Help Them Try New Foods

Many preschoolers are hesitant to try new foods.

It is completely normal for young kids to reject foods they have never tried before.

Here are some tips on how to get your preschooler to try new foods:

• Sometimes, new foods take time. Kids don't always take to new foods right away. Offer new foods many times.  It may take up to a dozen tries for a child to accept a new food.    

• Small portions, big benefits. Let your kids try small portions of new foods that you enjoy. Give them a small taste at first and be patient with them. When they develop a taste for many types of foods, it's easier to plan family meals. 

• Be a good role model by trying new foods yourself. Describe its taste, texture, and smell. 

• Offer only one new food at a time.  Serve something that you know your child likes along with the new food. Offering too many new foods all at once could be overwhelming. 

• Offer new foods first, at the beginning of a meal, when your child is the most hungry. 

• Serve food plain if that is important to your preschooler. For example, instead of a macaroni casserole, try meatballs, pasta, and a vegetable. Also, to keep the different foods separate, try plates with sections.  For some kids the opposite works and serving a new food mixed in with a familiar item is helpful.

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