How to Convince Kids to Try New Foods

Creative moms are always coming up with new and exciting ideas when it comes to lunch and dinner for their kids. We might want to whip up those amazing looking lunches that we’d love to try ourselves, however, when your children are very specific about what they’re going to eat your time might be best spent with their tastes in mind?

As a parent, you can’t force your kids to be into the same flavors and experiences as you are, but you can help them to step outside of their comfort zone every once in a while. Getting your kids to try new food can be a wonderful way to get them more excited about what they eat, as well as discovring some healthier snack options to enjoy. So, how do you convince kids to give new foods a try? Lets take a look at some of the simple options, and with just a bit of effort and patience on your part, your kids can learn to try new foods, truly!

Start with Snacks

Picky eaters are more likely to disagree your food choices if they feel like they need to eat an entire plate of something they’re not sure about. If you start small by giving your child just a single snack to test out – there’s less pressure on them. This can make it easier for your child to open themselves up to new ideas. Consider signing up for a subscription box club where you can try something different every month. If your strategy works out, you can even send a subscription to your friends too. This is a great way to help other parents in the same boat, while having snacks from all over the world to try in your pantry.

Get them in the Kitchen

Combining ingredients, experimenting with flavors and actually handling food can be a lot more fun for kids than simply being handed a plate of food. Bringing your kid into the kitchen gets them involved in actually making and choosing the things they’re going to eat. The more time your child spends in the kitchen, the more likely they are to be naturally curious about the ingredients they use. You can even ask your child which kind of meal they want to make one day and go shopping for interesting ingredients together. If a child feels like they’ve had a hand in making something, they’ll be far more likely to try that food and make their best effort to enjoy it.

Be a Good Role Model

Plenty of parents assume the only way to get their kids to try new food is to trick them with reverse psychology or try to bribe them into trying something new. However, the reality is that these things just cause more problems in the long-term. Instead, if you really want to unveil your child’s creative and experimental side, all you need to do is be a good role model. Let your children see you experimenting with and eating new ingredients – particularly at the dinner table when you’re sitting alongside them.

Don’t eat new foods in silence, explain what you think about the flavors and the texture. Talk to your kids about what they might think the food would taste like based on how it looks. When cooking with kids in the kitchen, be careful not to edit ingredients out of a recipe just because you don’t like them, this can encourage picky behavior.

Okay, you can do this, here’s to healthy eating and kids that want to eat and enjoy a wonderful range of foods!