How a nutritionist gets her picky kids to eat healthy

Being a dietitian doesn’t mean I don’t have mealtime frustrations. And it certainly doesn’t mean my kids happily gobble up whatever I put in front of them. I wish! Like most moms, I’ve had nights when meals go uneaten (or barely touched). And my patience has been tested by kids who refuse foods they've actually requested, foods they used to eat and like, and foods I know they’d really, really love if they just gave them a chance.

Since my older son was born nine years ago, I’ve learned a lot—through trial and error, talking with other moms, and reading books and blogs by leading feeding experts. So let’s start here: The first rule about picky eaters? Never call them picky eaters. Labeling your children in this way won’t help them feel brave or excited about trying new foods and doesn’t help your efforts to encourage them or create a positive mealtime environment. Here are more tips that have worked for me:

• Make just one meal: If your child knows you’ll hop up and make a PBJ or microwave a few chicken nuggets if they don’t like the meal, they have no motivation to branch out and try new foods. So make one meal, but be sure to have foods on the table you know he likes. And modifying the meal is okay, too (like serving sauce on the side).
• Focus on the Happy Bite: I love this term from Dina Rose, Ph.D., a parent educator who blogs at It’s Not About Nutrition. Instead of coercing your child to take a certain number of bites of a food, you focus on the goal of your child liking the food—and taking as many bites as she wants. Even if she only takes one “Happy Bite” of broccoli (that is, a bite she decided to take on her own, not that she was forced to take), she’ll probably take more eventually.
• Don’t over-snack: Be sure your child is actually hungry when he comes to the table for meals. Kids who have been nibbling all day won’t be as receptive to trying new foods if their bellies are already full. The rule in my house is only veggies in the hour before mealtime—like carrots with dip, sugar snap peas, or red pepper strips.

What tricks have worked for you?