Dinner Diva: Just One Bite

Sometimes trying a new food even just one bite, can be more trying on a parent than the child, if you get my drift. There are times when food needs to be an adventure. Not every day, but just especially when introducing something new, especially little guys. Here are a couple of tricks to pull out of your hat when presenting a new food to your child.

“I’ve got the world on a string…” so the old song goes. But if you’re a kid, you could probably care less about the world being on a string or this old song. Now, if you had the world-on-a-stick, well, that’s completely different.

Kids will eat anything if they get to poke it with a stick. At least one bite, anyway. Cut everything up, put it on a plate (not touching!) and give them a big toothpick. Give them a rule or two, like don’t put the toothpick in your sister’s eye, refrain from putting the toothpick in your ear—things like that. Then let them go to town! They’ll have a blast and may actually try something they wouldn’t have tried before.

You can also serve it kabob-style already stuck on a stick. That’s fun too, but getting to actually skewer the food themselves is great entertainment.

With-A-Dip

You want to increase your chances that your child will actually like the new food? That he will actually eat the new food? Try it on-a-stick, or try it with-a-dip.

Will he eat it with a dip? Will he eat it on a chip?
Does he like this new food taste? Or will this squash just go to waste?

It can down right depressing trying to expand a younger child’s repertoire. But not when you can whip out a stick and bring on the dip!

The dip factor is an old trick, but unfortunately, many parents are tempted to give kids ketchup on everything or bury the vegetables in icky ranch dressing. Give your child a little credit and let them try it just the way it was intended, you might be surprised!

Burned out on trying to get kids to eat? Don’t want to be a short-order cook? Try some of our recipe ebooks; There’s something for everyone!

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