Food neophobia

Why new food feels hard

To a small child, a new food is a stranger. It looks, smells and feels different from what they know, so the first answer is often no. This wariness tends to show up as toddlers start walking and exploring, and usually eases through the preschool years. It isn't defiance, and it isn't a sign you did something wrong.

What you might see

• Refusing a food before tasting it.
• Eating a food only in one shape, color or brand.
• Picking a new ingredient out of a mixed dish.
• Touching or licking a food, then putting it back.

Making new foods familiar

Familiarity is what turns a stranger into a regular. Every calm meeting counts: seeing the food on the table, watching you eat it, touching it, smelling it or licking it. Many children need 8–15 tries or more, so keep the same calm pace.

• Serve a small piece of the new food next to foods your child already eats.
• Offer the same food in different forms: roasted carrots one day, grated carrot in a muffin another.
• Talk about the color, crunch or smell instead of asking for a bite.
• Let your child serve themselves from a shared bowl.

What doesn't help

Hiding new foods, bribing with dessert, or insisting on one bite tend to make a wary child warier. A child who learns that a new food means a fight will often refuse it on sight. Low-key repetition is slower, and it keeps the table calm while your child gets used to new foods.

Read more

• How Many Tries Before a Toddler Eats a New Food?
• Picky Eating: What Helps at the Table

References

1. ZERO TO THREE: How to Handle Picky Eaters
2. AAP HealthyChildren.org: How Do I Help My Picky Eater Try More Foods?