Yeah. Another quote from Charlie and Lola. I Love them!

Here’s a thought experiment for you: how about I make you a lovely breakfast – fruit and pastries, I know you like that!

Hang on just a moment: “What the HELL is that item?!” you ask, nudging it with a grape.

“Oh that? That thing that looks a bit like a lychee? That’s a durian. Try it. It’s the king of fruit in Asia.”

“I’m not eating THAT! It smells like vomit, decomposing flesh and sewage.”

“Yes, it does doesn’t it? But you might like it. In Asia they love it! Give it a ty.”

“No.”

“Well there’ll be nothing else if you don’t eat it.”

And so on. You see my point.
Quite often when we put new foods on our children’s plate, they’re seeing it, touching it and smelling it for the first time. If it feels squishy or slimy or has a smell they’re not that keen on, can you really expect them to pick it up and put it in their mouth on your say so?

If I promised you an ice-cream for eating a fruit that smells and tastes like sick, would you eat it?

These photos show Ms P’s vegetable garden. There’s a few cheese bits and olives in there too, which she loves. She’s a good veggie eater but you know, they’re not her favourite things and she’ll settle for the minimum rather than gobbling up bucketfuls.

The point is not that she ate the veggie garden (she did) but rather that she experienced the variety of vegetables for their look, smell, and feel. She chopped some up too and there was no expectation for her to eat any of it. Just to play and explore.

You see a lot of recipe books for children with similar things – complicated things – bento boxes where rice looks like pandas, or sausages made to look like sea monsters, but if you’re the one making these sandwiches shaped like boats or butterflies, and then presenting it to your child with a flourish of ‘look at this!!!’ you’re still essentially presenting something to your child which even less resembles food!

Start by removing expectations about eating. Introduce the new veggies (or whatever) that you’d like them to try, in a game, or a picture like Ms P’s, but, most importantly, ensure that they participate. Participation and engagement is what you’re aiming for here.

With experience of this new item, an understanding of how it looks, feels and smells, when it comes time to try it, you’re less likely to meet resistance. And if they fancy trying it there and then…you’re winning!!