Tips For Getting Your Children To Try New Foods

If you have children at home, then you’ve probably heard the word “no” hundreds of times when it comes to food. From the time they are old enough to understand what they are eating and can express their feelings about it, many children don’t hold back when it comes to letting you know they don’t like something; not to mention, they usually aren’t afraid to tell you they don’t want to try something either. But since they can’t eat kid favorites like cookies and ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s your job to introduce them to new foods that can be just as delicious and exciting! Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Eat it first: As someone that your children look up to, you stand a better chance at getting them to try something new if you try it first. Therefore, the next time you make something at home or take the family out to eat, offer your child the opportunity to take a bite off of what’s on your plate – but make sure they see you eat it before they do!

Avoid force: When forcing your child to eat something they don’t want to, there is a good chance they will develop even stronger feelings against it as they aren’t given the chance to make their own decisions. Instead, you should approach the situation in a way that lets your child know they have the freedom to decide what they do and do not eat. When given the opportunity to think for themselves, it’s more likely that children will venture out of their comfort zone and try something new.

Get them involved: If you’ll be cooking at home, let your child in on the fun and ask them to help you prepare the meal. By having them be a part of the cooking process, they may be more inclined to try new things as they are directly involved with creating the end result!

Taste test: All too often, children will say no after the first bite of trying something new – but one bite certainly isn’t enough to determine whether or not they like something in our book! If you’re working towards introducing a new food, politely ask your child to take 5 or 6 bites before they officially say no. By the time they are a few bites in, they may just find that they like something more than they thought!

Do you have a picky eater at home? If so, we encourage you to keep these tips in mind the next time you want them to give something new a try! We bet you’ll be surprised at how much simpler it is to get them to open their taste buds to a world of possibilities!