How many times have you slaved away in the kitchen trying to serve your child a healthy nutritious meal, only to be met with “Yuk! I don’t like that!”… frustrating, but an all too common scenario for those of us with a picky eater.

So, what to do… First, it’s a good idea to establish a general rule of “You have to try a bite before you comment.” Then, establish a second manners rule and teach them how to politely say “I don’t care for this, thank you” as opposed to allowing assorted versions of “yuk” responses. (This rule in particular will come in very handy when eating over at your mother-in-law’s house.)

So, they’ve tried it and politely declined to eat it. Now what? Well, here are a few possibilities for you to try: The Team Effort Approach Include the kids in the meal preparation. Even a small child can help in some way and picky eaters are much more apt to try something in which they themselves have participated. Yes, it will probably take longer and be messier, but there are some extra added benefits… Depending on their age of course, the kitchen is a great place to slip in some math and reading lessons. For example: Point out the words or have them read the recipe - “We need 1/3 cup of milk.” Then show them how to measure and/or let them pour it in.

Creative Presentation
On days when a time factor limits your desire for their participation, another angle is presentation.

• If they won’t eat a sandwich in regular form, they may eat it if it’s shaped like something fun, so cut it out with a cookie cutter.
• Lay out your meals so the plate looks like a face or a flower.
• Name the dish after something they enjoy… like “Magic Fairy Soup” or from a food on one of their cartoon shows like Sponge Bob’s “Crabby Patties.” (I personally got a lot of mileage out of that one.)

The operative word here is fun. Make it fun and you’ll probably get a better response.

Size Counts
In general, when you’re up against a picky eater, the old saying “leave them wanting more” is a great motto to incorporate. Serving a picky eater large portions can overwhelm them and provoke a negative response. Whereas just giving them smaller amounts and having them ask for more is not only less intimidating, but also makes the child feel more in control of the situation. (Which for 2-4 year olds is particularly helpful.)

Try, Try Again
Periodically re-introduce the rejected foods. You may be surprised that what was one month thought to be untouchable the next month becomes the new favorite. It’s unpredictable territory.

Read Stories
Reading books with your child about other picky eaters can help to make great strides in shall we say... the attitude adjustment department. When a child views and identifies with a character that has a similar issue, it facilitates the development of a new perspective on the situation.