How To Help The Baby Try New Foods?
During the first days of life and with extraordinary exceptions, newborns assume that when they are hungry, breast milk is the solution. This natural formula not only offers all the nutrients they need but also has a unique and special flavor that is extremely pleasant for them.
The rejection of unfamiliar foods
Sooner or later it will be time to expand your menu. So it will be necessary to help the child to try new foods. Some children constantly enjoy discovering flavors, while others prefer not to risk and limit themselves to the known. In these cases, patience is essential. After all, on average, an infant tries a new taste 15 times until he is finally accepting of it.
In addition, not only babies and young children can suffer neophobia, (fear of the unknown). It is a situation that can also occur with adults and that, eventually, includes food. In the youngest, these types of disorders tend to be overcome naturally after reaching the age of five.
Learn by imitation
Parents are an example for children. Therefore, family habits make a big difference. If adults are always willing to try new things and innovate with food, children will be too.
Therefore, the best way to help your baby try new foods is for you to consume them first. The action of imitating is conditional on the trust and security generated by the oldest members of the family, a group that includes older siblings.
Tricks to help your baby try new foods
Mealtime should always represent a positive and joyful experience, without punishment. From a very young age, it should be taught that eating healthy and balanced is also fun.
If the babies eat some foods by force it will only generate rejection and revulsion. At the same time, parents should be aware that there are flavors that they like more than others. Without eliminating the favorite ingredients, as long as they are foods with positive values and few contraindications, they should be combined with what is new or what is not so appetizing.
Vary the presentations
Colors are also part of strategies to help your baby try new foods. It cannot be overlooked that many times, food ‘enters’ through the eyes. If food is not attractive, it will hardly be eaten. Sometimes the rejection of new ingredients is not related to the taste: the baby’s reluctance to eat can be related to the presentation and the textures.
A fruit like banana can be visually appealing when chopped into small pieces or even in its natural form. But for a young child, with few teeth, it will be extremely difficult to chew. If the fruits that cause the rejection of children due to their texture are in the form of a puree, they will offer a not so ‘graceful’ image, but they will be easier to eat.
Let him experience
Rejection at other times is not even focused on the fruits or vegetables offered. Some silverware can be very intimidating. A good way to help a baby try new foods is to allow them to put the food in their mouths with their bare hands.
Situations to avoid
Almost always due to ignorance, but also to allow the levels of anxiety in the face of failures to increase disproportionately, some parents resort to solutions that, rather than help, hinder the work of including new foods.
Among the most common mistakes is trying to distract babies, for example with television or videos on YouTube. It should be instilled that meal times are for eating only. To be with the family and enjoy the dish.
But without a doubt the worst mistake is using force as a measure of pressure. There are parents who practically put the spoon in their mouth without leaving them hardly any time to swallow. In the end, for the baby, eating will begin to be related to painful and traumatic situations. Equally ineffective is applying a ‘policy’ of punishments and rewards. Situations that can also lead to trauma, as well as other unhealthy situations, such as blackmail.
