Make a Food Picture Book or Poster
Here’s something you can try while you’re encouraging your child to try new foods. It might not work for a child who’s very young, or who doesn’t understand much language, but you can decide whether you think it might work for your child. Make a food book or poster, with colorful pictures of everything your child is willing to eat.
When you want him to try something new (like one pea, or one piece of apple), cut out a picture of that food from a magazine or get one from the internet, or just make one yourself.
If your child likes to color or scribble, find a line drawing, so he can color it in after he tries it.
When he eats the food, praise him enthusiastically. Then let him use a glue-stick (with your help) to add the new pictures to his food book or poster.
When a friend or relative like Grandma comes to the house, make a big fuss over letting him show his new page to the friend or relative. You might even tell them ahead of time that they should praise him enthusiastically and maybe even act very surprised and happy.
Make A New Food Reward Chart
Here’s another idea with a different way of using the food pictures. You should only do this once your child has started to try at least a few new foods. Pick something the child wants, and if possible, have your child help you come up with ideas. The treat you choose should be very special, like colored bubbles, getting a new small toy, or even a trip to the zoo. Put a picture of whatever you chose on the top of a page. Then put 5 or 6 boxes on the page (you choose the number; if you think 5 or 6 is too many, use 3 or 4). Here’s an example of one that we made.
Every time your child tries a new food, paste a picture of the food in one of the boxes. Or, if your child likes to draw, you could have him draw a picture in one of the boxes. When the boxes are all full, he gets the special treat!
Make A New Food Story Book
Here’s something else you can do to encourage trying new foods. Again, it might not work for a child who’s very young, or who doesn’t understand much language, but you can decide whether you think it might work for your child. For a child who can understand a simple story, you can write a short story about a child trying new foods. In the story, the child should be unsure about trying the new food. But he should beat any fears he may have, try the new food, and feel proud and happy in the end. Here’s an example.
You can write the story so a favorite TV or cartoon character, like a super-hero or a Disney character, is the one trying the new food. Or you can make the story about a pretend boy or girl. Or you can make it about your child, with photographs of him. If he can, he may like to help you make the story book. You should include him in any ways that you think he might like. Once you have made the book, you should read the book to your child often.
Here is one last thought about encouraging your child to try out new foods. If you are successful in helping your child to try some new foods, and he is now enjoying a few of the foods you have introduced, try offering him those new foods in new places. For example, bring along some of those foods when you visit Grandma’s house so that your child can try them in Grandma’s kitchen. Or he can try them at school or day care if he goes there. We want to encourage him to do all of the new skills we teach him in different places and with different people.