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how to get your kids to try new foods (and like it!)

home / Activities / cooking / new for us foods / how to get your kids to try new foods (and like it!)
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how to get your kids to try new foodsIt’s hard to get kids to try anything new, especially when it comes to food.

A lot of parents, myself included, aren’t always sure how to get their kids to try new foods, save from forcing them, from dealing with a whole lot of whining or crying, or dealing with stubborn–sometimes even scared–kids.

My own Maddy, Owen, and Cora went through periods when they only wanted to eat buttered pasta dry Cheerios or to drink milk in their very own very own sippy cup and would take no substitutions whatsoever.

So a few years ago, when I noticed things were getting crazy, I decided to start New For Us Fridays.

I wanted a reason for our family to try new things–new activities, ideas, foods, and games.ย  And for the last three years, we’ve had a blast trying a ton of new and cool things.

And where it’s been especially helpful is with getting our family to try new foods.

I love it.

Here’s the skinny. . .

  • How to Get Your Kids to Try New Foods: There’s no magic ‘food-trying pill’ so don’t get your hopes up.

Rather, getting kids to be excited to try new things can be a whole-family project.ย  And starting simple, with very inexpensive items that can be found at almost any grocery store, is a great place to begin.

And if families look at the idea of a New For Us Friday food as a game–something exciting, like a contest!–before you know it, the whole family will be sold.

Here are a few steps to introducing the idea to your family:how to get kids to try new foods cover 1

1.ย  Find something.ย  Start by taking kids to the grocery store.ย  Instead of speeding by the produce section and reaching for the usual apples, oranges, or bananas, really look at what’s there.

Say, Wow! I’ve never seen this fruit before (as you’re holding something new and unusual).ย  It’s called an [insert name] and it comes from [read the information card above the fruit].ย  I wonder what it tastes like.ย  One day I’d like to try it.

Then move on to your usual grocery shopping.

how to get kids to try new foods cover 2

2. Find it again.ย  The next time you’re at the store, swing by that same crazy new-for-you fruit and say, You know what? Today I’m feeling a little adventurous. I think I’ll take another look at this [strange and unusual fruit from the last trip] but this time I’d like to actually taste it. I wonder if it’s sweet or sour, juicy or crispy?

Then throw it in your cart or hand it to your child to hold while you shop.

 

how to get kids to try new foods cover 3

3.ย  Research.ย  At home, do a little research on that fruit.ย  Sit down with your child and google it.ย  Talk through the whole process: Hey sweetheart. Let’s do a little research on [insert new strange and unusual fruit].ย  I’m going to type the name of the fruit into the search box on the computer and see if it tells me anything about it.ย  I’m not sure exactly how to cut it, so I need to learn a bit.

Perhaps this ‘research’ can be done before you sit down with your child so you can check out the sites to make sure they are reliable and not crazy, scary spammy, but if you don’t have the prep time, no worries. Only click on sites you know to be valid or have checked out and deem ‘child safe’.

If there’s a YouTube video on how to cut the fruit, how to wash it, or how to prepare it, view it together.ย  If there’s a recipe you find to prepare the food, follow it together.ย ย  If there’s any way to involve your kids in the process, let. them. in.

 

how to get kids to try new foods cover 4

4. Try it! Make a really big deal of trying it together.ย  If everyone eats dinner together one or two nights a week, choose to try it on one of those nights.ย  If the whole family’s involved, then your kiddos will see first-hand how important it is for every family member to try something new–no matter the age.

(As long as you make sure the food is safe for everyone to eat and no one is allergic, of course!)

how to get kids to try new foods cover 5

5. Celebrate! Tell the kids that a ‘new try’ doesn’t count until each person has had three real bites and then high five when they’ve all had three bites.ย  And figure out a great way for your family to celebrate and keep track of your own New For Us Fridays–by adding your new foods to the chart below or by another way that works for your family.

Need some great New For Us Friday food ideas? Here are a few of ours:

  • star fruit
  • dinner in a pumpkinhow to get kids to try new foods
  • ugli fruit
  • candy bugs
  • grapple
  • bumblebee cupcakes
  • English Scones
  • red apples–all of ’em
  • pancit
  • ziplock bag icecream
  • kohlrabi
  • artichokes
  • beets
  • coconuts
  • dog treats
  • mango
  • rhubarb pie
  • kiwi
  • root beer floats
  • s’mores
  • dried edamame snacks
  • Spanish Tapas
  • pears

But when we make it exciting, fun, and a regular part of you family’s life, kids may become more eager foodies and mealtime may become an extra-exciting part of your day.

Way back in May of 2009, when the whole New For Us Fridays started, I had no idea of how long we’d do it or of how much fun we’d have along the way.ย  Food is only one small part of this ‘movement’ for our family, and I look forward to a few other New For Us Friday round-ups in the next few weeks. ย 

For us, the basics hold true:

One of the things most parents strive for with their children is consistencyโ€“with daily routines, with enforcement of rules, and with just about everything. Weโ€™re all, by nature, creatures of habit, which isnโ€™t always a bad thing. Except when our kids get sooo stuck in the norm that itโ€™s hard to get them to try new things.

Thatโ€™s where New For Us Fridays comes inโ€“itโ€™s my teeny-tiny attempt at getting this crew of mine to step out of the box and to try new things. Itโ€™s healthy, itโ€™s fun, and it makes each week a little bit of an adventure, so thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m starting it nowโ€“summerโ€™s around the corner, and thereโ€™s a ton of fun to be had.

Each week, Iโ€™m going to try to introduce something new to my familyโ€“new foods, new activities, new challengesโ€“and Iโ€™ll share them here. Iโ€™m always on the lookout for ideas, so feel free to send them my wayโ€“and to share them with us!

Do you have any New For Us Friday suggestions? I’d love to hear ’em!

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post: « how to play ‘mary had a little lamb’ on the recorder (or try to, at least)
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cristal

    September 30, 2012 at 2:02 am

    this is a wonderful idea, although i am not having the picky eater problem yet with my
    DD Cora athough i can see it coming as she has some issues with the more normal foods a toddler likes and its getting seriously anoing having to cook adventuruse all the time. some times i just feel like making KD and calling it dinner. yes i know most parents are hating me right now but its hard work feeding a toddler who would much rather have sashimi and pickeld ginnger then say chicken and mash potatos.

    Reply
    • amy

      October 2, 2012 at 9:03 am

      Cristal! What a RIOT! It seems there may be something a little extra special with our Cora’s, huh? ๐Ÿ™‚ Sounds like you have the complete opposite problem with your little sweets. . . and I don’t have much to offer except that you better start warning her pals now–she will NOT be a cheap date! LOVE IT!!

      Reply
  2. PragmaticMom

    September 30, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    I love the idea of New for Us Fridays. Did you really all try dog treats? My kids actually like Tapas too! Other things they like:

    seaweed snacks (tastes like potato chips)
    steel cut oatmeal (only one of my kids likes it)
    mango (my kids love it); also dried
    papaya with lime

    I need my oldest to try more cooked veggies. Thanks for your ideas. I’m going to try a Try New Things Night.

    Reply
    • amy

      October 2, 2012 at 9:01 am

      thank you so much, my friend!! I will DEF add some of your ideas to our list!! Seaweed snacks!?? thank you thank you!!

      Reply
  3. Rachel Ramey

    October 2, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    A really fun place to look for “strange” produce is the ethnic grocery. We have a (fairly) new one near us, and they have some REALLY alien-looking produce. Sometimes I think it’s easier to get kids to at least try something that’s so bizarre they’ve never heard of it before than a “standard” veggie they haven’t had but have already decided is “gross.”

    I should go videotape the produce department there sometime!

    Reply
    • amy

      October 3, 2012 at 9:43 am

      OMG you are so correct, Rachel!! And what a smart idea–trying something totally cool and unusual IS a better way of sneaking in veggies that kids already declare ‘yucky’ or ‘gross’. . . YES. Videotape the produce dept–let’s both do it!

      Reply
  4. Susan @ EducatingToday

    July 20, 2014 at 11:16 am

    New to Us Fridays is really a clever idea. Every family has at least one kiddo who dislikes trying new things. Thanks for the good idea. I think this can help a lot of families. I also like Rachel’s idea of choosing the strange and bizarre food once in awhile. What a great adventure. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply

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