5 Ways to Encourage Children to Try New Foods

Imagine you prepared a delicious, sumptuous meal. But the moment your child notices a vegetable or side dish they don’t recognize, they push the plate away, say, “I can’t eat that” and go to their room. Or perhaps (the silent one) stares at the food on the table and uses the spoon to clang the plate or play around with the food without actually eating it. They might just drink the milkshake and leave the dining table.

You would probably get furious because you prepared the food with effort and love. However, as a parent, you need to understand that picky eating is a natural phase of the childhood stage. According to some studies, 30–50% of children resist trying new foods. While there is a wide spread of picky eating, you can manage it with the right strategies.

I need to emphasize that expanding a child’s palate has long-term benefits. The benefits include nutritional habits, openness to cultural diversity, and a healthier relationship with food.

Also, you want to train your children in a way that helps them become curious and salivate when they see a new food. They should have a literal or subconscious reaction like, “That looks yummy. I can’t wait to try it out.”

This article explains five practical ways to encourage children to try new foods without battles or stress.

1. Lead by Example: Be a Positive Role Model:

Someone once said, “Children learn faster from what they both see and hear. So, you have to ensure that your actions and words align.” Children mimic what they see, which makes them the primary influence on the kind of food they eat. Here are some of the things you can do to lead by example:

a. Show Enthusiasm:

Let them see that you are enjoying the food when eating, especially when it’s a new food menu. You could say something like, “This potato salad is so delectable. Want to have a taste?” When you demonstrate genuine enjoyment, it makes them salivate and curious about the food, even when they have not tasted it.

b. Diverse Palate:

Research shows that children are likelier to try new foods they see their parents enjoying. Even though you might have a meal you love, you should eat various foods before your child. Of course, I’m referring to healthy foods, not junk or unhealthy foods.

c. Family Meals:

Eating with your children on the dining table strengthens your bond with them. Create a routine where everyone eats together, especially during dinner, and explore different foods. Let them look forward to each night’s meal. If it helps, create a roster for every night (of course, there should be a repeat of meals).

d. Handle Rejection Gracefully:

You might ask, “What if my child refuses to try a food?” Instead of pressuring them to dig in, stay calm and focus on enjoying your meal. They might just want to see you try it first or it might be an allergy to the food. As time passes, they might grow to like the food.

2. Involve Kids in Food Preparation:

Involving your children in food preparation could encourage them to try new foods. Children are likelier to try foods they helped to prepare than the ones they weren’t involved in any way. Involving them in the food preparation gives them a sense of ownership and accomplishment. Here are some ways to do that:

a. Grocery Store Adventures:

Take them shopping and allow them to pick a fruit, vegetable, or ingredient that catches their attention, even if they haven’t tried it before. Let them explore their interests.

b. Food Education:

As you move through the store, wittily teach them the nutritional benefits of ingredients. For example, “An apple daily gives your body fuel to play and gives your teeth a crunchy workout.” This makes it fun and also imparts information.

c. Cooking Together:

Based on their age, assign tasks like sprinkling cheese on a dish, stirring a mix, and washing produce. But even while cooking, you can continue your food education and show them how to prepare the meal.

d. Experimentation:

Have you ever considered asking them to design their recipes? For example, you could tell them to make their smoothie or salad. It’s a great way to try new dishes and flavors.

e. Celebrate the Result:

After making the dish, tag it as their creation and praise them for their efforts. Let them take pride in it.

3. Make Mealtime Fun and Low-Pressure:

You should create a playful, relaxed atmosphere to encourage your children to try new foods. In some homes, their mealtime is tense and everyone can’t wait to get out of the table to have breathing space. Make mealtime more pleasurable and less stressful.

a. Fun Presentations:

Arrange foods into creative shapes and themes. For example, cut sandwiches into fun shapes like bears and butterflies. You can also make pancakes and use bananas, blueberries, and whipped cream to create smiley faces.

b. Tasting Games:

Close your children’s eyes and ask them to guess the flavor or texture of a new food. This can be a fun way to introduce them to new foods.

c. Small Wins:

Start with a taste of a new food alongside familiar ones so that they can have small wins. You don’t want to create a situation where they don’t get any taste right. Getting some of the tastes right will boost their confidence to try more. For instance, you can give them their favorite sandwich alongside a new pasta.

d. Avoid Pressuring:

Don’t pressure them to finish the food on their plate. Remember, the taste is still new to their taste buds and they are not yet accustomed to it. Instead, you can say, “It’s okay if you don’t like it or can’t finish it. You can try other dishes.”

c. Routine Exposures:

Don’t just expose them to a new food; serve the same food several times in the next few weeks so their taste buds can get used to it. The more they try it, the more likely they will like it.

4. Create a Routine Around Food Exposure:

At every point in time, introduce new foods to them. Consistently introduce them to new foods. Make it a routine to do that. Remember, what you expose them to is what they try.

a. Hunger Timing:

The best time to introduce your children to new food is when they are hungry. They will want to gulp anything you give them, so far it’s healthy.

b. Pair New with Familiar:

Instead of making an array of new meals and making them feel intimidated, add a new food to their favorite meals. It makes it less intimidating. If they are familiar with spaghetti, mix it with a new dish like zucchini noodles.

c. Positive Descriptions:

Use positive language to describe food. For example, these noodles are as sweet as honey.

d. Theme Days:

You can create fun themes for different food meal occasions. Let’s say, you choose Rainbow Foods Day, you can eat a rainbow of foods: yellow banana, red strawberries, green spinach, orange carrots, etc. You can have Green Foods Day. Eat green-colored foods like cucumbers, peas, matcha desserts, kiwi, broccoli, and many more.

5. Leverage Social and Cultural Dynamics:

Another beautiful way to encourage children to try new foods is using social settings and cultural contexts. Using these contexts can inspire children to embrace new foods.

a. Peer Influence:

Prepare playdates or family meals where other kids enjoy the new food. Sometimes, you should leave home and eat at a garden or park where they eat that new food you want them to try.

b. Cultural Exploration:

Introduce foods in the context of cultural traditions and celebrations. For example, Indians celebrate Diwali with samosas, curries, and sweet treats like gulabjamun. If you want your children to try them, there is no better time to introduce these foods to them than during Diwali.

c. Cooking Traditions:

Let’s say your family members come to visit you, you can involve them in making traditional dishes (your children have most likely not tasted). This adds a sense of occasion and curiosity to the auspicious day.

d. Global Menus:

You can also turn meals into cultural adventures, especially if you are on tour to different countries or around the world. Visit the cuisines around the world and try their various dishes.

Conclusion

Encouraging your children to try new foods can be challenging sometimes, but the rewards are innumerable. Aside from bolstering your children’s confidence in trying new foods, you deposit a love for good foods and expand their taste buds. Imagine being in the company of friends and your children can confidently mention over fifty foods they have tried because of you.

And you don’t have to start with something big, you can start small. You can make them pick a new fruit this week and another next week.

The key points discussed in this article are: lead by example, get them involved in preparation, keep mealtimes fun and pressure-free, build a routine around food exposure, and leverage social and cultural experiences.

Doing these five things will create opportunities for family bonding, lifelong appreciation of shared foods, and shared joy and moments. Ensure you apply them. Don’t forget to comment and share this article with your friends.