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Picky Eating Uncovered: How To Get Kids To Try New Foods

"Picky eaters don't do it on purpose to annoy you" I think it's fair to say we all know a fussy eater - that is of course if you aren't one yourself? But where does it all stem from? Well that's exactly what food expert, and founder of eatwell.ie, Sarah Keogh wanted to explore. And it ain't just the kiddies. Speaking on Dermot and Dave, the dietitian and nutritionist says we need to nip this at the bud for, "a lot of fussy eating children grow up to be fussy eating adults". Like a lot of our other habits and dispositions, the dislike of certain foods comes at an early age. But have you ever heard of the term 'neophobic'? This means 'the fear of anything new', and as we hit the age of 18 months this survival technique (of sorts) kicks in, as revealed by Sarah. The common age for it to kick in is usually around the age of 2, but it peaks around the age of 6 Texture is the main part of the fear, and the older we get, the more awkward it can become - manifesting itself into a social issue. Sarah's trick is simple, "take a Euro coin-size piece of whatever food it is and do that every 2 to 3 days for a month". Exposure is key! And don't sweat it if at first you don't succeed. It can take up to five tries to actually like a new food. It could also be a case that you're a 'supertaster', which 20% or so of us are. And before you ask - here's what that means, "they have x5 times more taste buds on their tongues to anyone else, so things genuinely taste stronger - particularly bitter flavours and sour flavours". For more queries, check out eatwell.ie Every Monday, we dedicate a section of the show called Mind Yourself Now to help our listeners with their body, soul and mind. Catch the chat in full by pressing the play button on screen.    see more