We've all seen the child who eats three foods on repeat, refuses anything green, and can't abide by food touching other food. But social historian Dr. Helen Zoe Veit says picky eating isn't some timeless childhood phase, and it's not simply hardwired biology. She argues it's something modern culture helped create, driven by a century of shifting family life, anxious parenting advice, and a food industry built around ultra-processed convenience. And that's the good news. Veit says if pickiness is shaped by the world kids grow up in, it's not permanent. With the right approach, children can learn to eat differently. Her new book is Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History.