Best Tips for Picky Eaters

4 Tips from Our Contributors

1 Don’t bribe with dessert. “I never said ‘if you eat this I’ll give you dessert.’ I think that conditions them and can set up an unhealthy relationship with food. I put a small amount on their plate and asked them to try it.”
—Kathleen Blake

2 Don’t prepare separate meals. “Even though my son might tend to be picky, the worst thing to do is to fix him a separate meal. We play into a sense of entitlement if we do.”
—Greg Richie

3 Buy a Learning Tower, a platform that brings kids to counter level so they can help prepare food. “Even though they’re not doing more than cracking eggs or mixing ingredients, my kids have fun being involved. And when it’s time to eat they are proud of what they made and more likely to eat it.”
—Chris Brown

4 Visit a farm. “Our kids love to visit Lake Meadow Naturals and pick their own eggs.”
—Liz McGlamery