I did not give my children the option of leaving the table without eating a balanced meal, so “picky eating” was simply not permitted. Biggest problem here in America is giving young children a taste for sweet at an early age. If they get hungry enough, they will eat proper food. We often give in too easily between 18 months and 3 years, and that can start the cycle of bad eating habits.
We tried everything. NONE of it works if you have THAT kind of person who just can’t stand things and is not fooled by the tricks some try to pull. I think it’s partly genetic - I was called “picky” by my family but not nearly like my husband. I too have texture (and visual) issues, though not much. (I don’t like onions and tomatoes because of those, but I like the flavor. Hate peppers for all reasons.)
None of it applies, and punishing them by forcing them to eat or stay at table just backfires. The “sweet” thing doesn’t apply to him either - in fact, I TRIED to use sweets to entice him into eating more, trying more, but he just doesn’t like what he doesn’t like. He is just as picky about junk food as any.
Nope, all I ended up doing was “you must eat this tiny bit I put on your plate” of each of 2 or 3 kinds of things. A tiny bit wasn’t the torture (for all of us) that a whole serving would be. He does that.