Being a parent is a huge responsibility that needs a lot of care and patience.
Patience is needed more when your child is a picky eater.
While it may be easy for some kids to indulge in foods they’re not familiar with, some may be resistant to new foods because of unfamiliar tastes, textures and flavours.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to get your little ones to try most foods as long as they are not allergic to them, as some may contain vitamins and nutrients needed in order for them to grow strong and healthy.
Here’s some food for thought on how to introduce new nutritional meals to your little ones as shared by Parents, an information centre that empowers families with expert advice on parent related matters.
- Start small – the smaller the portion, the better. Don’t overwhelm your child with big portions! Your child may end up completely not liking the food. “You could also try introducing a food they love, alongside a new food to make trying something new less intimidating,” shares Keith E. Williams, a director of a feeding program at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
- Perfect your timing – while we may be discouraged from getting them to try new foods after a few tries, we need to be mindful that it may require many tries to get them to warm up to new flavours, adds the above-mentioned information hub.
- Kids make great sous-chefs! – get your kids to help you while you prepare the new meal. According to Today’s Parents, an information source that informs, inspires and builds a sense of community, getting your kids to assist while preparing the meal helps create a positive attitude towards unfamiliar foods.
- Be honest about ingredients – Dina Rose an author of a book called, It’s Not About the Broccoli shares that telling your kids exactly what is in their meal or smoothie gets them comfortable to trust you to feed them what is good.
Also see: Tips on teaching your child table manners
