If your children no longer babies, but rampaging, broccoli-hating junk-food lovers, don’t worry: all may not be lost. There are ways to get them to try new, healthy foods without having to force-feed them or even rasie your voice. It’s all a matter of psychology.

Many children ‘neophobic’ – they have a fear of new things. When it comes to food, this can be a real problem. Fighting against them is not the best idea. We all know that if you tell your children to do one thing, they will probably do the exact opposite.

1. Children’s acceptance of new foods will increase if they see people around them enjoying them. As a parent, we can be an important dietary role model. In other words, they need to see us eating healthy food with gusto. But the effect is more potent if it is people their own age they see. We know how easily children pick up bad habits from friends of their own age.
2. Introduce novel and healthy foods little by little. The first couple of times the child is served with broccoli, say, they might simply be encouraged to smell it and play with it. When they are under no pressure, they are likely to become curious about what broccoli might taste like. Research shows that it can take eight or more exposures before a child accepts a food like broccoli. Introduce the food in small amounts, perhaps a few days apart. It’s a hassle, but it will be worth it in the long term.
3. Use non-food rewards. Offering pudding as a reward for eating their greens reinforces the idea that vegetables are unpleasant and something to be endured rather than enjoyed. Try offering non-food rewards for good eating and good behaviour. Star charts and stickers can motivate children. Collecting an agreed number of stars can add up reward such as a toy, a trip to a favourite park or to the cinema.
4. Keep offering new foods, again and again: It is quite common for a child to be suspicious of a new food. Rejection is almost automatic. Keep calm and keep going with ‘stress-free’ repeated offerings of the same food. If it gets rejected again, take it away without saying anything, leaving it a week or so and try again.

Leave a Reply