A mom’s simple but effective approach to getting her kids to try new foods has gone viral.
Amanda Bouldin (@afterhourswithamanda) shared her family’s practice of the “no thank you bite” on TikTok, a rule that encourages her children to take one small bite of something before deciding if they want to eat more or politely decline.
In her clip, the mom of three explained that she grew up in Saudi Arabia, where exposure to different foods was a natural part of life. This experience shaped her approach to introducing new foods to her own children.
Rather than reacting with “eww” or “that’s gross” when faced with unfamiliar foods, Bouldin’s three daughters – 7, 9 and 11 – are taught to give something a try just once.
“With that in mind, trying new things was something I wanted for the tiny queens, as well as teaching that food is different for everyone,” she said.
“We would explain, you won’t know if you like it till you try it, so we would give everything ‘one no thank you bite’. If she loved it, she would ask for more. if not, a simple “no thank you” would suffice.”
The rule also applies not just at home but also in social settings, such as school or friends’ houses. “If we go somewhere and there’s a food they’re not familiar with, I don’t want them being like, ‘that’s disgusting, I don’t like it‘, because everyone is different,” she said in the clip.
Bouldin told Newsweek that the “no thank you bite” is a rule that applies to the adults in the house too.
“I introduced it as a standard for our family, meaning even mom and dad must take ‘no thank you bites’. Sometimes I would let them pick something for me to try or show them I was nervous or unsure too,” she said.
To make it more appealing, she presents the concept as a game. “The energy, joy and excitement you bring to the conversation, especially with a tiny human, I have found is what it’s all about,” she said.
While there was some resistance at times, framing it as a family tradition helped get the kids involved.
The clip, which has garnered over 359,000 views, sparked a discussion in the comments and saw other parents share the different food values they were taught while growing up.
“My mom did this for me as well and now as an adult I feel much more comfortable trying things and saying no to foods I don’t like,” one TikTok user shared.
“I came from a ‘you must clean your plate house’ and I struggle with regulating when I’m hungry/full now,” another wrote.
A third commenter said, “As a registered dietitian this is great! Teaching young kiddos to listen to their hunger and fullness cues.”
But beyond encouraging her kids to be open to new foods, Bouldin told Newsweek that food is fuel; not labelled as good or bad.
“The benefit is trying new things, learning new things we love, learning about other cultures and experiences, and opening ourselves up to the idea of trying something new and out of our comfort zone, which is also helpful for life in general besides our food choices,” she said.
The post Mom’s Viral Tactic for Kids Trying Unknown Food Is Making People Think appeared first on Newsweek.
