Yes, I know you hear/read this all the time, but do TRY, TRY AGAIN. Especially when introducing children to new foods or even getting adults to expand/improve their eating habits.
While on vacation this summer, I carried a fruit, nuts and water with us to the beach each day. We were camping there, but it kept us from running back and forth to the tent. Anyway, all the fruit was gone and my son was still hungry. I asked like I always do "how about some nuts?" No is always his automatic reply. I reminded him that Nutella is made partially from hazelnuts and that I'm nut sure which one is a hazelnut, but recommended we have a taste test. He was hungry, so he did. Turns out his favorite of all the nuts was a walnut! They aren't my favorites, so I hardly ever buy them except in mixed nuts or for recipes. So now, when I ask if he wants nuts he answers "yes, but just the walnuts." Win. Win.
My point is - just like adults, sometimes kids shun foods because they know there's something "better" if they keep saying no. Perhaps they haven't tried the food in a while and need a little reminder. Or their best friend at school said "I don't like (insert food) because it is dumb/stinky/for babies." Or maybe they're not even really hungry but bored or thirsty instead. So TRY, TRY AGAIN.
Action Item: You guessed it. Put those Brussels Sprouts back on the table. Pull out the hummus again. Or re-try any food that wasn't a hit the first time. Serve it with something your child really likes "to prime the pump" as my husband says. Our sons is more likely to try something new if there's other food on his plate that he enjoys eating.
Your thoughts?: How do you work news foods into your family members' diets?
For Further Reading: Six Food Mistakes Parents Make, How to Get Kids to Try New Foods,
Encouraging Children to Try New Foods, Kids and Food: 10 Tips for Parents
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