Why Kids Won't Try New Foods

Getting your kids to try a new food can be such a major event sometimes. Of course as adults, moms and dads get frustrated. Why should trying one little bite of foreign food become such an ordeal?

Dr. Lucy J. Cooke of University College London may just have the answer to that question. The doctor and her researchers learned that almost 80 percent of kids inherit that fear of food from their parents. This fear of food is called "food neophobia" and unfortunately many young food neophobics avoid healthy foods like vegetables, preferring the safety of less-healthy but more familiar foods. Read about the research.

So does this mean you might as well give up your dreams of parenting a child who loves sushi and salads instead of burgers and fries? No. Not at all. Kids will try foods when they feel comfortable with them. They may need to be exposed to a new food several times before they even take one little nibble.

Be patient, offer the new foods several times along side other foods your children already like. In time, they will learn that vegetables, and other healthy foods, really are quite edible.

Poll:Do your kids or grandkids like healthy foods?

• Yes. They are very good about eating healthy foods.
• So-so. They will try some healthy foods, but they really like unhealthy foods too.
• My kids refuse to eat most healthy foods, they only want unhealthy foods.
• View Results

More About Kids and Foods

• Quick and Painless Ways to Sneak Good Nutrition Into Any Kid's Diet
• Introduce Your Child to Healthy Cooking
• Hating Vegetables May be Genetic
• Picky Eaters

Daily Nutrition Tip

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