Engage your child’s curiosity at mealtime by turning eating into a multi-sensory experience - using sight, sound, smell, texture, and taste to make healthy eating fun.
Intoducing New Foods to Toddlers
More Than Just Taste: Let Kids Explore Food With All Five Senses
1. Make Mealtime a Colourful Adventure
Turn eating into a game: alternate who names the colours first. Ask your child to pick a colour, then call out and name the foods that match; this is a simple way to make vegetables and fruits more exciting.
2. Introduce New Textures Gradually
If your toddler is transitioning to table food, offer small pieces of fruit, vegetables or soft meat. Then introduce new textures - perhaps crispy crackers or wafers - to give them a chance to experience different tastes, smells and textures.
3. Mix Grains & Protein in Playful Shapes
To encourage eating whole grains and proteins, try blending whole-grain pasta with veggies and a little cheese, or stir fruit or oat granola into yoghurt. These familiar textures and flavours can help ease the acceptance of more nutritious options.
4. Use Fun Shapes to Draw Interest
Cut fruits or veggies into fun shapes - think cucumber stars or apple suns - using cookie cutters. Kids are often more curious about food when it looks playful and fun.
5. Crunchy Snacks Add Excitement
Crunchy textures can make healthy eating more appealing. Offer kid-friendly snacks such as unsalted nuts (if safe), popcorn, roasted chickpeas, sliced carrots, cucumber, or celery with peanut butter (if no allergy risk), or pretzel sticks.
6. Rename Foods to Build Curiosity
Sometimes changing a food’s name, making it sound fun or exciting, can help kids be more willing to try it. Don’t hesitate to get creative with your own names.
7. Use the 5-Sense “Guess-What-It-Is” Game
Make trying new foods feel like a game: blindfold your child, let them smell or feel a food first, then have them guess what it is. Afterwards, let them taste it (still blindfolded) to guess again - and even award points for correct guesses. This playful approach can reduce pressure and make exploring new foods safe and fun. If you’re concerned about your toddler’s dietary intake, an oral nutritional supplement (ONS) such as PediaSure* may be beneficial. For personalised advice, please speak with your healthcare professional.
Notes:
*PediaSure is a Food for Special Medical Purposes. Use only under medical supervision.
References
Moding, K.J., Bellows, L.L., Grimm, K.J. & Johnson, S.L. (2020) A longitudinal examination of the role of sensory exploratory behaviors in young children’s acceptance of new foods. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7153486/, Access date: 8/11/25.
