The incorporation of new foods can be very natural for some children, but quite traumatic for others. There are those who love to try new flavors and others who find that they like only a couple of foods and do not leave there.
It is healthy for the child to try everything, but it is no problem that he does not want to do it and we must not force him, because we will cause the opposite effect: that he takes mania and rejects that food even more. You have to go with a lot of patience and left hand and as first advice, If your child refuses to try new foods, don't push him.
Forcing does not lead to anything
We started with a lot of patience, trying to try a little first. What do not you like? Nothing happens. But on the fifth or sixth time we try to eat the banana and spit it out, the patience is no longer the same. It is normal, but we must change strategy.
Acceptance of a food is associated with the number of times a person has been exposed to that food. It is believed that After trying it about 10 or 15 times, only there can a child come to accept it. So be patient.
Try to present it in different ways. Going back to the banana example. Try giving it in shakes, in pieces, combined with other fruits, leave a period of rest before trying again, instead of giving it, leave it on the plate so you can take it with your hands if you feel like it… Try, and if not Eat it, don't despair. Later you can try again. Maybe when you least expect it, accept it without further ado.
Neophobia, rejection of new foods
Neophobia is a very frequent phenomenon in childhood, especially around 2-3 years, which tends to disappear after 5 years. The rejection of flavors has a genetic origin (food neophobia is hereditary in 78% of cases) and environmental.
There is an evolutionary explanation for this rejection in childhood. In prehistory, children went out to collect wild fruits around 2-3 years and had to depart from the unknown. Strange foods could be lethal, and therefore, they were rejected.
As the child grows this rejection for the new flavors disappears and the acquired flavors arrive, which based on trying them a few times, end up being accepted.
Parents who over-control and pressure their children to eat new foods can negatively affect the emotional state of the child. According to a study carried out by the University of the Basque Country, neophobia is associated with a higher level of anxiety in children and a lower self-esteem.
The example counts
The way we behave with food is also important, since the child sees and imitates our behaviors. If we are open to trying new foods, children will see it as natural, and even curious. Let them see that experimenting can be very fun.
There are also foods that we may not like, of course, but it is not right to say in front of them phrases such as "this is disgusting", "who may like it" or expressions of rejection, because what one does not like can be liked by other.
Make food a pleasant moment
There are psychological aspects closely linked to food, which is why it is so important that we make this time a relaxing time shared with the family.
Without mobiles, without TV, and above all no stress or pressure. A relaxed and pleasant environment is essential for the child to be receptive to trying new foods.
It is also important to involve children in the purchase of food, that they touch them, see where they come from, as well as in the preparation of meals. Putting children in the kitchen is a great strategy to familiarize themselves with food in a playful way and thus have less objection when trying them.
Photos | iStockphoto
In Babies and more | What I do? Do not want to eat fruit or vegetables, Children who refuse specific foods
