Give the Taste-O-Meter a Try: It May Be the Tool You’ve Been Looking for!
Do you struggle with getting your kids to try something new? Does the phrase, “Just take one bite” turn into a battle? If this sounds familiar, I have a tool for you! Give the Taste-O-Meter a try.
The Taste-O-Meter is an amazing, game changing tool that makes trying new food fun. Instead of saying “ Just take one bite” try saying “What do you rate it?” This simple shift in language can make a huge difference in kids willingness to try something new. The Taste-O-Meter makes trying new foods fun and turns it into a game, keeping things light and taking the pressure off kids. Creating a safe, no pressure environment is key to encouraging kids to try new foods.
I use this tool at home with my own two girls as well as in all of my kids cooking classes. I have found that almost all the kids in my classes are willing to at least try the new food. Some kids enjoy rating the foods so much that they try each ingredient and share with the group what they rate it. It is always fun to watch their faces as they try fresh garlic or lemon juice! I have heard from many parents that this tool has made a huge difference in their home when it comes to kids willingness to try new foods.
I recommend downloading the FREE Taste-O-Meter from my website and printing it out to keep on your fridge. This visual will serve as a reminder to make trying new foods fun. This is a great activity to do with the whole family and is also more effective when the parents join in on the fun.
Love to see this girl getting her doll involved in the rating game too!
How to use the Taste-O-Meter
The Taste-O-Meter has a scale from 0 to 10. Zero means they do not like the food “Yet.” Instead of saying “I don’t like it” or “I hate it” encourage them to say “I don’t like it yet.” This allows them to have a growth mindset (as opposed to a fixed mindset). It helps to show them that even though they don’t like it now they may like it in the future. Our taste buds are always changing. You can share a story of a food that you use to not like and now you do. Having a growth mindset is important in all aspects of life. I often hear from kids “I don’t like veggies.” This fixed mindset prevents kids from even trying veggies. Modeling a growth mindset will go along way in raising curious, adventurous eaters! Rating the food a five means that they think the food is okay. They are willing to eat it but they don’t love it. Rating the food a ten means they love it! For younger kids the thumbs up, to the side, or down works great too.
If you are looking for new veggie packed, gluten free recipes, out Sweet Potato chocolate Chip Muffins and Spinach Chocolate Chip Muffins. These muffins are fun to make with your kids and have some added veggies. The recipes we make in class are specifically chosen to help get kids more comfortable and familiar with veggies and other nutrient dense foods.
Give this tool a try and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear how the Taste-O-Meter works in your home. Make sure to take a picture of your child trying something new and rating it, then tag @Misascleanktichen on Instagram so I can see.
I believe feeding our kids is one of the hardest jobs we have as parents. I hope this helps make your job a little easier and a little less stressful. Cheers to you and all you do!
