Try It, You'll Like It
November 1, 2007
Did you know it can take eight to ten times for a child to try a new food before deciding she likes it? Scientists think our suspicions of new tastes come from the time when our ancestors roamed the jungles and plains, trying out unfamiliar species.
When modern-day families eat together, children get to see what adults enjoy. If they're offered something repeatedly, without any fuss, the odds are that eventually they'll enjoy it as well.
We do our kids no favors by giving them something once, watching them make a face, then announcing for all time, "That child does not eat…..X," and then making something special so the child never tries X again.
My mother's line was, "Why don't you try it; you're older now; you may like it." We kids never quite bought her reasoning, but the expectation was clear: in time, we would grow up to eat a variety of delicious foods.
Just as we assume that our children will learn to read, or swim, or drive, we should give them the benefit of reasonable expectations around food.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
