How to Get Kids to Start Trying New Foods
Dress up your food., Pretend so that the kids appreciate it more., Tell the kids that the food is something that it is, well, not., Have a small "Food Inventing" contest., Tell your kids that if they eat some food on their plate that they do not...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Dress up your food.
No, it doesn't mean that you have to put a bonnet on a piece of celery.
Try spreading peanut butter on a piece of celery with raisins on top of that.
Tell the kids that it is "ants on a log." You could also give them raw veggies instead of cooked.
They may like the looks and taste of them better than cooked vegetables.
Like raw broccoli with ranch dip.
You could compare them to "snowy trees" or something of the sort.
Just be creative with it. (This does not always work, especially for children who are a bit more mature and can tell the difference between food they like and what they hate; no matter how deformed the food may be) -
Step 2: Pretend so that the kids appreciate it more.
For example, tell the kids that you want them to serve the food to you.
Have a pre-prepared meal sitting where they can see it.
Have them bring the healthy food to you and give them fake tips.
Participate in eating the food with them.
Try not to show any disgust if you eat a certain food that you particularly dislike; it might motivate the child to copy your actions and hate it as well. , For boys you could tell them that a new dish of yours is Superman or Mr.
Incredible's favorite meal and that's where he gets his muscles.
For girls you could tell them that it is what all the beautiful princesses eat to make them so beautiful.
You could also include some food truths, like letting them know that eating carrots can help their eyes, so they can see things better.
And stuff like yogurt and cheese gives them strong bones, so they can save the world without breaking something.
If you want, you can also make the food to look as if it were something children would think that their favorite people would eat. , Give them a bunch of fruits, vegetables, spreads, tortillas, rolls, lunch meat, anything you can think of, and tell your kid to invent a new delicious snack.
One catch, though: they have to use at least one thing they don't normally eat.
If you have more than one child, you could tell them that it's a contest to see who can make the tastiest new snack.
Kids in general, especially boys, love competitions, and they might just discover that that vegetable they wouldn't eat really isn't so bad after all.
If they have found something they like (something mixed with something else), don't allow them to always have it.
It makes them less likely to eat their full meal. , Don't make the treat too big of course and don't give them a treat every time, as then your kids will get used to the idea that if they eat yucky food, they will get a reward. , If that does not work, then put it on the side of their plate.
Make it look good; they might try it. , It may cause hiccups and your child may never like it again. , Tell them that whoever finishes the dish first wins.
Put fruits and vegetables on the plate, and food with calcium, also.
You could tell them at the end of the contest what they just ate. -
Step 3: Tell the kids that the food is something that it is
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Step 4: Have a small "Food Inventing" contest.
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Step 5: Tell your kids that if they eat some food on their plate that they do not like
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Step 6: they can have a treat such as staying up 5 minutes later.
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Step 7: First ask them about it.
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Step 8: Don't wolf your food down!
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Step 9: Have a blind eating contest.
Detailed Guide
No, it doesn't mean that you have to put a bonnet on a piece of celery.
Try spreading peanut butter on a piece of celery with raisins on top of that.
Tell the kids that it is "ants on a log." You could also give them raw veggies instead of cooked.
They may like the looks and taste of them better than cooked vegetables.
Like raw broccoli with ranch dip.
You could compare them to "snowy trees" or something of the sort.
Just be creative with it. (This does not always work, especially for children who are a bit more mature and can tell the difference between food they like and what they hate; no matter how deformed the food may be)
For example, tell the kids that you want them to serve the food to you.
Have a pre-prepared meal sitting where they can see it.
Have them bring the healthy food to you and give them fake tips.
Participate in eating the food with them.
Try not to show any disgust if you eat a certain food that you particularly dislike; it might motivate the child to copy your actions and hate it as well. , For boys you could tell them that a new dish of yours is Superman or Mr.
Incredible's favorite meal and that's where he gets his muscles.
For girls you could tell them that it is what all the beautiful princesses eat to make them so beautiful.
You could also include some food truths, like letting them know that eating carrots can help their eyes, so they can see things better.
And stuff like yogurt and cheese gives them strong bones, so they can save the world without breaking something.
If you want, you can also make the food to look as if it were something children would think that their favorite people would eat. , Give them a bunch of fruits, vegetables, spreads, tortillas, rolls, lunch meat, anything you can think of, and tell your kid to invent a new delicious snack.
One catch, though: they have to use at least one thing they don't normally eat.
If you have more than one child, you could tell them that it's a contest to see who can make the tastiest new snack.
Kids in general, especially boys, love competitions, and they might just discover that that vegetable they wouldn't eat really isn't so bad after all.
If they have found something they like (something mixed with something else), don't allow them to always have it.
It makes them less likely to eat their full meal. , Don't make the treat too big of course and don't give them a treat every time, as then your kids will get used to the idea that if they eat yucky food, they will get a reward. , If that does not work, then put it on the side of their plate.
Make it look good; they might try it. , It may cause hiccups and your child may never like it again. , Tell them that whoever finishes the dish first wins.
Put fruits and vegetables on the plate, and food with calcium, also.
You could tell them at the end of the contest what they just ate.
About the Author
Janice Evans
Enthusiastic about teaching cooking techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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