It’s all too easy to put pressure on children to eat, whether that’s our intention or not, so our choice of words is important. Instead of begging them to take a bite, just try it or to do it for mummy, try saying:
‘This is [ingredient].’
‘You don’t have to try it.’
‘What does it look/feel like?’
‘It’s crunchy like crackers.’
‘I haven’t had this before. I wonder what it tastes like. Have you got any ideas?’
‘What happens when you try sniffing/squashing/crunching…this?’
‘You can take a bite and spit it out.’ (yes, this is ok!)
‘Let’s use our teeth to make a flower.’ (using a cucumber slice or carrot round)
‘Shall we build a tower.’
‘Let’s see who can crunch louder.’
‘Can you lick it?’ (yes, this is ok too!)
‘I’m going to munch like a rabbit.’
Chances are they might investigate the new or disliked food. They might not eat it right away but continue in this way without any pressure for them to eat and you may be surprised by the changes you see in a relatively short space of time.