Encouraging Young Children To Try New Foods!

As children grow from infants to toddlers to preschool, the introduction of new foods could sometimes present a myriad of responses. If decorating walls with the delightful colours of food is not a preferred home décor project, offering these foods challenges both parents and caregivers to really consider the best strategies.

 
One strategy to consider is offering the new food item in a visually pleasing manner. As they say, “we eat with our eyes” which suggests that if the presentation appears “unflavourable” it is less likely a child will want to attempt a taste. Shaping the new food into a familiar item using a cookie cutter or a silicone mold might also entice a tasting, as eating a uniquely shaped amount of spinach which looks like a dinosaur (i.e., a tyrannosaurus rex, brontosaurus) could just elevate the flavour.

Another strategy which could be considered might be the tried-and-true method of “masking” or “hiding” the new food item in a mixture of other familiar food items. Vegetables seem to continue to receive the highest rated food item which children are reluctant to eat largely due to their lack of flavour. Mixing vegetables with other tastier yet nutritious foods could allow for a gentler introduction to this food grouping, and thus achieving a greater degree of success when the vegetables are consumed.

 
Finally, it comes down to patience and perseverance as children’s tastes could seemingly change from one week to the next, but the response to their food eating habits is key. Children should never be forced or bribed to eat anything as this behaviour results in detrimental effects which could take a very long time to overcome. Continue to make mealtime an enjoyable activity for all children, and they will grow to model and appreciate your responses to new foods.