- Toddlers have a genuine fear of trying new food.
And as a result of this fear, when they come to the table
and see a bunch of new food that they've never tried
they quickly become overwhelmed and they'll either
run away, tantrum or shut down.
But if you were to serve food you know your toddler likes
alongside the new or non-preferred food,
your toddler will be willing to sit
at the table and start eating their preferred food
while exploring the non-preferred food.
Not only does this one simple step avoid a meltdown
and save the whole dinner, it also ensures
that you don't have to make an entirely separate meal
for your toddler, which is really an easy trap to fall into
but one you'll want to avoid because it actually reinforces
that they don't need to eat what you provide.
While this tip works really well, it probably
won't solve all of your picky eating struggles on its own
which is why I have five more coming
up to help make meal times much more pleasant for everybody
and get your toddler one step closer to trying new food.
Now, toddlers love snacking on foods and drinks
but letting your child constantly snack takes the edge
off their hunger, and if they're not hungry
they're going to be far less willing to try new food.
So one simple way to increase your toddler's
willingness to try new food is to stop the constant grazing
and have your toddler eat five meals a day
which is spaced roughly two and a half hours apart.
By doing this, your child is going to be much more receptive
to trying new food
because they'll be truly hungry when you present it to them.
So from today, try to space your toddler's meals two
and a half hours apart and make sure you only
give your toddler water between those meals rather
than juices or milk, because juices
and milk can be quite filling and reduce their hunger.
Something you might not realize is
that your toddler's willingness to try food
can actually be positively influenced by social modelling.
But, simply being present while your toddler eats; or eating
at the same time as them, but eating different food
to them, will actually not encourage them to branch
out and try new food.
You need to be eating with them
and eating the same food as your toddler.
This was illustrated in a study completed by Adessy
and her team in 2005 where they looked at the behavior
of children who were between two to five years
of age when they were introduced novel food.
So in this study
the children were introduced the novel food
in three different situations.
In the first situation, there was an adult present
but they didn't actually eat any food.
And in the second situation, the adult was present
but they were eating food of a different color.
And in the third situation
the adult was present and eating food of the same color.
And what they found is
that the children were actually more accepting
and more likely to eat the new food
if the adult was eating the same type of food
or food of the same color, rather than merely being present
or being present and eating food of another color.
So if you want your toddler to eat that non-preferred food
so for example, a banana, you need to sit down
with your toddler and also eat a banana at the same time.
This next tip is really easy, but very effective.
One of the many reasons toddlers refuse to try new food is
because they're concerned
about what the new food will taste like
or how or feel in their mouth.
And an easy way around this is to pair
that new food with sauces
or dips that they're already familiar with and enjoy eating.
These will help to mask or eliminate the flavor
and texture of that new food, making it easier to introduce.
Essentially, letting your toddler smother the new food
with their favorite sauce
or dip helps to get your toddler to try that new food.
And with time increases the variety
of foods that they are willing to try and eventually eat.
So if your toddler won't eat a new food
don't be afraid to experiment with sauces
and dips like ketchup, hummus, salsa, yogurt-based dressing,
peanut butter, mayonnaise, pesto sauce,
sour cream, cream cheese, barbecue sauce, and many more.
Another reason toddlers often refuse to try new food is
because they don't like how it looks.
I've lost count of the number
of times I've put new food in front of my kids
and had them tell me that it's yucky after one glance.
But there is a great way to overcome this obstacle.
The key is to present the food in a fun and creative way.
Now, don't worry
I'm not saying you need to create an artwork every mealtime.
It can be as simple as using cookie cutters to
make fresh fruit and vegetables into fun shapes or animals,
placing food on skewers or toothpicks,
arranging the food to make a face or a shape
or changing up the cutlery.
For example, my daughter is not a huge fan of corn
but loves unicorns.
So I got a little creative and bought some unicorn corn
holders, and the next time we had corn,
I gave her these corn holders and this novelty
of using the unicorn corn
holders made the corn appear more appealing.
And guess what?
She took her first bite of corn.
Now she happily eats corn with or without her special
unicorn holders.
So don't be afraid to be a little creative during mealtimes.
And if you want some ideas on tools that can help you
achieve this, and make sure you click my mealtime essentials
list by clicking the link in the description box below.
Something really important I want to mention to you
at this point is don't give up.
The key to overcoming picky eating is lots of patience
but most importantly, continuing to expose your toddler
to the new food multiple times.
Repeatedly exposing your toddler to new food
without pressuring them to eat the food will
help them become more comfortable
with that food and get them one step closer to eating it.
In addition to incorporating these tips into your day
there are also a few things you want to avoid doing when
you are trying to encourage your picky eater to
try new food, as these common mistakes
can make picky eating a lot more challenging.
So make sure you watch this video next
to discover what these common mistakes are so
you can avoid making them with your little one.
And if you'd like this video
make sure you hit the like button
and subscribe so you don't miss the next one.