Talk about texture – making mealtime conversation fun

What to try 

• When you and your toddler are eating, try not to describe food using words that make them think of some foods as ‘better’ than others. Words like ‘yummy’, ‘treat’ or yuck’ don’t teach your child about the food and might make them feel there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, causing them to be more selective in the future. 
• Instead, focus on real aspects of the food your child can see, feel or smell to describe it.  
• Use adjectives that are always true for the item (like ‘crunchy’, ‘soft’, ‘chewy’, and ‘tangy’) to describe a food, and let your toddler talk about how the food makes them feel. Telling someone that a vegetable tastes ‘yummy’ won't mean anything if that’s not how they feel too.  
• Make talking about the food’s texture, colour and smell as fun as possible, and join in the adventure to set an example for your toddler. You could crunch the carrot like a dinosaur chomps leaves, or find the greenest pea on your plate to eat first.  
• Always remember, your toddler might not like a food and in this case don’t insist they eat it all. Encourage them to touch, smell or maybe nibble it as part of the fun of eating. Keep serving small amounts of that food each time you’re having it as a family, and over time you might find your toddler becomes more likely to try, or even enjoy, it.  

Good to know 

Now that your toddler has had time to get used to having more teeth, the way they chew might need to adapt. This is especially true when your toddler is trying new foods or new textures, and even familiar foods might feel different in their mouth as their teeth grow in and the way they chew changes.