Although it is developmentally typical for many children between the ages of 2-5 years old to be “picky eaters,” children with very selective palates may have more difficulty participating in family mealtime routines. Below are three tips to help introduce new foods to your little one:
1. Consistency is key-Even if your child initially refuses a new food, still present it again over multiple mealtimes. Research shows a food has to be tried between 10-15 times before a person knows whether they like it or not. Even if they don’t taste it, still present the food on the plate/dinner table.
2. Messy is good! Although it may involve some clean up, encourage your child to engage with a new food through play, using as many senses as possible! This could be through touch in a sensory bin, discussing how the food smells, and bring food to lips to give it a “kiss.” Try feeding the new food to a toy or stuffed animal!
3. Try not to Overwhelm-When presenting a new food, still present a preferred food on the plate as well, with a just a small amount of the new/non-preferred food. Try to limit distraction in the environment, such as turning off TV. Provide ample verbal and visual prompts prior to mealtime to build expected routine and start with small expectations.