Question: How Can I Help My Child Stop Being a Picky Eater?

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Question: How Can I Help My Child Stop Being a Picky Eater?

Karen Stack: Picky eaters are created, not born.   And its likely that they were enabled along the way being allowed one to many pizza dinners or having mac-n-cheese too many times to count.   First off, well-meaning Moms, stop making separate meals of chicken nuggets and french fires while you dine on salmon and rice.  It's not about getting food into your child that he or she likes.  I say to my good eaters, "you don't have to love everything that goes into your mouth, its simply good for your bones and body... sorry its not your favorite, but that's what we're having tonight."  
Other Moms might not be able to put their foot down so go for a wider variety of foods and encourage your kids to try everything that touches their plate.  They might not need to finish it, but they must try it.  Try starting with "Hey kids, if you want to go out to a restaurant tonight, you have to try something you've never tried before".  
I find the least picky kids have parents who hold them to the same standard they hold for themselves:  They don't give in to food tantrums, they balance their meals, they teach their kids about veggies, proteins, carbs and fats, and they require nice manners at the table.  Sure, it's easy to find a child who gags at gnocchi when they are 6 or spits up sweet potato when they are 6 months.  When that happened to me, I cut up the gnocchi into smaller pieces and mixed the sweet potatoes with plums.  It never crossed my mind to stop buying either of those foods.  Much to my mother's credit.  She used to say "it will grow on you" and as in all things my mother told me, she was right.  I love all foods.  Except liver.  That never grew on me.