Stay calm and in control

As the parent, you need to remain calm and in control of the situation. Often the problem isn't that a child doesn't think they like a food, because they have never tasted it. Children may learn to like unfamiliar foods after they have been introduced several times.

In other cases, children may not like the food because it has an unfamiliar texture or flavour. Babies often start by eating pureed baby food. Slowly, the parents add in foods for them to chew, but eating a whole meal is something completely foreign to them. New textures and flavours can be overwhelming as children grow.

One of the biggest food related problems parents have is getting a child to eat their vegetables. Vegetables often provide a whole host of unfamiliar textures and flavours. The variety of new tastes may be overwhelming to your child.

Tips to getting your child to try new vegetables:

1. They have to try a new food before they can tell you they don't like it. If they try the food and don't like it, ask why? You might be surprised by the answer. Maybe the food has too much salt added or the vegetables are overcooked. Asking them for their views will make them feel important.

2. Make food fun. Take some extra time to make food fun. If necessary, sneak vegetables into the foods that they will already eat. For example, you can have fun with pizza by using the veggies to make a face. Let your children make their own faces.

3. Look at the foods they really love to eat and then change them slowly. If they love burgers, add in some chopped vegetables and lentils to the meat. If they love pizza, why not make your own sauce with extra veggies then putting more on as a topping.

Be creative, and try and offer just one new food at any time. A variety of new foods might be too much for a child to handle at one meal. No matter what you try, don't lose control or try to force your children to eat. Otherwise, you will have a battle at each mealtime as your children learn to push your buttons.

Article by Rachel Goodchild

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