Getting your kid to try/retry something new

[wendibird22]

What's your approach to getting your kiddos to try or retry a new food? DD1 can be really stubborn about foods she claims she doesn't like. She'll refuse to try a bite of something saying she doesn't like it even if it's a new food she's never tasted or if it's something we know she likes but for some reason is refusing at that particular meal. I'd love to have a "one bite" rule but then what do you do when the child refuses and continues to refuse? We tried this a few nights this week. Once with stuffing which created a 20min stand off at the kitchen table, BUT when she eventually ate that one bite she loved it and ate all the rest of the stuffing. Once with pumpkin ravioli which she also ended up loving. The other time it was with squash. Shorter stand off time but eating it resulted in gagging and throwing it up and a "see, I said I didn't like it" exclamation. I'd love to be able to just put an item in front of her repeated times and know that eventually she'll try it, but honestly I could've put any of those 3 foods in front of her 100 times and she'd never ever taste it without a bit of strong arming.

I really don't want to create food wars but I do want to set an expectation of eating well and trying new things.

[brittone2]

I try to engage them in growing food, shopping/trying fun new things, and meal prep.

Beyond that, I don't make them take a bite of anything. I think you risk getting into the battle of wills like you said, and then maybe even increasing the resistance to it next time. You know, as a kid one of the only things I did not like was lima beans. I am a non picky adult (I like pretty much everything..) and I still don't like lima beans. But my parents often tried to make me eat them, and it didn't work, nor did it make me like lima beans ;) The other one I can think of is beets. Hated them as a child. Hated them (pickled). As an adult, joined a CSA and heard about roasting them. I loooove beets now. Still don't like them pickled, so making me eat them wasn't going anywhere.

I think getting them involved in planning meals, talking about different food from different cultures, looking at fun stuff at Whole Foods or the farmers market, etc. helps increase the appeal. My kids loved when we were CSA members and DS would pick up a turnip and eat it raw in the car (which I personally wouldn't do LOL!). Something about knowing it came from the farm, having met the farmer and been to the farm...etc.

Mine seem to eventually come around to some thing (DS1 went through a 1 year mushroom hating phase and has now come around to liking them again).

I will sometimes put something on their plate that is something I know isn't preferred or liked but don't say anything. Sometimes they eat it, sometimes they don't. They eat so much healthy stuff and try a good amount, so if they have foods they refuse, well...I just figure they may eventually decide on their own terms to try it. Forcing it IMO makes it possibly even less appealing than it was in the first place.

eta: looking at your DD's age, you could also try the snack tray idea (muffin tin with different items in it) and put a few favorites in there and some new items and see if she goes for it. We sometimes do a veggie plate as an appetizer while I'm cooking. If I put it out and don't say anything, they tend to devour it. I am pretty sure if I made a big deal out of it they would not. YMMV.

[wendibird22]

Thanks Brittone. Here's why I'm scratching my head. DD1 goes grocery shopping with DH (the cook) every week. So she's very involved in picking out the groceries. We have a HUGE garden and she helps DH with the planting, weeding, and picking. We have a learning tower and she helps DH as much as she can with prep and she loves "cooking." We've been doing muffin tin meals with her at least weekly for at least a year now. We've tried cutting out fun shapes, adding dip or cheese or other kid friendly toppings to items. All this and yet she just digs her heals in that she doesn't like something and again, so often she really does like it once she tries it. I just want to say, "Where's your sense of adventure?"

[hillview]

Honestly I don't make them. I might suggest it a couple of times but if it is becoming a battle, I move on. Growing up my parents FORCED me to eat meat and other food I didn't like and the more they forced the less I was willing. It was all very counter productive. We don't have junk food on hand so they eat what they eat. I am working to get DS2 to try more veggies.

ETA I reread your post -- all the foods look you mention look like they are soft ones and wonder if there is a texture thing going on?
/hillary

[roobee]

I'm considering bribing DD. Seems better to offer up a hershey kiss for good behavior/trying things than for a battle to take place. I also think a simply offering a tasty treat for a reward is a better method than the Deceptively Delicious cauliflower brownie nonsense.

But there are plenty of battles at our house - so I don't know.

[mommylamb]

Honestly I don't make them. I might suggest it a couple of times but if it is becoming a battle, I move on.

/hillary

:yeahthat: Sometimes DS will decide to try something new on his own that he has previously turned his nose up at, but I don't really push. We always have a variety of options in the house and he sees DH and me eating all sorts of things, so I guess we're taking the food role model approach.

[wendibird22]

ETA I reread your post -- all the foods look you mention look like they are soft ones and wonder if there is a texture thing going on?
/hillary


Good thought. I don't think so. She eats tons of fruit, both raw and cooked, and she eats a limited number of veggies, but turns her nose up at most. She ate cheese tortilini willingly the first time offered but snubbed her nose at the pumpkin ravioli. I think she's just stubborn and afraid to try new things (she's that way with other things too...like not trying out new playground equipment). I think it may also be a control thing. One day she'll eat her weight in edamame and a week later tell us she doesn't like it and won't eat a single bite.

[bnme]

I have 2 extremely picky eaters. My 7yo is now MUCH better, so there is hope. I don't make them try it. It is impossible. I think I 'scarred' my 7yo by trying to insist he try a sandwich to often. He, to this day, will not take a bite even if he loves all the components of the sandwich. It is all mental. He loves bread, eats rolled up cold cut ham, etc. But will not go near a sandwich.

That being said, I have bribed ("I'll give you a quarter if you try this") and occasionally they have tried, and about 30% of the times, they end up liking it. But I think they just try for the quarter. Most times they pass. Believe it or not, I did this at the carnival last week for DS to try funnel cake. He ended up liking it. So it's not always about the vegtables. I think food can really turn into a control thing so it is best to try and avoid it.

[peanut520]

i use to do this with my ex-boyfriend's son who was afraid to try new things because his mother only gave him chicken fingers and fries or canned pasta (nice lady, but she said she just didnt have time to do anything else). i kind of bribed him...this is what i did: i had a Try Jar. it was a small fish tank with treats that were non food items, toy soldiers, matchbox cars, coupons for 5 minutes extra tv or past bedtime coupons, or other little toys or trinkets from the dollar store. everytime he tried something new he could have something from the tank/jar. by a few months he was willing to try everything and we just gave him treats from the jar for good behavior because we didnt need any longer for trying new foods.