I was so excited to check out this new Ebook, Let’s Try New Foods, from Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD! It’s such a well put together resource to get you and your family to be a little more adventurous with trying new foods, from cauliflower to fish to tofu. It includes 22 family-friendly recipes along with printables to make it fun!
Check out this Q and A with Sally! And be sure to pick-up a copy of this great resource for you and your family via her website: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/lets-try-new-foods-book/
Let’s Try New Foods by Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD
Q: What motivated you to put together this new Ebook?
When I wrote my book The 101 Healthiest Foods For Kids, I had my own kids count up how many of the foods they liked. One kid scored pretty high, another lower, but it made me realize that I had not been serving some of these foods nearly enough--and some not at all because they're foods that (even though they're quite healthy) I'm just not wild about. We all need an encouraging, gentle nudge to serve certain foods to our families, whether that's because those foods have crashed and burned before or because they're foods the whole family isn't as familiar with. I wanted to make that process easier for other parents.
Q: Have you used some of these strategies with your own family?
Yes, I'm a former picky eater and married to a former picky eater, so I definitely started with him when we first began dating. I'd make him these tiny salads of just a few lettuce leaves, a bunch of croutons, and a ton of dressing. We still laugh about those salads, but now he eats big salads almost every night. That's where my "starter salad" idea came from that I talk about in the book. Picky eaters especially need baby steps to start with, so I made sure to include a lot of those in the book that I use with my own kids, like dicing mushrooms very small to put into ground beef for burritos.
Q: What has been the most challenging food for your family (or you) to incorporate?
Cauliflower! I'm still the only one in the family who likes it. I understand because it does have a stronger flavor (and aroma when cooked). But I'm hoping that one day it will break through with the rest of them.
Q: What is the best tip you can share with frustrated parents?
Forget the advice of "kids need 10-15 exposures before they'll try something". Because some kids will need MUCH more, and counting on a magical 10-15 exposures can lead to frustration and disappointment. The key is to keep exposing your kids to all kinds of foods, even if that just means those foods are on the table but they're not trying them. Exposure leads to familiarity, which hopefully leads to eventually tasting those foods--but it may be months, years, or decades. And that's okay!
Q: What is your favorite recipe in the Ebook?
Chocolate Tofu Pudding. Yes, kids can like tofu and it truly works in this chocolate pudding. It's a fun way to make tofu a little less intimidating!
