Why Kids Wont Try New Foods Getting your kids to try a new food can be such a major event sometimes. The kids get mad and cry or argue. Moms and dads get frustrated with the child and it makes for a bad time at the dinner table. Its amazing how much stress can occur over a bite or to of carrots or peas. So whats the bid deal? Kids put stuff in their mouths from the time theyre babies. Why should trying one little bite of a new food become such an ordeal? According to a study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Lucy J. Cooke of University College London may just have the answer to that question. The doctor and her researchers suggest that almost 80 percent of kids inherit a fear of trying new food from their parents. This fear of eating unknown food is called food neophobia and unfortunately many young food neophobics avoid nutritious foods like vegetables, preferring the safety of less-healthy but more familiar sweet and fatty foods. If you were a picky eater, you may see the same thing in your kids now. Maybe its Karma, or maybe its genetics. Then again, its possible you inadvertently give cues to your kids so they think avoiding icky foods is the right thing to do. Who knows? Anyway, does this mean you might as well give up your dreams of parenting a child who loves sushi and salads instead of burgers and fries if you were a picky eater? No. Not at all. But you may need to change your attitude and the atmosphere around the dinner table. Kids will try new foods when they feel comfortable with them. They may need to be exposed to a new food several times before they even take one little nibble. Heres how to deal with a picky eater. The first step (and maybe the most difficult) is to be patient. Offer the new foods along side other foods your child already likes. Then do it again. And again. Maybe several times. Dont scream if your kid doesnt eat them. Just let your son or daughter get used to them being on the plate. In time, they will learn that those scary vegetables really arent that scary. Theyll even eat them. Maybe they wont love every new food, but theyll start to like some of them. More Help for Picky Eaters Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters Vegetable Recipes for Picky Eaters Converting a Picky Eater Just remember, this is something that will pass. If youre worried your kid isnt getting enough nutrients, then speak to your pediatrician about giving him or her a dietary supplement until you can establish healthier eating patterns. More About Kids and Nutrition The foods your kid eats can help cognitive function: Kids Diets and Learning Ive got some ideas for packing a healthy lunch: Healthy Sack Lunch Tips And heres a story about a school in Wisconsin that kicked their lunches up a notch: Roadmap to Healthy Foods in Schools Teens are always hungry when they come home from school, and if youre working outside the house, their choosing snacks without your guidance: Healthy After-School Snacks for Teens
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 03:30:44 +0000
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