Editable Trying New Foods Social Story

What is included

• •One illustrated social story about being brave with new foods
• •A gentle wording that describes far more than it instructs, and a firmer direct wording
• •Four child looks: a boy or a girl, with light or dark skin
• •Half-page booklets in wide and tall pages, in US Letter and A4
• •Blank write-in booklets in US Letter and A4, for the stories only you can write
• •A guide with a printed link and QR code for each wording that opens your copy in the free Social Story Maker

What the trying new foods social story says

The gentle wording is eight pages long, one picture and one short sentence on each page, told in the child's own voice. The first two pages read:

The pages after that cover:

• why trying a new food can feel a little scary, and that lots of kids feel unsure
• not having to eat a whole new food, just one small taste
• looking first, then smelling, then a tiny taste
• maybe liking it and maybe not, with both answers okay
• saying "No, thank you" and moving it to the side of the plate
• being brave each time, and tasting getting a little easier

The direct wording says the same things in seven pages, with the expectation stated plainly.

When to read a trying new foods social story

Read it away from the table, earlier in the day, and again shortly before a meal where a new food will be on the plate. It works best next to a safe food the child already eats, with no pressure to taste. If eating is very limited, talk to a feeding specialist; a story supports that work and does not replace it.

How to read the trying new foods social story with your child

1. Start with the gentle wording; switch to the direct one if your child does best with a plain rule.
2. Print the child look that matches your child, and write their name on the cover.
3. Read it with the new food nearby on its own plate, just to look at.
4. Follow the story's steps at the child's pace: look, smell, then a tiny taste if they choose.
5. Accept "No, thank you" every time, and read the story again on another day.

Trying new foods social story questions

What is a trying new foods social story?

A trying new foods social story is a short illustrated story, in the approach developed by Carol Gray, that walks a child through meeting a new food: looking at it, smelling it, a tiny taste, and how to say no thank you politely. Reading it at a calm time takes some worry out of mealtime.

Is this a social story for picky eaters?

Yes. This trying new foods social story is written for children who find new foods hard, including picky eaters, and it never asks a child to finish a food. It does not replace feeding therapy; a feeding specialist can help when eating is very limited or a child is losing weight.

Can I personalize the story?

Yes. The guide prints a link and a QR code for each wording that opens the trying new foods social story in the free Social Story Maker. There you can add a child's name, put their own photos on the pages, change any sentence, then download and reprint it as often as you like.

What formats and paper sizes are included?

One ZIP with print-ready PDFs in US Letter and A4: the story in four child looks, each in wide and tall booklet pages and in both wordings, plus blank write-in booklets and the guide. Print at actual size, cut each sheet in half along the dashed line, stack the pages in order and staple the left edge.

How do I receive the files, and can I use them with my whole class?

Delivery is instant: checkout unlocks the download and emails you the link, and the pack stays in your My Resources library. It is licensed for personal and single-classroom use. Because it is a digital download, all sales are final; if a file will not open, email [email protected] and Spectrum Unlocked will fix it.