Kids need a lot of nutrients to grow strong and stay healthy. The habits they form when they’re young can stick with them throughout their lives.
Unfortunately, kids can also be pretty picky eaters. If your child is stuck on chicken nuggets and french fries every mean, this article is for you.
Here are some creative ways to get your kids interested in trying new foods;
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1. Let Your Kids Plan the New Food
You can encourage your kids to try new recipes by including them in your meal-planning process. Provide them with a few different options, combining the new foods with other dishes you know they like.
Once they decide on the meals they want, let them place them on a calendar or grocery list to refer to throughout the week. When you give your children some control over their food choices, they may be more willing to try the new dishes on their plates.
If your kids are old enough, have them choose one new fruit, vegetable, protein, or grain to add to a weekly meal. This way, they can expand their palate in a controlled manner.
2. Find New Food with a Scavenger Hunt
It may seem like a hassle at times, but there are many benefits to taking your kids to the grocery store. They can learn about business and explore all the food options available.
By seeing at least one area where their food comes from, your kids could gain more interest in the choices around them. A single orange may look more attractive, surrounded by other colorful fruits.
Turn your grocery list into a challenge for your children to see how many items they can find without your guidance. After gathering the food, let your child help pay for it, which helps them gain a sense of ownership over it. These things can encourage them to try the food.
3. Learn about New Food Through Fun Activities
Learning about food with your kids can also help them gain interest in trying them. Please choose a new food to explore and use videos and fun activities to learn about its origin, where it’s grown, and how it’s used in different recipes.
Focus on learning about one new food at a time so you don’t overwhelm them. By learning about the food in a fun way, they can gain a greater appreciation for it and may be more willing to try it.
Ensure that they learn about the health benefits of the food, too. When kids know the direct benefits of eating the food, they may choose to eat it for the benefits alone.
Once you’ve learned together, you can prepare a recipe with it to try.
4. Make New Food Together
Letting your kids help make the food in an age-appropriate manner can help them feel more involved and get them excited about tasting it.
When your kids become active participants in making food, they can develop feelings of pride knowing that they accomplished the task for themselves and their household.
They are more likely to try a new food if they are responsible for putting it on the table.
5. Present New Food in a Fun Way
Making food fun is a timeless way to get kids excited about new food. Get a fun cookie cutter to shape the food into different animals or characters. Food coloring also helps transform food into a more enjoyable experience for them.
You can also incorporate fun games into the meal.
You might find that the fun colors and shapes help your children stay motivated to try the food. You can work on presenting the same food in different ways after.
6. Incorporate New Food into Other Foods
Sometimes, when you can add a fruit or vegetable to a dish they love, your kids realize that it’s not so bad. You might be surprised at how much food you can add healthy food into.
Each child is different, but if you plan on sneaking a new food into a different food, such as a dip, muffin, or casserole. It’s often better to tell them that you were incorporating the food instead of telling them afterward. If you sneak a new food into one your child enjoys, it can lead to your child not wanting to eat it again.
Getting your kids on board with trying new food in a flavor palette they already enjoy can help them realize that the new food isn’t as scary as they thought.
7. Turn New Foods into Appetizers
To make new food less intimidating, you could separate it from your typical meal times.
Placing the food as an appetizer to snack on before the meal might pique their interest; If they enjoy the food, they can add some to their actual meal plate.
If they don’t enjoy it, they’ll know they don’t have to have it during the meal.
Embracing New Foods
For some kids, new foods can be scary, but with these fun tips, they might realize just how enjoyable they can be.
Read: Instilling a Passion for Food in Your Children From Birth
If you are concerned about your child’s diet, speak to a health professional about getting the nutrients they need.
