Thanksgiving is such a yummy holiday with lots of delicious homemade food and different fall flavors. While many adults have a more developed palate, children are still developing theirs. Research has supported that the more a child is exposed to a flavor profile the more likely they are to develop a taste for it (Bouhlal S, Issanchou S, Chabanet C, Nicklaus S, 2014).
Some children are much more selective with the types of foods they will eat than others. Some children are so selective they will only eat certain brands of a particular food. This can cause some challenges when eating a traditional holiday meal or when visiting friends and family. It may be helpful to pack a meal for your child to bring along or even make one of your child’s favorite foods to share with the family!
In preparation for the thanksgiving holiday, consult your BCI clinician with your child’s food selectivity concerns. They can support you with identifying ways in which to expand your child’s preferences or how to navigate other meal time goals.
Happy Eating!
Research Referenced
‘Just a pinch of salt’. An experimental comparison of the effect of repeated exposure and flavor-flavor learning with salt or spice on vegetable acceptance in toddlers.
Bouhlal S, Issanchou S, Chabanet C, Nicklaus S
Appetite. 2014 Dec; 83():209-217.
Other ways to support your child during the Thanksgiving Holiday
- Begin practicing sitting for meals if your child is a grazer
- Identify an independent activity to do while everyone eats
- Offer some holiday food frequently prior to the holiday meal (presenting mashed potatoes on a plate but not requiring them to eat them, teaching a “no, thank you” bite)
- Have your child join you in cooking or baking the meal
- Have your child help you make the menu for the holiday
