Recipe taken from: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/chicken-and-chorizo-paella/

Get the kids interacting with squeezing over the lemon, making it clear (if they protest!) that they can pick bits out if they are not keen. Serve with familiar sides such a garlic bread, even some plain rice on the side. If this dish is a step too far for your child, then please see below for some more serving ideas. This dish is so tasty!

Serving suggestion:
- Without expectation
- Without bribery (as child more likely to back away even further)
- Think long-term, not just on one meal
- 'You provide, they decide’ (google Division Of Responsibility)

How to serve this meal to your child

Beginner: ‘My child refuses any new meals’

Cook for yourself one evening and reheat some of the paella and serve alongside your child’s usual meal the next day.. Or you could offer it as a small starter whilst they are waiting for their meal. The great thing about this approach is that you are not cooking specifically for your child, you are giving them leftovers from a meal that you would have cooked anyway, so straightaway there is LESS expectation and pressure. It’s about creating easy opportunities to widen your child’s food list.

Intermediate eater: ‘My child may try this new dish but I’m not sure’

Choose a day when you can eat together. Offer other components to the meal your child usually eats (such as bread or something else that could go with the paella) so there is no pressure. It doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t touch the new meal, it is all about your child getting used to seeing new food and taking it in and also seeing you eat it to give them confidence for future meals so it is never a waste of time offering them something new.

Advanced eater: ‘My child eats most things I give them and is not phased by new food’.

Serve the new meal and if they unexpectedly do refuse it, the best advice is not to panic and don’t feel bad. It’s just one meal. Say non-confrontational words such as ‘you don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to’ and see if they can try a bit in their own time. If they don’t, it is best to move onto the next mealtime and write it off and try another time!