts very few foods, the list is shrinking, meals are consistently stressful, or there are concerns about gagging, chewing, swallowing, or growth.
Wondering How to Support Your Sensitive Eater?
Book a free 15-minute call. We’ll talk through what you’re seeing at the table and find a gentle next step together.
Sources
- Brain & Life. As a child, Chase Bailey hated most food. brainandlife.org
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Recipe for success: Teen with autism launches cookbook. ajc.com
- OC Weekly. Jason Quinn will meet you at the playground. ocweekly.com
- Gutierrez N. My Story. Picky Eaters. pickyeatersfc.com
- Feller J. Bite by Bite: From Picky Eater to Passionate Chef. juliettefeller.com
