Ask Our Experts: Won't Eat Foreign Food!
Our nutrition expert, David Swain, has some reassurance for frustrated
foodies who can't persuade their picky 9 yr-old to try foreign cuisines.
Raisingkids member's problem
How can you encourage a fussy 9 yr-old
to try different foods? Wherever we go on holiday, he refuses to try anything
except the foods he likes at home - he wouldn't eat Italian pizza because
it had 'bits' on it, he doesn't like any cheese apart from English cheddar,
and so on. It seems such a waste! His sister eats everything and I don't
understand why our son is so picky.
 David's
advice
Unfortunately,
there is no simple answer to this question. As you suggest, the chance
to taste new foods and a new cuisine is one of the great delights of foreign
travel. However, many children are fairly
conservative about food, so as a general rule it makes sense to provide
a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar.
I think the most important thing is for you to
enjoy your holiday and not to allow food to become a problem between you
and your son. My advice would be to try and not make an issue out of this.
Getting annoyed or upset only creates tension and makes it more likeky
the problem will persist. The fact that your son eats cheddar should be
seen as a positive thing and it is not uncommon for children to be put
off by foods with a strong odour or taste.
As long as your son is growing well and having
foods from each of the food groups and consequently having a varied and
balanced diet then I shouln't worry. I am sure that your son will start
to expand his range of foods in his own time.
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