▁press uring ▁the ▁child ▁to ▁eat ▁a ▁dis lik ed ▁food ▁or ▁threaten ing ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁not ▁e ating ▁it , ▁tend ▁to ▁ex ac erb ate ▁the ▁problem . ▁ ▁Effect ive ▁solutions ▁include ▁offering ▁non - fo od ▁re wards , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁small ▁st icker , ▁for ▁t ast ing ▁a ▁new ▁or ▁dis lik ed ▁food , ▁and ▁for ▁parents ▁to ▁model ▁the ▁behavior ▁they ▁want ▁to ▁see ▁by ▁cheer fully ▁e ating ▁the ▁new ▁or ▁dis lik ed ▁food s ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁children . ▁ ▁Ex pos ing ▁someone ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁food ▁increases ▁the ▁ch ances ▁of ▁lik ing ▁that ▁food ▁item . ▁However , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁enough ▁to ▁merely ▁look ▁at ▁a ▁new ▁food . ▁Nov el ▁food ▁must ▁be ▁repeatedly ▁t asted ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁increase ▁preference ▁for ▁e ating ▁it . ▁It ▁can ▁take ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 1 5 ▁tries ▁of ▁a ▁novel ▁food ▁item ▁before ▁a ▁child ▁accepts ▁it . ▁There ▁also ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁critical ▁period ▁for ▁lower ing ▁later ▁food ▁ne oph ob ia ▁in ▁children ▁during ▁the ▁we an ing ▁process . ▁ ▁The ▁variety ▁of ▁solid ▁food s ▁first ▁exposed ▁to ▁children ▁can ▁lower ▁later ▁food ▁ref us al . ▁Some ▁research ers ▁believe ▁that ▁even ▁the ▁food ▁variety ▁of ▁a ▁n urs ing ▁mother ▁and ▁the ▁consequ ent ▁variety ▁of ▁flav ors ▁in ▁her ▁breast mil k ▁can ▁lead ▁to ▁greater ▁accept ance ▁of ▁novel ▁food ▁items ▁later ▁on ▁in ▁life