Location: indoor or outdoor (wherever the meal is being eaten)

Materials: none, just the lunch you're serving

It can be a challenge to figure out how to encourage adventurous eating without creating unnecessary conflict around food. Our taste buds are changing all the time, which is something that kids might not know or readily believe. Use this to encourage them to try foods before saying they don't like them.

Introduce the concept of a "try it" bite. When serving the meal give your kids a little of everything even if they insist they don't like it. Remind kids to try a small bite before they say they don't want any.

What's important is to make sure it's known that it's ok for kids to dislike a food, but to celebrate being willing to try. With taste buds changing all the time, they might be surprised to discover the new foods they like. Research has shown that social situations are especially important for kids trying new foods. If another child sticks out their tongue and says, "Broccoli is gross!" that can discourage another child from ever trying the food. We are very influenced by the people around us, so creating a culture of positivity around food (even when we don't like it!) is important, especially in the early years when our taste buds are rapidly changing.