Getting my toddler to try new foods

Trent, my two year old, has always been a great eater. Seriously, broccoli is one of his favorite foods and on a grumpy morning he can be coaxed into a better mood with half a Flinstone. When presented with offers of marshmallows and other such "goodies" he responds with "garbage. yucky. trash?" I wish I could take full credit for this, but I think a lot of it comes from his resistance to new foods. Sure, it works out great when someone is offering him gummy candies, but doesn't work so great when I'm trying a new recipe or want him to try fruits or veggies he doesn't usually get.

The solution? Having him help me in the kitchen! I know, it doesn't sound like much of a solution for a toddler refusing to try new things- but it works for us! I'm still trying to figure out how to handle 2 kids, so I do a lot of dinner prep in the afternoon. Including Trent does slow me down some, but it gives us a fun and educational activity. Not only that, but taking the time to chop our veggies during the day provides us with a variety of snacking options. His job is usually to separate the veggies into their own bowls, but we both munch while we're working. I always try to include something he likes, but he'll eat anything we're working with. He actually even tried green onions the other day when I was helping my mom prepare some snacks for her church class (he really did not like them, but we still had to stop him from trying a second handful)! I don't know if it's the lack of pressure to try something new, an attempt to copy me, or pure curiosity but I love that he's getting excited about new foods. The best part is that come dinner time, he's happy and knows that he likes all the food on his plate!

You can visit Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family to see what works for other people!