Eating New Foods!

FROM BECKY: This is the first in a series of blogs on helping our children eat new foods. The Son-Rise Program way. Does your child only tend to eat two or three types of food? Do they turn their nose up at the mere sight of a piece of broccoli or a carrot? Do they run from the slightest mention of cauliflower or zucchini? Well if that sounds like your child then read on!

Here are three simple ideas to start inspiring your child to eat more of what you want. There will be more coming soon.

1) Believe it's possible!
It is very common for us to assume what our children can and can't do. Just because they haven't done something yet, doesn't mean they never will. This mindset closes up possibilities and opportunities to help our children. They can and indeed, will change. The first step to encouraging your child to eat new things is to really believe that they are capable of it. They will believe what you believe and will pick up on the messages you give them. So first of all, decide that it's possible.

2) Be a role model!
I will never forget being so excited to tell a Father that his son (who had never touched a vegetable in his life) had put a piece of cucumber in his mouth for the first time. The Father grimaced at me and said "Oh, I can't stand cucumber.....in fact, I hate all vegetables!" if you don't enjoy new foods yourself or are not willing to demonstrate the joy of new foods then how are you going to expect your child to want to eat them?

3) Have fun!
Enjoy yourself, focus on having a relaxed and playful experience around introducing these foods. Have plenty of them available in the playroom, pick lots of different colors and textures and display them interestingly on different plates or in different sized bowls around the playroom. Imagine that the broccoli is an earring or that two carrots are a pair of binoculars. the more fun you are having, the more fun your child will have.

More coming soon!

Children on the autism spectrum can crave predictability and control