How-To Get Kids To Eat New Foods
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISCERNING AND PICKY.
Introducing new foods to kids can be both a delightful and a horrible experience. I’ve seen both sides of this particular coin. Now, my kids aren’t perfect eaters but then again neither am I … they will, however try everything. Because of this, I often get the question “how’d you get your kids to eat like that?”
Transforming the process of eating new foods can be a playful and fun experience with your kids—I promise. As adults, we like a good flavor journey because it opens our senses up to new experiences. We can travel the world through a plate full of food. I know you’re here because you haven’t given up! So, let’s get to it. Let’s broaden your awesome kid’s palate and also create positive relationship with food for them.
Here are some strategies that have worked for me with both of my children to encourage your discerning eaters to embrace new flavors.
Cook Together.
Let Them Cook.
Kids love to get their hands dirty, so why not invite them into the kitchen? Cooking together gives them a sense of ownership and pride in what they create. Plus, they're more likely to taste something they've helped prepare. Tell them “chef’s always taste their food.” It's a win-win!
Tips For Success
Mis-en-place. Set up all of your ingredients and prep any that you don’t want your kid doing. This way your experience is seamless and your kid isn’t standing around getting bored while you’re foraging in your pantry.
Tag-Team. Have one person cook with the child. Taste the food together. Call another adult into the room and tell them all about your cooking experience and then all of you try the food together again.
Create recipes you know they’d like. When you start this process, cooking dishes your kid already likes will help to build trust and they will want to cook with you more often. This way when you say, “Chef’s always taste their food” they’ll believe you and want to.
Recipe Suggestions
Play With Shapes.
Make food fun.
Let's face it—presentation is half the battle. Even for adults. That’s why we go to Michelin restaurants. We all eat with our eyes. The problem is, that’s also what can make food intimidating—I mean, I get it, looking at a whole fish on a plate or a severed charred octopus tentacle is kinda intimidating for many adults—to kid’s it’s a murder scene. So, let’s take one step at a time and use cookie cutters and molds to transform ordinary or scary foods into exciting shapes.
Tip For Success
Make sure you have a variety of cookie cutter shapes that you think your kid would gravitate to (I found this cookie cutter variety pack on Amazon if you need a place to get started). In my home, I can turn anything into a heart and my boys will be excited and feel extra loved—“I made these for you because I love you so much” —GOT ‘EM!
Recipe Suggestions & Tools Used
Lemon Parmesan Macaroni & Cheese Cups (muffin tin)
Heart-Shaped Parmesan Potato Stacks (mini-heart cookie cutter)
Pumpkin-Shaped Pumpkin Honey & Sage Compound Butter (Plastic wrap + rubber bands)
Pan-Seared Sweet Potato Ghosts (knife + piping tip)
Heart-Shaped Lump Crab Cakes (hands to shape)
Sneak Ingredients.
It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Introduce new foods by incorporating them as secondary ingredients in dishes you know your kid already loves. For example, blend roasted butternut squash and incorporate it in a cheese sauce to make an elevated mac & cheese. Once they've enjoyed the meal, tell them all about what was in the dish. “Oh, I’m so glad you liked it. I was trying something new. You see, I added in some of my butternut squash because I loved it so much. I’m so glad you did too.” This “honesty” helps them recognize and accept new flavors in the future. Next time they’re presented with some form of butternut squash you can remind them of this experience and how much they loved it which will open them up to trying it again.
Recipe Suggestions
Maple Chicken Sausage Pancake Doughnuts AND if you really want to hide the chicken sausage, add the glaze from these Pancake Doughnuts With Maple Glaze
Make It Sweet.
It’s like giving candy to a baby.
Herbs can be really tricky with young eaters. If you’re lucky picky eaters will follow their namesake and pick herbs out of their food, in tougher cases, the kid will refuse to go near the herb tainted food all together. There’s hope! A quick inspiring story … Yesterday, my three-year-old son held up a thyme leaf he plucked from a scone I made and said, “mom, it’s like a sprinkle” to which I responded, “but it’s thyme. It’s kinda like a thyme sprinkle!” He then popped it into his mouth and continued eating the rest of the thyme filled scone. An hour later he asked me to pack a scone for his brother so he could eat it at school pickup. I did and it too was gobbled up.
Introduce your kids to herbs by baking them into pastries. Kids tend to eat through most things if they are sweet. If you can hide them visually with a glaze or frosting, even better. Out of sight, out of mind. Once they are excited about the treat, tell them all about it—but not in a gotcha sort of way. Think more of a matter of fact kinda vibe.
Recipe Suggestions
Lemon & Thyme Shortbread Cookies With Golden Luster Dust Icing (these are meant to look like coins at the end of a rainbow but their golden shine also is a great distraction from what lies inside)
Lemon Thyme & White Chocolate Scones (These are the ones my kids gobbled up yesterday)