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Trying new foods is something kids can rail against. They can be fussy eaters at the best of times, but if you introduce anything new to the table, they can outright refuse to even look at it! And as a parent, this is one of the inconvenient parts of raising children. After all, it’s not just fruit and veg that your kids don’t like to eat. It can be hard to get them to try any new food at all.
But it’s not an impossible task; your kids are going to eat a lot of new foods as they grow and trying new things is a big part of learning about the world – it’s a natural process! Here are some tips that’ll help you to bring new meals to the table that everyone will love to dig into.
Start Small
The smaller something is, the more likely your child is to try it. Why? Because they won’t have to eat too much more of it! And that’s a practice kids love to get involved in. If there are just a couple mouthfuls of a new food on their plate, they’ll be open to trying it without too much fuss. If you keep this up, you can add a little bit more each time, and the kids won’t think too much of having to eat just a bit more.
Let Them Pick
You might want the kids to try foods that you bring home; you’re the one cooking, and you want to work new and exciting ingredients in your meals, of course. But if you want the kids to try something new, you might have to let them pick every now and then.
Take them shopping with you and send them down an aisle. Tell them to pick out anything they think looks interesting and/or tasty, and then wait for them to come rushing back with a new ingredient. Then you just need to get them to promise to eat it if you cook it – doing a pinky swear is very serious when you’re that age!
Explain Cooking Methods to Them
If the kids know what’s going on, they’re much more likely to try something. It’s a big part of how they interact with the world at that age; they’ve got a lot to learn, and knowing how something works is a great way to pique their curiosity. And in the kitchen, that means explaining how cooking works!
For example, you can walk them through how to roast turnips, and why using the oven is a better way than steaming or boiling them. You could point out how much more yummy flavor this route adds, which can help to settle the idea of a new food into your child’s head. If they already know it tastes good, that’s half the battle!
Offer Some Rewards (that aren’t other foods!)
If there’s something new to eat that the kids have turned their noses up at before, offer them a reward for giving it a try. If they manage to clear their entire plate, for example, take them on a day out that they’ve been wanting to do for a while. Or if they manage a few mouthfuls, give them an extra 10 minutes of screen time.
Just as long as the rewards themselves aren’t food based, you can use them to motivate the kids into trying new things. And if they end up liking these new foods, you won’t need to motivate them for much longer! They’ll take to new additions to the dinner table very easily.
Let Them See You Eat
Finally, it’s time to be the best role model you can be! If you want the kids to eat new things, make sure they see you eating them first. If you’re willing to try something, they’re ten times more likely to do so.
Most of all, never let your dinner plates be different; always have the same thing to eat, to show that the food is good and everyone can dig in. You can also talk to them about just how much you like a certain food, as a bit of worldly praise does the trick.
If your kids are particularly fussy eaters, there’s nothing wrong with starting small, using rewards, and letting them pick and choose the foods they really want to try. A little bit of creative control goes a long way, and kids love to know they’ve gotten involved in the cooking process!
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