Patience is the key as children develop healthy eating habits

Patience is the key as children develop healthy eating habits

Friday, October 17, 2025

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It can be easy for parents to feel frustrated when their child wants only chicken nuggets and French fries. Still, it's essential to remember that choosiness is a natural part of normal growth and development, as opposed to defiance.

Patience is a virtue parents need when introducing new foods to their children, said Dr. Deana Hildebrand, registered dietitian and Oklahoma State University Extension Community Health Program leader.

"As parents, all we want to do is provide healthy food options to our children, but it can take time for children to develop a taste for some foods," she said. "It's normal for young children to take time getting used to new foods, and research shows it can take 10 or more times of trying a new food. Kids are born liking sweet tastes such as breast milk, and may be cautious about anything bitter or unfamiliar, which can signal spoiled or toxic foods. They also have more taste buds than adults and are more sensitive to strong flavors, textures and smells. Bottom line, your job as a parent is to offer a variety of healthy foods and to let kids decide what and how much to eat."

What's a parent to do? Start by offering new foods slowly, and in a calm, positive way. Start with milder-flavored vegetables, then progress to those with bolder flavors. For example, start with carrots, zucchini or green beans that have a gentle sweetness. When those are accepted, move to vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. It is also essential for children to observe other people in the household eating healthy food.

"Another way to get your children more interested in food is to let them help plan meals," Hildebrand said. "Get their input on what fruit and vegetable they'd like to have with the meal. They can also help with grocery shopping and preparing food with age-appropriate tasks, such as washing grapes for young children or slicing vegetables for older kids. They're more likely to eat foods they've helped prepare."

It's essential for parents to look at the bigger picture of food intake over several days, rather than focusing on just one single day or meal. Over time, most children will develop a taste for a wider variety of foods, but in the meantime, they will get enough healthy food to support proper growth and development.

Here are a few more tips to encourage healthy eating:

• Make food fun by cutting food into shapes.
• Serve a new food alongside a familiar food, such as carrots with ranch dip.
• Let children serve themselves. It may be a bit messy, but children are more likely to eat what they take.
• Don't expect children to sit at the table too long. Their attention spans are short.
• Turn off the television, cell phones and gaming devices during dinner. Use this time to discuss the day or your upcoming weekend plans.
• Be encouraging when the child tries a new food.

Kelly Adams said her 7-year-old son is a good eater and enjoys trying new foods, but it's a different story with her 4-year-old daughter, Gracie.

"Jonah was a good eater from the get-go and ate about everything we put in front of him," Adams said. "As a new mom back then, I tried hard to provide healthy meals for him. Some foods took him longer to get used to, but I kept offering them. I learned it was the method I used to prepare it that made the difference. He didn't care for steamed broccoli, but likes it roasted, especially with a bit of seasoning and some cheese sauce to dip it in."

Gracie, on the other hand, prefers to eat just a few different things. Although the foods she enjoys are healthy, Adams said it can be a challenge at mealtimes.

"Every meal, I make sure there's something I know Gracie will eat. Sometimes she's feeling adventurous and will eat most everything on her plate, but other times she just eats one or two things," Adams said. "I want mealtimes to be an enjoyable time together for our family, so I don't get on to her if she doesn't eat a food that's offered. While her brother developed a taste for a wider variety of foods early on, Gracie is slower at adapting to new choices."

Parenting is hard work, and ensuring children eat healthy meals is top of mind for parents.

"Helping your children establish healthy eating habits at a young age is something they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives," Hildebrand said. "Don't worry too much if this process takes a while. Consistency and role-modeling is the key."

OSU Extension offers more nutritional information online or visit with the family and consumer sciences specialist in the county OSU Extension office.