Top tips for picky eaters

There are plenty of ways to get children to try new foods, says cookery writer Alex Hollywood
Encourage picky eaters tro try new foodEncourage picky eaters tro try new food
Encourage picky eaters tro try new food

Almost half of parents think their child is missing out on the best nutrition because they’re a fussy eater who’s unwilling to try new foods.

New research shows that of the 45 per cent of parents who say their child is fussy, 67 per cent put it down to an unwillingness to try new food, particularly vegetables, fruit and fish .

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In a bid to encourage the nation’s children o sample a much wider variety of food, cookery writer Alex Hollywood has teamed up with the British Nutrition Foundation and Sainsbury’s Active Kids to launch the Taste Buddies Challenge, which features Hollywood’s own recipes, plus activities and advice to help parents overcome some of the barriers faced when introducing children to new foods.

“As a mum, I understand the struggles of getting kids to try out new foods, and I want to pass on my experience and create some really easy recipes that make trying new foods fun for the whole family, so you don’t need to be cooking extra meals just to satisfy different taste buds.,” says Hollywood.

So how do you get your kids to try new foods? Here are some top tips

Encourage them to help cook the meal

Get them to try new food at home

Let them pick their own food at the supermarket

Present food in a fun way

Use food as part of an activity e.g. creating kebabs

Use older or younger siblings as key influencers

Hollywood says taking children shopping for food helps them to become more familiar with different foods, their names and appearance.

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“This is really important in the vegetable aisle with often unusual-looking fruits and vegetables,” she says.“Allow them to make some of the choices - the whole point is they get to choose something ‘new’.”

Getting children involved in food preparation and then eating the results together is a great way of spending family time together and encouraging kids to try new foods, says Hollywood.

“I grew up cooking with my mum and I believe teaching your kids the basics of cooking is a really important skill to take into adult life. Leaving home able to make a stew, a roast dinner and a couple of pasta dishes is a great start, and imagine how popular your kids will be at university or when they set up their own home.”

Hollywood suggests parents introduce foods little and often, and shouldn’t feel the need to make every meal an event.

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“Just a spoonful of a new veg on the side of the plate or letting them try a taste of what you’re eating - if it’s different - is a great way to encourage them to explore without making every meal a battleground.

“Making it fun is much more productive than making it hard work for everyone concerned.”

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