Maybe you've rushed home from work to pick up your kids from preschool, you know they're tired and hungry - time is short, you need to get dinner on the table ASAP. Maybe you're also feeling pressure to cook from scratch and establish healthy eating habits. When the food is finally ready, the next challenge comes: getting the kids to eat. It's easy to get provoked and have your patience really tested when the kids don't even want to taste. That "kids eat when they're hungry enough" is an old, persistent myth that simply doesn't hold true for all kids. Coercion, threats and bribes are also the wrong way to go, they risk creating stress and blockages for the child who may even feel reluctant to sit down at the dinner table. So how do you as a parent handle these phases when the child doesn't even want to taste the food? Here are our best tips to increase your chances:
Cooking and baking
Let your child help you cook or bake. This helps them learn about different foods and how to prepare them. This allows them to use their senses of touch, sight and smell, which prepares them for tasting.
Food games & play
There are many different food games that can help children learn about different foods and flavors. The Taste Expedition activity book is one example!
Crafts & transformations
Let your child help transform ordinary foods into something more exciting, for example turning a cucumber into a dinosaur or a banana into a car. Food crafts are a fun activity that increases your child's willingness to taste. Dare to allow messes and exploration at the dinner table, feeling the food is one step closer to daring to taste!
Expose more!
Don't stop serving food that the child has rejected, it can take a long time and 20+ times before the child is ready to taste and like it.
The Taco Method
Serve the food separately and in several small bowls. This way the child feels more in control and can pick out what they want to try.
Flavor chains
Work with small, small changes in shape and appearance. For example: does the child like fries? - try sweet potato fries - try baked pumpkin - try baked root vegetables. Only move on in the taste chain when the child has accepted the new change.
Variety variety variety
Maybe you give your child the same food every day because it's the only thing they eat? Try to vary the appearance of the food, change the color, shape, brand and cooking method - even if it's just a matter of cutting the pancakes in a different shape than usual! This will eventually lead to an increased acceptance of variety in food and minimize the risk of the child getting tired of their favorite food.
Snackify with playful serving
Dip the food, serve on skewers, use sprinkles - anything that looks extra festive and fun is usually a hit! Presenting food and vegetables in a "snack-like" format can entice the child to taste.
Tasting bridges
Use a safe food that your child likes and serve it with new foods. It doesn't matter if it's a weird flavor combination, maybe ketchup on peas or Nutella on potatoes is just what your child needs.
Matro
Work towards a de-dramatized, stress-free situation at the dinner table. We know - it's easier said than done. But letting go of your own stress and not valuing your child's intake can go a long way! Remember to always treat your child with respect and offer your child the opportunity to feel the food or lick it without forcing them to chew and swallow. Giving your child a "way out" in the form of a spittoon can also be a good idea.
