Is your child unwilling to taste a new food? A picky eater often has to be exposed to something new as many as 15 times before even tasting it! Children trust familiar things in their lives and are often suspicious of something new and different – this applies to food too. A food that has an unusual appearance, color, smell or texture can be off-putting to a young child. That's why repeated exposure helps. Eventually the unusual food becomes familiar, and at that point, your child becomes open to the idea of tasting it and giving it a fair evaluation. Knowing these facts gives us insight into how to introduce new foods and what to expect when we do.

Here are a few tips to gently encourage your picky eater to try new foods:

Start Small

Begin by putting a tiny bit of the new food – such as two chickpeas or one Brussels sprout – on your child's plate along with regular favorites. Don't expect him to eat it, and don't make a comment if he pulls it apart, smells it or smashes it. Allow the experimentation to occur – it's the first step to acceptance. If you've displayed the new food on your child's plate eight to 10 times and he still hasn't eaten any, then gently encourage him to take "just one bite."

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• Stick with One or Two New Foods >