When Do You Start Making Kids Try Foods?

Baby̵7;s First Bites

• Reduce the likelihood that your child becomes an exceptionally picky eater by feeding him a varied diet from the start. Begin to transition your baby off of liquids alone and onto solids between the ages of 6 and 9 months, recommends University of California San Francisco Benioff Children̵7;s Hospital. The exact right age varies from child to child. Look for signs of readiness such as reaching for objects and sitting up unsupported.

Early Exploration

• When you first begin to introduce new foods, do so carefully to avoid serious allergic reactions. Introduce a new food and wait four or five days before introducing the next. By allowing this wait time instead of tossing your baby into the vast ocean of food varieties, you better isolate potential allergens. Focus first on feeding your child fruits and vegetables, as these are the foods for which kids most commonly display disdain.

Toddler Trials

• When your toddler first starts picking up foods and placing them in her own mouth you still have a major advantage -- she hasn̵7;t yet learned to identify a vegetable let alone dislike one. Many parents sabotage themselves by continually tossing rice puffs or similarly simple foods in front of their self-feeders. Don̵7;t do this. Instead, give your child bite-sized avocado pieces, cooked peas or cooked carrot bits, recommends child-nutrition expert Dr. William Sears. If your toddler refuses to eat one of these options, make note and try something else, but return to the rejected food later, as it could be a passing dislike.

Passive Providing

• When should you start forcing your child to try foods? Registered dietician Tamara Duker Freuman says the answer is simple -- never. If you put too much emphasis on your child eating certain foods that she is unwilling to try, you may actually reduce the likelihood that she will ever eat them. Instead of cajoling, simply set a plate filled with a balanced meal on the table in front of your child. Allow her to eat or not eat at her discretion. Avoid, however, always placing the same items on the plate. By fixing the meal and providing it without forcing her, you can let her hunger do the convincing.

Dressing-up Foods

• Instead of making your child try things, make her want to try them, recommends child nutrition instructor Harriet Worobey. Don̵7;t be afraid of dressing up your kid̵7;s veggies. Even if spooning a bit of cheese sauce over her broccoli adds a few calories, in the long run if it will get her to eat it, it will be worth it, Worobey suggests.