How to Encourage Your Child to Explore New Foods

Fostering Healthy Attitudes Towards Eating

Having a healthy attitude towards food is like nourishing the soul as much as the body. It involves cherishing food as a source of joy and energy, free from feelings of guilt or stress. By instilling healthy habits at a young age, we lay the groundwork for a lifetime of well-being, both in body and mind.

Here are 7 gentle steps to guide children along this delicious journey:

1. Exposure, Exposure, Exposure!:

   I cannot stress enough the importance of exposing and offering little ones a variety of foods. Think veggies, fruits, whole grains, and protein sources – a rainbow diet! A little bit of everything to nourish their growing bodies. 

   Here’s how you can do it: Encourage little ones to try new flavours and textures, with a simple "here you go" as you place it in front of them can help avoid putting pressure on them and prevent them from feeling overwhelmed. If your child turns up their nose at a new food, don't be discouraged. Simply set it aside and offer it again another time. Sometimes it takes a few tries before they'll give it a chance. Stay patient and persistent.

2. Create Connection:

   Mealtime isn't just about food; it's a chance to come together, share stories, and strengthen bonds. Turn off distractions, set the table with love, and stay open-minded and curious when tasting new foods. Embrace the opportunity to come together to discover new flavours, textures, and cuisines.
   Here’s how you can do it: Choose one new fruit or vegetable to taste each week. Experiment with cooking a fresh recipe together every week. Dive into the diverse flavours of diverse cultures, whether it's savouring Mexican tacos, Italian pasta, or an Indian curry.

3. Listen to their body:

   Teach your little ones to tune into their body to learn to recognise their hunger and fullness cues. You can do this by exploring how these sensations feel in their bodies.
   Here’s how you can do it: Through a fun activity together by drawing circles to represent stomachs and colour them to show different fullness levels. Ask questions like, "Which stomach feels hungry?" or “which stomach feels a little full” or "Which one is very full?". Have your little one feel their own tummies and share how they feel. Repeat this activity at various times to help them recognise their hunger cues.

4. Eat Mindfully:

   Encourage eating when hungry and discourage using food as a source of comfort. Help your child to understand the difference between physical hunger and emotional cravings.
   Here’s how you can do it: Transition away from on-demand snacking and establish a consistent schedule for meal and snack times that your children can rely on. During these scheduled meals and snacks, allow your children the freedom to eat as much or as little as they desire, honouring their individual appetites and needs.

5. Nourishment, Not Judgment:

   Let food be nourishment, free from praise or punishment. It might be tempting to use treats as a way to shape a child's behaviour, or to take them away as a consequence. However, this can lead to negative associations with eating and foster unhealthy habits.
   Here’s how you can do it: Consider using rewards that promote well-being, like extra playtime with friends or a fun nature scavenger hunt together.

6. Body Positivity:

   Foster positive body talk, focusing on strengths and uniqueness rather than perceived flaws. Children are like sponges and absorb how we speak about our bodies.
   Here’s how you can do it: For example, instead of saying "I hate how my stomach looks," you could say "I appreciate my body for all that it does." Encourage children to appreciate their bodies for all they can do, promoting self-love and acceptance.

7. Embrace Messiness:

   Allow children to explore their food in a messy, playful way, while encouraging them to feed themselves. This gentle approach creates a fun sensory experience that nurtures curiosity and creativity, helping children become familiar with different textures and aromas of food.

By nurturing these positive attitudes towards food and eating, we're fostering a lifelong love for food. There's an entire world of foods out there, each with its own healing properties. Understanding which ones to incorporate into our diets can unlock a path to improved health for both children and families. 

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