Don’t restrict food, but limit alternate choices.

Reason with your child to try the food once and if they don’t like it, assure them that they will not have to try it again. The key to this one is that you have to keep your promise.

Educate them on the benefits of eating different foods. My 12-year-old responds well to this because he’s an extremely healthy eater.

Try alternative ways of preparing foods. For example, we learned that one of our boys will only eat raw vegetables instead of cooked.

Season food less so that the children can actually taste the food as opposed to a mouth full of spices. Often, it’s the saltiness, over-powering garlic, or peppery burn that drives kids away from certain foods.

Let the picky eaters plan dinner sometimes. If the rest of the family is willing to compromise and eat what the picky eater wants, sometimes they will reciprocate on other nights.

My favorite tip is that parents should let children help prepare meals that inlcude new foods as often as possible. Children take a lot of pride in their work and want to reap the benefits, which includes a little taste-testing!

In the end, children will eat when they get hungry enough. The key to learning how to help picky eaters expand their range of desired foods is to continually be creative, be willing to compromise, and knowing that there is a fine line between picky eating and plain old stubborness!

Patty