Want Your Picky Eater to Try New Foods? Here's An Often Overlooked Opportunity! by Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD

After-school snacks are a great (and often overlooked) opportunity to contribute to kids’ nutrition. Many kids have big appetites at this time. And, appetite is a great motivator for kids to try new foods. Take advantage of this natural window of opportunity.

• Plan snacks that include foods from two or more food groups.
• Frequently, give your child a snack that includes what I call a “challenging’ food.” A challenging food is either a new food or a food that your child has seen many times but hasn’t tried yet.
• Think outside the snack aisle. It’s mostly filled with highly processed, junky foods. Instead, look for easy-to-eat versions of meal foods.
• Leftovers work great, too! For example, make a quesadilla filled with cheese and leftover veggies from last night’s dinner.

When school's out for summer, try challenging/healthy foods as an afternoon play-break snack!