Most people expect children to be picky eaters, but they’ll also expect those children to grow out of this problem and eventually be happy to try anything they’re offered. Even if this takes a while, by the time they are adults, they’ll have a broader palette and be happy to experiment with food.
That is how it works in most cases, but it’s not true for everyone. Sometimes someone who is a picky eater as a child will grow into a picky eater as an adult. The issue is that this can lead to a bland diet that doesn’t contain all the nutrients you need to be healthy. Plus, it makes going out for food or cooking for a family much harder. With that in mind, here are some tricks to try if you want to be braver when trying new foods.
Start Small
Having an entire plate of a brand-new dish can be very off-putting. The look of it, the texture, the smell, and of course, the taste can be overwhelming if you’re not used to trying new things. Therefore, starting small and working up to a full plate is better.
We’re not saying you have to live off tiny portions; far from it. You can have whatever it is you would typically have but all a little bit of something new each time. This might be a fresh sauce, a new vegetable, a new way of cooking meat, and so on. It might not ‘go with’ the rest of your plate, but that’s not something you need to worry about – you need to try that tiny bit. This will be much less stressful, and you can reward yourself with your usual food immediately afterward.
Cook It Yourself
Another issue people have with trying new food is that even if it looks and smells great, they don’t know exactly what has gone into the dish, so they’re wary of giving it a try. The simplest way to deal with this scenario is to cook the food yourself. Not only will you get to see exactly what goes into a delicious dish like this Korean barbecue chicken recipe, but you’ll have a chance to get used to how it looks and smells well before it’s served to you. Plus, if you’re cooking it, you will likely have chosen the dish, which puts you ahead in terms of wanting to try it.
Eat With Others
When you eat alone, you don’t have anyone to answer to. You don’t have any accountability. In other words, no one will ever know if you don’t try the new ingredient or meal in front of you. This is why it’s far better for picky eaters to eat with friends and family if they are trying something new, especially if everyone else is also eating that particular item. Firstly, you’ll feel you should try whatever it is so that others can see you’re trying. Secondly, if you see that they are enjoying the food, you’ll be more motivated to taste it yourself, even if you might have ignored it if you were eating alone.
