Nutrition expert, David Swain, has some reassurance for frustrated foodies who can't persuade their picky 9 year-old to try foreign cuisine.

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.

Our Nutritionist'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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