When we cook with new foods, kids aren’t always ready for every new ingredient in the recipe. That’s okay. At Food Literacy Center, most of our recipes are made to taste great even if one or two items are omitted. However, we’re trying to get kids to explore and taste before they form an opinion about what they do or don’t like. So, it’s important for kids to make the whole recipe.

We teach them to follow the instructions as they’re written so they can complete the dish as it was intended. Then we can taste it. If the child decides they’re still not interested in the celery or the corn, that’s fine. They can pick it out as they eat. The goal is for kids to have a positive experience with their food every time, while also establishing boundaries that invite them to develop an explorative mindset. 

Try our Tres Hermanas Taco or Veggie Fresh Roll recipe! They are perfect for trying new foods, but also taste great if some of them are picked out later. More recipes & videos.

See all the Broccoli Boundaries & Radish Routines