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Do I continue to offer food that kids dislike?

A child refusing food
Often parent’s express they are worn out of offering their children healthy foods and they just wont have it.

Often, parents express they are worn out of offering their children healthy foods, and they just won’t to have it. They shut down. So the question is do we continue to put that carrot, celery, capsicum, edamame bean in their plate or in there school lunch/snack box. Studies have shown that repeated exposure to a disliked food will help promote acceptance of and eventual preference for that food. 

The question is are we giving up too quickly ?

 In a USA based study that surveyed 3000 infants it was determined that parents drew a conclusion that their child disliked a certain food only after 1-2 feeding attempts.

This suggests we need to be patient but also persistent when offering different foods, flavours and textures.

Here are some ideas of how to increase repeated exposure:

  • Involve your child in the cooking process. Involve them washing fruits and vegetables. Purchase a child safe knife to allow them to chop up food for snacks plates, or contribute to preparing a family meal. ( Age dependant) 
  • Try preparing dislikes foods in a different way. For example: zucchini roasted, steamed or barbequed may not be accepted but in a pancake or muffin it may be eaten.
  • Tomato raw maybe refused but as a sauce over pasta, or paste on a pizza it maybe accepted.
  • Pair raw vegetables with dips.
  • Eat out socially often this is the time children will experiment and accept a new food. 

Main take away message here is create the environment for repeated exposure and role model eating a variety of foods.

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Leah Bryant Paediatric Dietitian Logo
Leah Bryant is a paediatric dietitian based in Perth who specialises in providing evidence-based nutritional advice for gastrointestinal conditions, including coeliac disease, IBS, lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance, and constipation.

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