How to introduce new foods to fussy eaters Children often need to try a food many times before they will eat it without a fuss. It’s normal for them to be uncertain of new foods, which is an evolutionary mechanism designed to keep us safe form danger. Here are some tips to try:

1. Put a small amount of the new food on the plate with familiar food your child already likes.
2. At first, encourage your child to touch, smell or lick the new food.
3. Keep offering the food repetitively and regularly. Research shows it can take 10-15 exposures for a child to accept a new food.
4. Present the new food in different ways. For example, on each occasion present in a variety of shapes, sizes and serve with different food combinations. You might find that while your child doesn’t like steamed vegetables, they do like them raw.
5. Eat the new food with them. Seeing you eat can help them to realise that the food is safe to eat, which can make them more willing to try it.
6. Involve your child in shopping and food preparation so that they get used to seeing and handling new foods.