Want your kids to try new foods?

We are super lucky that our kids eat a wide variety of foods. People often ask us how we get them to eat (and love) so many things.  Here are some of our strategies that I think have helped!

1. Charcuterie style. Our kids love having “special charcuterie meals” which are pretty basic in the world of charcuterie but fancy in their worlds. When I serve a meal this way (usually lunch), I make sure to put a few things each kid likes plus a couple of things I think they may want to try. In the video example above, you can see that there is protein, fruits, veggies, cheese, and dipping sauces. This gives a pretty balanced spread to choose from and more often than not, they will try something new if it’s served this way. 

2.  Let the kids serve themselves. When I make a meal, I will generally put it on the table and the plates stay empty until everyone sits down. The kids get to serve themselves (with some help) which I think helps them to feel more in control of their food. And when they feel more in control, I think they are more willing to try different things, even if that means placing one very small trial on their plates. 

3.  Family meals. While it doesn’t always work, we try to sit down to eat as a family as much as possible. Doing this allows the kids to see us eating a variety of foods and enjoying them. In addition, we get to talk about our days and our plans for the future all together which builds connection. Meal times have become more of a bonding experience than anything else. And I think that part of bonding is enjoying things together and therefore eating becomes a positive experience. 

4. Avoid negative food language. Our kids are not allowed to say that any food is gross or disgusting. They are learning that what one person likes, others may not, and that’s okay! It’s cool of everyone likes different things. But also, it’s important for them to learn that someone worked hard to prepare food for them and it’s not kind to say these things. They are of course allowed to say they don’t like something or that they prefer something else. But associating foods with words like disgusting or gross means that they probably won’t try that food again. If they don’t like something right now, there’s certainly a chance they will like it in the future. 

5. Don’t make a big deal out of anything. As with anything else, kids tend to have big feelings around big reactions.  If they try something and don’t like it, we usually say “thank you for trying that, maybe you’ll like it next time.”  This tells them they should try it again sometime and that there is a chance they will like it someday. We also tell them about foods we didn’t like once but now we do like. There are lots of foods our kids have tried and didn’t like, and we will keep putting those foods out as options just in case they want to try them again. And often they do! On the flip side, if they try something and DO like it, we also don’t make a big deal out of it. A simple “that’s cool, I’m glad you tried it” is enough. Something we never do is force our kids to try a new food. We have found that if they are not forced, they will try new things more often when they are ready (which may be at the end of the meal).