No requirement to finish. No requirement to like it. Just to rate each bite: thumbs up (good), sideways (ok), thumbs down (don't like it). Children who refuse to eat will often taste things they're allowed to judge. The act of judging gives them authority over the food which is what the resistance was usually about.

How to do it

1'Here's the only rule today: you just have to rate it. Thumbs up, sideways, or down.'
2Child takes a bite and gives a rating. You accept it without comment.
3Track the ratings out loud: 'Three thumbs up, one sideways so far.'
4No pressure to finish — just to taste. They almost always keep going.

Variations

If they won't try a bite: rate a bite of your own out loud first — 'Thumbs sideways for me' — most kids want to weigh in once there's a rating happening in front of them.
How it ends: tally the ratings out loud as the close — 'Four thumbs up, that's a good report' — instead of announcing that breakfast is over.

💡 Parent tip

Accept a thumbs down with no reaction. If a rejected rating gets a parental response, the technique breaks. Say 'noted' and move on. This is a prevention tool for a calm table. Mid-meltdown, reach for something physical instead — words won't land yet.

What your child develops

Agency through evaluation — authority over judgement removes the adversarial quality of eating
Palate development — tasting in order to rate builds food familiarity over time
Metacognition — noticing and articulating one's own sensory reactions