How do I get my child to LOVE new foods?

It’s February – the month of love! 

How do I get my child to LOVE new foods?

Here at Yummy Discoveries, we know that it can be a minefield trying to work out how to introduce your little one to new foods, especially if you’re used to the “I don’t like it!” refrain.

But fear not! We are here with some handy hints and tips to help things go more smoothly, so that you can support your child in developing lots of new ‘loves’ of a wide range of foods.

Well, first things first – you need to know what you’re dealing with:

1. Likes and dislikes are not stable under the age of 5.  This is backed up by scientific research. A study was conducted where children under and over 5 chose their favourite ice cream flavours, and the under fives didn’t choose the same flavour from one day to the next. That means that your little one might choose something one day and say they don’t like it the next day. Just keep offering foods.

2. Does I don’t like it mean I don’t like it? The short answer is no. Anyone who has a toddler knows that there’s nothing more suspicious and untrusting of new food than a 2 year old. Believe it or not, that’s normal, as once a fear of new food (neophobia) was originally designed to stop little mouths from eating poisonous berries once they became mobile.

3. Does no mean no? Research also showed that toddlers often say ‘no’ as it’s an easy word to say, rather than because they actually mean no.

4. Isn’t a roasted carrot the same as a raw carrot? No, not to your child. Every time even one dimension of a food changes, it’s a new food to your child. So grated carrot is different to carrot soup, pureed carrot, roasted carrot…you get the picture. So you need to treat each new form of a food as a new food. Even using a different word can be enough to make a child reject a new food (e.g. if you usually use the word ‘meat’ and one day say ‘beef’, your child may well say “I don’t like it” because they don’t associate the word with the food they know.

5. Are you inadvertently making your child’s dislikes stronger? Putting pressure on your child to try a food or finish it means that you are creating a dynamic where they are likely to resist that pressure, resist you and therefore the food.

6. Should I bribe them to try a new food? No. If you try this, you’re setting up ‘good and bad’ foods (e.g. eat this and you can have a chocolate). You’re also starting to ‘beg’ your child to do something, and this opens up the opportunity for an ever intensifying battle for control. It might work once, but when they learn that you really really want them to eat that food and if that’s your way of addressing things as a rule, you’ll end up in battles you don’t need.

7. Should I force my child to have a food they say they don’t like? No. Your aim with all food issues is to enable your child to make choices about food. Forcing them is more likely to create a negative association with that food and maybe with the eating experience. They will undoubtedly get stressed and that inhibits digestion and desire to eat, so that’s the last thing you want to do. Try not to worry and just remember that your job is to help them make their own choices.  
8. Do children ‘like’ what their body needs? We’ve heard this being bandied around as advice recently and love the idea and we have only one thing to say to that: If our children ‘knew’ what their bodies needed, we wouldn’t have any fussy eating problems, because children would always eat what they needed. So eating only chips and toast would mean that was what their body needed.

So how do I introduce a new food to my child?

Well, when it comes to food (and actually, when it comes to most things, if you think about it), love is all about familiarity. You can’t love something you don’t know.  So here are some tips:

1. Never spring a new food on your child. You play with that food  with your child a few times (not at mealtimes, so that you’re not bothered whether they eat it). For example, show them the food and ask them to play a game with you, to help you see what it’s like. For example, is it red like a strawberry? Is it cold like ice cream? Give right and wrong answers and make it fun. Get your child to help you cook with the food, just to get them familiar with it.

2. Give them a small portion of the new food initially (e.g. one spoonful). A big portion of a new food can feel overwhelming for a child. Remember, you only want them to try it, or to engage with it in some way (even if this is squidging it in their fingers and that’s it, initially). So give them a small bit of the new food and let them discover it, while you model enjoying it, if possible (they need to see that new food is safe and you’re the one to show them this). But don’t put any pressure on them.

3. Allow them to make an A and B choice when this food is being introduced. Depending on your child, you could either ask them to choose between two new foods (that you’ve spent some time familiarising them with) or you could ask them to choose between two foods they like and make the ‘high hierarchy’ choice for them. For example: We are having peas (new food) tonight - would you like pasta or shepherds pie with them?

4. Try to use a safety net food, to add some familiarity so that they feel safe. If your child likes yoghurt and you want them to try cucumber, you could make cucumber dip. Then the yoghurt is reassuring and it will make the cucumber seem slightly less strange and scary.

5. Familiarity takes time. Research shows that you need to offer your child a new food between 15-20 times before you think you’ve got a problem with it. Don’t offer the same thing every day, every other day is fine. If you’re getting nowhere, give up on that one for now and try something else. Go back to it later. No foods are permanently in the ‘dislike’ camp, until your child is old enough to have stable likes and dislikes. Sometimes, it’s obvious that your child really doesn’t like a certain food. If they’ve tried it many times and they don’t usually say this (so you don’t think it’s a pattern for them), then that’s fine. You’ll need to use your intuition on that one.

6. If they say “I don’t like it”… don’t take it away. Just say: “Oh that’s ok, you just haven’t tried it enough times yet!” If they ask you to remove it, don’t. Use positive statements so that your child knows how you expect them to behave around food: “If you don’t want it, just leave it.” Small children can’t really understand instructions involving “Don’t”, as it’s too much of an abstract concept.

7. Don’t make a big fuss when your child tries the new food. Of course, the odd ‘well done for trying it’ doesn’t go amiss, if this can be said in a way that feels like it’s a normal part of eating/living and you’re praising them in the way that you would if they did something else normal. However, don’t congratulate them or focus loads of attention on them if they try a new food – you want to act like it’s normal for them to try things, as it should be! A child’s instinctive reaction is to reject new foods, remember, so if you suddenly put the spotlight on them, they’ll be likely to retreat. This is particularly so if you see your child try a new food that they have rejected until now. Sometimes children will also try a food if everyone else is eating it and they feel left out (e.g. at a party). Let them do this, as there’s no such thing as good and bad foods. If they are trying a new cake, that’s fine, as long as their entire diet isn’t made up of cake, and you are in control of that!

8. Model eating the new food yourself. This counteracts neophobia and helps your child to get curious about what everyone else is enjoying and they might be missing. Children want to be included, so use this to your advantage, as well as showing them that the new food is safe to eat by eating it yourself.

 Good luck! And we hope that your little one will have some new food loves before long!

image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

 

We like to set our little ones a good example and encourage sharing. We don't mind you using any of the information, recipes and tips from our website, all we ask is that you credit us hard-working mummies here at Yummy Discoveries. 

Thank you x

Jewelled Pancakes Recipe

Jewelled Pancakes

With Shrove Tuesday just around the corner here is a fruity take on the classic pancake. By having the fruit mixed in with the batter it becomes an integral part of the dish so is ideal for weaning littles ones. Plus the soft, warm fruit makes the pancakes naturally sweet – so no need for the typical “lemon n sugar”.

Makes about 8-10 pancakes

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes per pancake





100g plain flour
300ml full fat milk
1 egg
½ tsp cinnamon
5 large strawberries
¼ pineapple
butter or oil for frying


1. Sift the flour into a bowl 2. Crack the egg into the flour, add a splash of milk and whisk
3. Gradually add more milk and continue to whisk until you have a smooth batter.
4. If you have time leave the batter to stand for half an hour or so
5. Meanwhile blitz the fruit quickly in a food processor (you want a small chunky consistency, not that of a smoothie) or cut the fruit into very small chunks
6. Add the fruit into the batter mix along with the cinnamon and stir well
7. Heat some oil or butter in a frying pan over a medium heat
8. When the oil is hot pour some of the batter (about 2/3 of a ladle) into the pan whilst tilting it so the batter covers the base of the pan evenly
9. Cook for a few minutes until the pancake becomes loose
10. Flip (or use a spatula to turn the pancake) over and cook for a few more minutes, or until golden
11. Once cooked slide onto a plate, roll and serve


Adult add on: Pour some golden syrup over the pancakes
Variations: Try blueberries or raspberries (soft fruit works better as it doesn’t sink in to the batter mix)

Remember that strawberries and pineapple are common allergens, so if your little one isn't used to high-citrus foods just yet, consider using alternative soft fruits. 

Image Copyright Yummy Discoveries Ltd.

Look I can Walk! Now I'm scared of new foods!

Look I can Walk! Now I'm scared of new foods!

Initially, when you start weaning your baby at around 6 months they will probably be happy to eat and taste most things you serve. However, many parents report a "fussy period" around 10-18 months and it is no coincidence that it happens when your little one starts to learn to walk.

This protective mechanism termed Neophobia kicks-in which turns your once happy eater in to a suspicious child, fearful of new foods and textures. Neophobia is the fear of new things and  this is likely to be a throwback to our ancestors. 

If you imagine your baby is a little "cave baby" born at a time when we lived in the soil, hunted for meat and crawled around in caves. Your baby would have been toddling around picking berries and leaves from trees which could be potentially poisonous. So this fear of new foods and the keenness to look to a caregiver (you) to show it is safe to eat before putting it in the mouth is one of the ways the human race has survived. 

It is more important than ever during this time that you sit and eat the same foods with your child to reassure them the food is safe to eat. This will help reassure your baby through this "fussy time" that these new foods are nothing to fear.

We like to set our little ones a good example and encourage sharing. We don't mind you using any of the information, recipes and tips from our website, all we ask is that you credit us hard-working mummies here at Yummy Discoveries. 

Thank you x

 ©Yummy Discoveries Ltd.

Ban The Baby Rice

Ban the Baby Rice!

 Your baby is keen to explore the world through her eyes. 

This (plastic) baby skull shows how the orbits are initially much bigger in relation to the rest of the head, so she can absorb as much about the world around her as she can in those early days. As she grows, her nervous system develops and her mouth becomes important, enabling her to experience more dimensions (she may like putting your car keys in her mouth!) and finally, the hand control develops giving her even more opportunity to understand and interpret the vast array of objects which come her way.

Have you ever wondered why there aren’t many beige baby toys on the market? Beige things don't grab a child’s attention nor trigger their curiosity to reach and explore, so why are so many of us encouraged to serve-up baby rice as a first meal? Boring! Food exploration is no different to toy exploration so apply the same principles when serving up eye, mouth and hand-pleasing and food to your little one.

We like to set our little ones a good example and encourage sharing. We don't mind you using any of the information, recipes and tips from our website, all we ask is that you credit us hard-working mummies here at Yummy Discoveries. 

Thank you x

 ©Yummy Discoveries Ltd.

"Children eat the foods their bodies need" Really?

"Children eat the foods their bodies need!" 

Really?

Many parents comment to us in our workshops and consultations that their little one eats lots and lots of the same food over and over again - and they let them do it, because they believe they are craving a nutrient, vitamin or mineral from that food their body needs.

We've searched the archives tirelessly and are yet to find quality evidence supporting the claim that "children will eat what their bodies need", since so many factors come in to it - psychological, emotional and behavioural.

It's common for little ones to go through a short phase of eating the same things over and over again. Short-term it is often not a problem but very quickly this can be the start of narrowing your baby's palate and restricting their tastes.

Yummy!

It could be that your little one has tasted some yummy things and thought “I like that – I want more of it!”. No food is “bad” when it is eaten in moderation and rotating these foods in to your baby's diet so they don’t come to expect them is a great way to gain balance.

Routine For Security

An example of a psychological factor would be that very quickly, children can slip into routines. Routine gives children a sense of security, and so are good things when they are constructed by their parents (ie by people with the maturity of thinking to know what the child's needs are and who construct a routine around this). 

However, routines can mean something entirely different if they are self-created and/or if they become rituals that the child 'must' stick to or they get upset and seem to be about needing control (e.g. only eating food when it doesn't touch other food). These kinds of 'routines' represent the child's effort to manage anxiety/insecurity. This may occur when change or instability happens in the home (e.g. possibly mum has gone back to work or breastfeeding has stopped). This could therefore also manifest in food in terms of always wanting to eat the same things over and over again, and only you can gauge if your child seems to want these foods to gain control in some way. 

Children frequently are drawn to sugary foods in times of stress as breastmilk/formula milk has always been a comforter - and those are super-sweet and triggers the release of serotonin which is an enormous comforter!

You're the parent!

You're the parent and you're in charge and if you're okay with your child eating those foods in that volume and you know it's short-term because it's a special occasion then there shouldn't be any problem - but don't kid yourself that your child knows best and her body is craving calcium or some other nutrient. It's more likely, the foods are new tastes, yummy and sweet and most likley being super-sugary they trigger serotonin which all make her  feel happy making her want even more. 
Plenty of adults demonstrate this same refined sugar reaction over christmas day when they couldn't stop eating "just one more" mince pie or slice of yule log despite their buttons bursting from a big turkey dinner!

Lots of sugar switches off your ability to feel full

When you consume fructose, a hormone called Leptin is down-regulated. Leptin is the hormone that makes us feel full and so with that not circulating in our bodies telling us to stop eating, we instead keep eating and eating and eating. This is one of the many reasons why we are such advocates of zero sugar in all our recipes.

image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

We like to set our little ones a good example and encourage sharing. We don't mind you using any of the information, recipes and tips from our website, all we ask is that you credit us hard-working mummies here at Yummy Discoveries. 

Thank you x

New year, New foods!

New Year, New Foods!

Although we all know toddlers won’t starve themselves to death, it can be extremely worrying if you have a child who won’t eat, or who eats a very narrow range of foods.  

Society’s (and the health profession’s) preoccupation with weight from day they’re born doesn’t help, and it can be even more anxiety-provoking when your child is clearly expending loads of energy, yet refusing to eat anything more than a few raisins.

Having a child who eats a wide range of foods not only makes your life easier, but more importantly, facilitates them growing up into adolescents and adults who are properly nourished by their diet. So here are some tips to keep your relaxed when it comes to introducing new foods to your toddler or young child.

Things to try

1. Don’t forget that neophobia (fear of new foods) is normal, so expect your child to resist trying a new food. In caveman times, neophobia prevented toddlers from eating poisonous berries when they started crawling around under their own steam, so it had an important function. Your child still needs you to show them new foods are safe and may well be naturally suspicious.

a)      Food on Mummy or Daddy’s plate might therefore seem more interesting (or even safer) than food on their own plate. In the early days of weaning it’s fine for your little one to help herself to food from your plate. Don’t let it become a habit and only you will know when you feel your child has the cognition to be able to understand that is no longer acceptable.

2. Expect to offer your child a food 20 times (and have it refused) in the same format before you think you may have a problem with it. And even then, don’t give up. Re-offer it again after a break. A cucumber slice will be perceived as a different food to grated cucumber so treat them as different foods and offer them appropriately.

3. Introduce new foods when you don’t feel pressurised to get your child to eat it. You can do this in a variety of ways:

a)      Introduce a food as part of a game, not at a mealtime. Introduce it in a fun way, and act as if you don’t even expect your child to eat the food. For example, play guessing games about what the food tastes/feels/smells like: “Is this green, like cucumber?” Make sure you give wrong and right answers so that you can laugh together and your child feels safe getting it wrong.

b)      Use the meal your child eats best (i.e. the one where everyone feels happiest) to introduce something new. With many toddlers, this is breakfast time since their little stomachs are empty.

c)      If new tastes are difficult, introduce new textures, as taste and texture go together.

d)     Change one aspect of a food your child will eat (e.g. shape, temperature, way it’s served). Remember that even small changes can feel unsettling for children.

e)      Don’t get disheartened if your child accepts a food one day and refuses it the next. Likes and dislikes change all the time under the age of 5.

When you introduce a new food, your aim should not be to get your child to eat it – this only adds pressure in an already potentially challenging situation for your child.

Aim to help your child have fun and gain interest – as we all know, babies and toddlers explore by putting things in their mouths, so something has caught their interest, it’ll probably end up in their mouths next!

Aim to get your child to feel confident enough to taste the new food, rather than eat it. Tell yourself that all they need to do is try it.

4. Use your child’s wish to be included. Eat together as a family if possible or invite other children over, and really enjoy your food in an obvious way. Give your child some of the new food but don’t pay an excessive amount of attention to them, in terms of whether they eat it. Let them work out that they want to join in, and let them do this at their own pace. This might not happen with just one sitting, particularly if your child isn’t confident, so give it some time and continually demonstrate how yummy it is, and what they’re missing socially (i.e. everyone enjoying the experience of eating the new food together).

5. Introduce the new food when you know your child is hungry and give them a little less of the food you know they’ll eat, so they’re likely to still be hungry and have the new food left on their plate/high chair table.

6. Use vitamin drops, which are now recommended by Health Visitors for all children from 6 months of age. Then at least you will know your child is getting the vitamins they need.

What not to do

Do not try to feed your child the new food or control the process – allow them to self-feed and accept the new thing into their world at their own pace. It’s easier to do this if you don’t feel anxious.

Do not focus on your child if they try something – this may well make them feel self-conscious and prompt withdrawal, particularly if they have historically refused the food.

Do not disguise foods with other foods – hiding vegetables in sauces is often recommended but we strongly advise against this, as this is not teaching your child anything. You’re not prompting interest in food, or confidence in trying new things. Furthermore, you’re not even winning the battle in getting your child to eat new food, you’re just putting it off, and meanwhile, you’re reinforcing that they only have to eat the same sauce that they always eat.

Do not bargain – again, this is sometimes recommended, but we strongly advise against it. In bargaining, you’re allowing your child to see that you’re really invested in them complying, which can set up power battles you don’t want. You are also setting up some foods as ‘good’ and others as ‘bad’. Food is just food – ice cream shouldn’t be a reward or a treat you get if you eat broccoli.

 

So use our tips, stay calm and make it your New Year’s resolution to help your child have lots of new yummy discoveries in 2013!

We like to set our little ones a good example and encourage sharing. We don't mind you using any of the information, recipes and tips from our website, all we ask is that you credit us hard-working mummies here at Yummy Discoveries. 

Thank you x

 ©Yummy Discoveries Ltd.