A Guide to Trying New Foods for Kids
Trying new foods is an important life skill – not only for kids but for adults, too!
Meal times are a great opportunity to connect and enjoy each other’s company, but it can easily be a source of stress when it turns into power struggles over what we eat.
These easy strategies help reduce picky eating and help you grow a family of adventurous eaters and foodies who enjoy eating a meal no matter what you make or where you visit.
Also check out how to raise adventurous eaters for even more tips on how to help your kids love food!
Exposing kids to new foods through books
An easy and great way to introduce new foods to kids is through books! When kids see vegetable and new foods in the books they read, they become more curious about them, which helps them want to try them! Here is a great list of children’s books about food. Hint: This also works with TV shows and movies! Anything you can do to help peak curiosity!
Dinner conversations
How you talk to your kids at the dinner table is also really important to how they feel about a food. And how they feel about a food plays a huge impact on whether or not they try a bite much less enjoy it. Try these dinner conversation starters at your next meal and see how it makes a difference!
Exploring the sense of taste
What actually makes up the sense of taste, and how does that affect your food? Being able to take a scientific exploration of taste, texture, and flavor helps open up new vocabulary and understanding about what we like (and why) and what we don’t like (and why!). Check out how to explore the sense of taste with your kids, and try out the Tasting Trek, too!
Grow a veggie garden
Growing a garden at home is a great way to help kids be interested in and loving their veggies! Learn how to grow a garden with kids and expand the number of veggies your kids love to eat.
Cooking and baking with your kids
There is nothing cuter and more beneficial than Children cooking. Being able to teach your children independence, life skills, and have special time with them is so important. But knowing how to start and what kids can do at different ages can seem daunting. Read how to cook and bake with your kids for all the information you need on . Here are some simple recipes you can cook with your kids!
Add in variety
We often get stuck in a rut serving the same things over and over again because its easy. Schedules and activities often mean we are looking for the quickest and easiest meals we can throw down on the table before we move onto the next thing. But that often means we forget to serve a variety of different meals. Eating the same thing over and over is super simple for meal planning, but it actual reinforces picky eating because kids aren’t exposed to enough variety. Learn how to add variety to your kids meals during this fun Variety Voyage challenge!
Intentionally explore new foods
Picking special nights to intentionally try new foods is really important! Think of it like a family party where you really set the scene and make a big deal of learning about new foods. Play music, watch a movie, and create a fun meal together. The idea isn’t to immediately love everything you make, its to be exposed to it and try it! Try the Foodie Family Passport Kits to learn about food from around the world. That’s the fun in being a “foodie” – learning to love the journey!
Make sure you also visit my collection of food around the world for kids.
