New research today reveals that almost half of the UK population (45%)* think their child is a fussy eater, with over 67% of parents attributing this to their unwillingness to try new foods.

Children who have eaten a wider variety of foods from a young age are more likely to enjoy a healthy balanced diet in adult life. But most parents expressed concern that their children weren’t eating food they believed was good for them and identified key food groups they wished they would eat more of including:

  • Vegetables (53%)
  • Fruit (39%)
  • Fish (32%)

For many parents (30%) this means they end up making different meals for each child. To help, Sainsbury’s Active Kids is working with cookery writer Alex Hollywood and the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) to launch the Taste Buddies Challenge, designed to help parents encourage their kids to try new foods.

A survey of 2,000 parents in the UK conducted by Sainsbury’s Active Kids reveals that the barrier to trying new foods is not always about disliking the taste and identifies why certain foods can be off-putting to children:

  • Appearance (50%)
  • Smell (37%)
  • Texture (36%)
  • Taste (30%)
  • Exotic or unusual sounding name (8%)

However, research from Sainsbury’s Active Kids showed that over half of parents do consider their children’s palate ‘adventurous’ and 52% of parents agreed that their children would change their mind about a food they previously didn’t like after trying it a number of times. When it comes to getting children to try new foods, some of the most effective measures are:

  • Encouraging them to help cook the meal (42%)
  • Encouraging them to try new food at home (40%)
  • When they pick out their own food at the supermarket (40%)
  • Presenting food in a fun way (22%)
  • Using food as part of an activity e.g. creating kebabs (17%)
  • Use older or younger siblings as key influencers (15%)

The Sainsbury’s Active Kids Taste Buddies toolkits harness these insights, aiming to provide parents with activities, recipes and advice that will help overcome some of the barriers they face when introducing their children to new foods. With children being most receptive to new tastes between the ages of five and six, the Taste Buddies Challenge will familiarise them with different foods at this age so they’re more likely to make healthier food choices as they grow up. 

For this reason, recipes created by Alex Hollywood and approved by the BNF are included in the Taste Buddies toolkits, each of which are designed to introduce new foods and work as meals the whole family can enjoy including one gateway food; a specific food that takes children just outside of their comfort zone.** These exclusive recipes include elements that children can help with, from picking out veg at the supermarket to the preparation and mixing of ingredients, all of which familiarises kids with new foods in a fun and exciting way.  The recipes include:

  • Mini smoky fish cakes; using smoked mackerel for a slightly salty flavour
  • Mushroom and chilli beef ' lasagne'; using mushrooms to add a savoury taste and encouraging children to eat food with different textures
  • A Kiwi fruit smoothie snack; using kiwi fruit to add a sweet taste but also encouraging children to eat green foods
  • Cottage cheese & blueberry pancakes ; as a brilliant breakfast alternative with a subtle sour taste

Cookery writer Alex Hollywood says “As a mum I understand the struggles of getting kids to try out new foods. Working with Sainsbury’s Active Kids on the Taste Buddies Challenge I wanted to pass on my experience and create some really easy recipes that make trying new foods fun for the whole family so you don’t need to be cooking extra meals, just to satisfy different taste buds.” 

Roy Ballam, Education Director at the BNF comments “It is important for children to try a variety of healthy foods at a young age, as it helps them become familiar with these foods, meaning they may be more willing to eat them again. To support this, we’ve created activities to help children interact with foods they may not usually eat and are targeted at parents as we know kids are more likely to try new foods at home. The tasting charts can be downloaded to get kids documenting their ‘tasting notes’, and there’s even a certificate for children who manage to try all of these foods.”

The Taste Buddies Challenge marks the start of the 2016 voucher collection for the Sainsbury’s Active Kids scheme. Now in its 11th year, Sainsbury’s customers can collect vouchers in-store, online and at petrol stations to donate to registered schools, groups and clubs. Active Kids vouchers can be exchanged by these organisations for cooking equipment, first aid supplies and sports equipment and experiences.

All resources are available at https://activekids.sainsburys.co.uk/