encouraging your child to try new foods
Science shows that food neophobia (reluctance/avoidance of novel foods) is minimal during infancy but increases with age until reaching adulthood when it slower declines. The younger you encourage your child to eating healthily the better! However, never fear as we’ve got some tips to help adapt your family’s diet without tears and tantrums!
It has been proven that it takes five – ten tries of a new food to increase liking for it. Don’t be disheartened after they have one bite and announce they dislike it – keep persisting. Use gentle encouragement rather than persuasion, as using food in a negative way to create a reward will only make the food more disliked.
TIP: Combine new foods with familiar, favourite flavours e.g. sauces.
Lead by example
Children often look to their parents/guardians to guide their opinions and behaviours. This is why it is important for the whole family to get involved with making their diets more sustainable and nutritious. If you’re asking your child to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, it is unlikely to happen if they don’t see others doing the same.
TIP: Combine new foods with familiar, favourite flavours e.g. sauces.
TIP: Replace any snack or cookie jars with a stocked fruit bowl and access to the vegetable shelf in the fridge.
TIP: Try not to use food as a reward, punishment or celebration as this creates emotional associations with food and creates an unhealthy relationship.
TIP: Involve your children e.g. during the food shop and meal preparation; show them recipe ideas and let them choose today’s meal.
