How to encourage little ones to try new foods
If you have little kids in your care, you’ll know how tough it can be sometimes to get them to try new foods.
Spitting it out, hiding it, or just flat out refusal are all perfectly common. Here we have some tips for encouraging even the fussiest of fussy eaters.
Grow your own
Kids love to see where their food comes from. Make a special space in the garden for basil, salad leaves, cherry tomatoes or cucumbers. Let the children help you plant the seeds and tend to them when they visit. Make a big deal about harvesting the fruits of your labour and talk about how you are going to use their special vegetables to make their lunch. By making a fuss of the great work they’ve done looking after the food, it could help tempt them to give it a try.
Have them help prepare it
For some children, they like to be involved in the preparation of food in order to be interested in tasting it. So try cooking something fun that they might enjoy helping you with. It could be pita bread pizzas (the kids can add their own toppings) or have them choose three things from the kitchen to pack into a picnic to take to the park.
Set a good example
Little ones learn a lot by quietly observing us. So make a point of letting everyone at the table know how important it is to set a good eating example in front of the fussy eater. You could talk about the fact that you love eating eggs because they are full of protein to make you big and strong. Another idea is asking someone that the child looks up to or admires to mention how much they like a certain food that the child won’t try. This could be enough to tempt them to give it a little try.
Try new serving ideas
If the children only like certain things, why not try cooking variations of it containing the foods you want them to try. It could be spaghetti Bolognese with loads of sneakily grated carrot and zucchini in it; burgers with a mixture of mince and lentils; or a pasta bake that contains the goodness of pureed pumpkin mixed with the pasta sauce.