When dinner feels like a plate of bugs

The power of the critter analogy

Imagine sitting down to dinner and finding a plate full of crispy beetles, crunchy crickets or slimy worms. Not exactly appealing, right?

This is how it can feel for children when they’re served a plate of unfamiliar, disliked, or “not-yet-accepted” foods.

We call this the Critter Analogy - a place to which we can return to help us empathise with and then support our budding adventurous eaters.

Through Raising Adventurous Eaters’ recent newsletter series, we’ve been diving into this analogy and exploring how to help children learn to trust food (without tricks or pressure).

Below, you’ll find five simple, research-backed strategies that can make a real difference—plus answers to some of the brilliant questions parents have been asking us.

1. Pop on your bug-tinted glasses

If we want to support our kids, we have to first understand what the food experience feels like for them.

And sometimes? It feels like BUGS.

When you see untouched vegetables or gagging at textures, it’s not defiance—it’s discomfort. And asking a child to eat something that feels scary or strange often triggers the same response you might have if someone told you to eat a spider.

💬 As one parent asked us:

“How do I know if it’s a sensory issue or just them being stubborn?”

👉 Our answer? Treat all reactions with empathy first. It’s easier to coach courage than to battle resistance.

2. Family Style Dining: Let Them Choose Their Critters

Imagine you were offered a buffet of unfamiliar insects (alongside some common foods that you like to eat)—and told you could choose which ones to look at, smell, touch… maybe even taste, when ready. Sounds a lot less stressful than them being served on a plate and plonked in front of you right?

That’s the magic of Family Style Dining. Instead of plating up meals for our kids, we place everything in the middle and let them serve themselves. This creates:

• Control (which kids crave)

• Autonomy (which kids thrive on)

• Safety (which builds trust)

💬 A parent recently asked:

“But what if they only serve themselves pasta and ignore the rest?”

👉 That’s okay! The “critter” is still on the table. It’s still being seen, which builds familiarity. Exposure without pressure is the win.

3. Ensure the Critters Keep Coming Back

Let’s say someone served you grilled grasshoppers once, and you chose not to try them. If they never appeared again, would you learn to accept them? Of course not. In fact, it would be impossible!

Children need repeated, low-pressure exposure to new foods—sometimes 20+ times—before their brain truly understands whether or not they like them.

So yes, the “critter” (aka green bean or piece of fish) has to keep showing up. It doesn’t have to be eaten. It just needs to be present.

💬 As one mum asked:

“Isn’t it a waste of food if they never eat it?”

👉 Not if you see each exposure as an investment. Learning to eat adventurously takes time. Also, please always offer very small amounts of new foods - too much can be overwhelming. That way if they choose not to eat it, not much gets wasted.

4. Let Critters Show Up Outside Mealtimes

What if your child could explore those “bugs” without the pressure of a plate?

Helping your child become curious about food away from the table is a powerful strategy. You could:

• Let them wash carrots or peel peas (without talk of eating them)

• Pretend to cook toy fish in a play kitchen

• Read stories about animals eating new things

• Grow tomatoes and touch the leaves

• Play “restaurant” or “grocery shop”

This builds comfort and curiosity—before the food ever land on a fork.

💬 One dad shared:

“My daughter loves toy food but won’t touch the real stuff. What gives?”

👉 Our answer: Play is practice. Let it continue—kids often transfer comfort from play into real life when the pressure is low.

5. Encourage Adventurous Eating (but with ZERO pressure)

If someone offered you a plate of bugs and then said, “You have to eat it,” you’d likely push it away harder. But what if they said, “It’s OK not to want to eat them yet” - a subtle nudge to develop a growth mindset and a reminder that their tastes will change over time as they learn to become more adventurous.

💬 Parents asked us:

“Should I keep offering if they always say no?”

“When do I stop trying?”

👉 Our answer: Keep the critter on the table. Keep the mood light. And remember—not liking something now doesn’t mean never. It just means not yet.

Final Thoughts: It’s Not About the Critter—It’s About the Confidence

Your child doesn’t need to eat everything today. Or even tomorrow. What they need is a safe space to explore, a non-judgmental plate, and plenty of chances to build trust.

Let the critters show up. Let them be weird. Let them be watched, poked, sniffed—even ignored for now.

Because all of that? It’s progress. Real progress.

🛠 Need help staying consistent?

Grab our free Meal & Exposure Planner to track how often foods appear—and take the pressure off yourself, too.

🎧 And if you’re looking for deeper support, check out our Raising Adventurous Eaters on-demand audio course - it’s full of practical, judgment-free guidance.

You’re not alone in this. You’ve got a whole community—and you’ve got this. 💛