How to Get a Picky Eater to Try New Foods

Practical strategies to help your picky eater expand their diet with patience and positive approaches.

1. Start Small and Build Slowly. Begin by making tiny changes to foods your child already enjoys. Add a small piece of new vegetable to their favorite pasta, or mix a tiny amount of a new fruit into their usual yogurt. The goal isn't for them to eat the new food right away, but to get comfortable seeing it on their plate. This process can take weeks or even months, and that's completely normal.
2. Make Trying Fun, Not Forced. Turn food exploration into a game rather than a battle. Let your child touch, smell, and examine new foods without pressure to eat them. You might have them help wash vegetables, sort different colored foods, or play 'food detective' by describing what they observe. Praise any interaction with new foods, even if they don't take a bite. Never force, bribe, or punish around food - this often backfires and creates more resistance.
3. Keep Offering Without Pressure. Research shows children may need to see a food 10-15 times before they're willing to try it. Keep putting small portions of new foods on their plate alongside foods you know they'll eat. Don't comment on whether they eat the new food or not. Your job is to offer variety; their job is to decide what and how much to eat from what you provide.
4. Involve Them in Food Preparation. Children are more likely to try foods they've helped prepare. Start with simple tasks like washing fruits, tearing lettuce, or stirring ingredients. Let them choose one new food to try at the grocery store. When they have ownership in the process, they often become more curious about tasting the results. Even if they don't eat what they helped make, they're building familiarity and comfort with new foods.
5. Model Adventurous Eating. Children learn more from what they see than what they're told. Eat meals together as a family when possible, and let your child see you enjoying a variety of foods. Talk positively about different foods, describe flavors and textures, and show excitement about trying new things. Avoid making negative comments about foods, even ones you don't personally enjoy.
6. Address the Environment. Create calm, pleasant mealtimes without distractions like TV or tablets. Ensure your child is actually hungry at mealtime by limiting snacks and drinks (especially milk and juice) in the hour before eating. Make sure they're sitting comfortably at the table with feet supported. A relaxed, positive atmosphere makes children more open to trying new things.