Introducing new foods to young kids is sometimes a seemingly impossible task. They can have an aversion to anything from the colour to the texture. And the healthier it is, the more it seems like they are determined to refuse it. It can take eight to fifteen attempts before a new food is accepted.
Unsurprisingly, flustered parents have been turning to social media and asking for advice from other parents. Parenting advice comes in many forms and it’s not always complimentary. The internet is full of judgy people and trolls after all.
When X (formerly Twitter) user JT asked for hints to get kids to try new foods, he probably wasn’t expecting the variety in responses he got.
Sometimes Simple Is The Answer
One mum, Bethany, a commercial real estate agent and self-confessed ‘lazy mum’, commented with a brilliant idea.
On movie nights, her kids get a snack plate dinner, which is a mix between a charcuterie board and a fruit/veggie board. She says she pulls some of their favourite foods and sneaks in new foods, all arranged in a cute way. It’s her ‘Pinterest Mom” moment.
With the movie playing and the lights low, the kids are more inclined to snack as they watch and get distracted by the movie and don’t realise that they’re eating the new foods, even if they do save them until last.
She goes on to say they started with individual bowls when they were toddlers and moved on to what is basically a grazing platter. They get a bunch of different sauces and dressings. Most often, they eat fast, trying things before their siblings get in and possibly eat it all.
She said they have developed a love for sweet things, sour things, salami, radishes, capsicum, and various cheeses.
Further down in the comments she lovingly bemoaned her kids’ liking sushi, prosciutto, goat cheese, crab, and shrimp, which would put a crimp on the family budget.
When they were toddlers we started like this. They got to open their boxes like a surprise. pic.twitter.com/iRv2nCN9Ts
— Bethany | Commercial Real Estate (@bethanyjbabcock) May 28, 2024
Is Mindless Snacking A Good Idea?
Getting kids to willingly try (and like) new foods is like walking through a minefield. And sometimes it’s easiest to go with what works. And it’s one night a week, and the food is usually healthy. Movie night is a treat and better this than a platter of lollies and chocolates. Bethany doesn’t force them to try things, which can lead to automatic denial of trying any new foods. And really, you wouldn’t want to eat something you didn’t like, so why force kids to?
Daniel Mullin chimed in on the comments to give some unsolicited advice on the subject, and Bethany clapped back with “If they are mindlessly eating raw veggies from the garden, I’ll allow it. We pick our battles as parents.”
And What Does Social Media Have to Say?
Dom Holland said: “This is in the very low percentage of life hacks that might actually work.”
Doug Donovan said: “Radishes, that’s impressive trickery.”
Suzi Cointreau added: “This is what we eat every night between May and September: we have a shelf in the fridge stacked with charcuterie, dips, salad, savoury baked goods and everyone has exactly what they want: endless combinations, no washing up and no complaints about not liking dinner.”
The Parenting Hacks Kept Coming!
Other savvy parents added their own hacks to Bethany’s comment and the original post.
The Black Sheep Murdoch shared how they used to stick toothpicks in all the food their kids wouldn’t eat, and it worked 90% of the time.
Nate Samelson said his wife does this but uses a cupcake tray, filling each spot with a different food. Bethany replied and said it was a great idea for kids who don’t like their food touching.
Shonnie commented how she always fed her kids whatever she was eating and now they like things like oxtail, sushi, poke, jambalaya, and smelly cheeses.
Carol Walsh said: “Stop caring about whether they do because if they understand this is a battle you’re going to lose. Don’t make food a battle instead make it an experience that they get to choose from. When my kids were little, I would usually make sure there were 1 or 2 things on the plate that I knew they would eat and then a thing that maybe they didn’t like or hadn’t tried. They’re encouraged to give it a try but there’s no omg you must eat it or else. My kids love stinky cheese all kinds of veggies, etc as teens.”
Ovo Lon gave a short list of things to try:
- Trying a food at least 3 ways! i.e.: sweet potato rounds / sweet potato quesadillas/ loaded BBQ sweet potato
- Helping cook/grocery shop/be hands-on -Learning the benefits of said item
- making it fun! (Caterpillar celery/mozzarella sticks that look like fingers)
- sneaking it in
Parents really are incredibly creative when it comes to getting kiddos to eat and try new food. A little patience and ingenuity can easily make feeding kids a fun and rewarding experience.
