How to Get Your Kids to Explore New Cuisines Erik Halvorsen
Introduction Kids can be predictable when it comes to food; once they discover a food they like, they will want it for almost every meal. When kids discover a favorite food or dish, it gives them a sense of control and familiarity. However, kids cannot live on pasta and chicken nuggets alone and parents want their kids to have a balanced diet and to try new foods. Here are a couple of the ways we have found to get our picky eaters to be a little more adventurous when it comes to eating. erikhalvorsen.org
Street Food
When you are at fair or festival, or in Texas the rodeo, try to find interesting fair food. Kids will get excited about the fact that they are getting food in a fun way. The portions are small, which will allow kids to eat with their hands (sometimes) and you won’t feel guilty about wasting money on a meal at a restaurant. Also, it’s a great way for kids to learn about different cultures and foods.
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When kids are used to their favorite foods, they most likely
Sneak an Ingredient
won’t notice a new ingredient. Sneaking in a new ingredient that is finely chopped will help them see that they can combine foods and be introduced to something new. For example, if you want to introduce your kids to a different type of meat (e.g. lamb), you can chop it up and add it to their favorite spaghetti sauce and pasta.
Food Delivery Services Sometimes it is easier to get your kids to explore a new cuisine at school. If they see their friends trying a new food, they will most likely try it too. Also, you can ask your school administrator to partner with Revolution Foods. They are a food service that delivers culturally different meals that are healthy and nutritious to schools. They promote engagement with students with surveys about the meals, to get their input and to get them excited about eating healthy. Revolution Foods also engages with communities by using locallysourced ingredients. erikhalvorsen.org
Go Shopping & Cook Together Having your kids help in the shopping and in the preparing of a new dish are great ways to get them engaged in a new cuisine. They will learn about each ingredient and the country the dish is from as well as how to follow directions (recipe). You will find that when your kids are more invested in the selection and creation of the meal, they are much more likely to eat it.
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Getting your kids to be more open-minded in their eating will lead to them being open to trying new activities in other aspects of their lives—a new sport, arts and crafts, music … etc. As parents, it is not about dictating what our kids should like or not—but encouraging them to explore and try so they can figure it out for themselves.
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