How to get my nearly 3 year old to try new foods

[Mummysparrow]

My daughter (3 in June) isn't the best not the worst eater and does go through phases of trying foods but not very often and those food get rejected again quite quickly. We have no issues with breakfast or lunch, just dinner. She eats berries and most fruits, veggies are becoming hit and miss, she will eat plain pasta or pesto pasta but refuses to try pasta with any other sauce on. She refuses to try foods even if we eat a meal as a family (I know that toddlers are supposedly more receptive to trying if eating as a family but my daughter clearly has got that memo). Over time more processed food has come into her diet just because of time pressures but even then it is only 3 dinners a week and I am considering whether the processed food is why she won't try anything else. There are even homemade dishes she used to eat but refuses to try and just says everything is yucky or disgusting.
So she has chicken dippers and fish fingers no problem and I am wondering whether to get my act together and make a lot more homemade things like homemade chicken dippers and whether the processed food is the issue. She always has at least a portion of fruit with dinner as I know she will at least eat that and I never offer anything else if she won't eat the food. We don't generally eat puddings as a family so it isn't like she is asking to have that still.

Has anyone else had any solutions that helped their kid to try new foods? I am not expecting her to try things and like it straight away but I would like her to at least try.

Don't make a big fuss over what she does or doesnt eat, focus on making meal times enjoyable, and day after day offer the food regardless of whether it has been rejected before. Don't offer an alternative meal if she turns food down. All these are tips from SR Nutrition who is brilliant, she's on Instagram and has a blog.

You put it on the table and tell her it isn't for babies, and then look away and let her try it. Them you praise her for not being a baby any more. And just keep doing it with different foods.

Keep offering things again and again alongside a meal. Don’t make her try it; or make any big deal of it. Eat whatever it is yourself so she sees it. And cut the ultra processed food, they are addictive and awful for health. Just cook one meal and everyone eat it.

Don't make a fuss and keep offering was what I was always told, also eat together so they can see you eating it and let them play with the food so sniff/feel the food

My daughter had an egg allergy so we only introduced eggs to her about a year ago now, she's 3 and has only in the last couple of months started eating the eggs we offer

Put it on your plate only and make a big fuss over how she can’t have the food but oh how great it is.
Take her for a long walk or to the park so she’s really really tired and hungry and then present the food
go through the growing or shopping cooking and eating together
school dinners or nursery dinners. It’s amazing what they’ll eat when hungry and with others who are eating.

Family buffet was always popular in our house with food that every one likes with some new types of fruit or veg to introduce too little ones . Such as peeled and segmented oranges chunks of melon .Pieces of carrot sticks and dips celery cucumber . Also don't stop them dipping fruit if they like it but tell them most people prefer dipping veg instead of fruit , but if they like it ..

@bluetopazlove this is such a good idea. I also read that letting them serve themselves, so for eg pasta Bolognese in one big serving bowl and toddler puts the pasta on their own plate

I also let my daughter help decide what's for dinner and she has her own toddler knives for chopping.. although they aren't great for firm veg like carrots they do work well on courgettes

I do a lot of hidden veg dishes, with a few big veggies on the side to try. I don’t overwhelm with saying my 3 year old has to eat a whole avocado etc, just a bite is fine, as I know he is still getting nutrients from main meal. I think
kids (and even adults) need to try a new food several times to know if they like it not. Slow and steady introduction.

I just stopped caring entirely 😂

Very similar here: not the best eater but not the worst either

I put food out and he eats what he wants and leaves what he doesn't and I go on with my life. He also eats fish fingers and chicken nuggets, will eat fruit but no veg. I just leave him too it. I know that he eats things at nursery that he wouldn't eat at home so at least half of the week I know he's getting other things in him. At home I don't make food positive or negative. I just put it out with at least one thing on his plate that I know he likes and forget about it. Some much goes in the bin but I can't force him to eat.

I have tried buffet style but what happens is that she loads up with food she has no intention of trying. I also understand she needs to try foods up to 10 times to like them but it is difficult when she won't even try and just says she doesn't like said item. If I let her choose her dinner then she would have pesto pasta every day 🤦
Unfortunately she has packed lunches and I do try to give her foods from dinner in the hope she may eat it at the childminders but she won't touch it and my childminder has a policy that if kids don't eat their fruit or main food item then they don't get the rest of their food (crisps, yoghurt and bar) so sometimes she will come home having had a piece of fruit for lunch and toast as a snack (marmite on toast for her is also life 😂). I think I am going to cut down on processed food and continue to stick to my guns and hope she turns a corner soon.

That sounds so cute. The knives that is.

OP

If she likes toast then what about toasties with different fillings?