Getting Your Child Interested in New Foods

Most parents realize that in order to keep their children healthy, they need to encourage their children to eat a varied and balanced diet. So what do you do when your child only wants to eat hot dogs and pizza? There are plenty of ways to expand your child’s repertoire of foods and encourage healthy eating at the same time:

1) Introduce your child to new foods early. Child psychologists agree that kids will try almost any type of new food until they are about two years old. At that time, unless their palates have been expanded, they may develop somewhat of an aversion to trying new things. Therefore, the best time to get your child use try different types of foods is before they are two years old.

2) Choose the right time to introduce new foods. In many cases, you can get a child to try new food by placing it alongside familiar foods. For example, if you want your child to try a new exotic fruit, consider slicing it up in the usual manner alongside his or her favorite fruit. You might also try introducing new foods at quiet dinner settings, since children who are already highly stimulated and excited may be less likely to try new foods.

3) Go shopping together. If your child becomes accustomed to going grocery shopping with you, it will be easier for you to get them to try new foods. Your child will see other people selecting unusual foods. You can make it a game, as well. Have your child select a new food to try that looks exciting. This will give the child some control over what they will eat and will allow them to choose a new food that they are actually interested in.

4) Be willing to try new foods yourself. If you are in a culinary rut yourself, it is far less likely that your child will want to experiment with food. Get enthusiastic about new foods, and try different things. This may make your child more enthusiastic about trying new things as well.

5) Find out which of your child's friends or which of your child's most trusted adults like unusual or exotic foods. Consider having these people over when you are serving a particular new food. If your child sees that his or her friend likes asparagus, for example, you child may want to try to this food as well.

6) Get your child involved in cooking new foods. Your child will be far more likely to sample a new dish if he or she was involved in preparing it.