6 tips for dealing with picky eaters

Do you ever find yourself making two different meals at supper? You may prepare a salad piled high with meat and veggies for yourself and something else — slightly unhealthy — for your kids, just hoping they'll eat it. And by the time you're done preparing your plate, the children are finished eating and ready to move on to the next thing.

Every once in a while, you may think to yourself, "You should try harder to get them to eat new things. This is silly." Enough is enough.

Here are six tips to get your kids to eat new, healthier and possibly strange-looking foods:

Understand that new foods take time.

Kids don't always take to new foods immediately. Continue to offer the new food. It may take many tries for a child to enjoy a new food. Don't give up.

Remember that small amounts offer big benefits.

Offer your child a small portion of the healthy foods you enjoy. The more diverse their diet becomes, the easier meal planning becomes.

Serve as a role model.

Try new foods often, describing tastes and textures to your picky eater. They may see you enjoying new cuisine and decide it's OK to try.

Try one new food at a time.

Serving new foods with foods that are well-liked at your house may be helpful. Offering too many new foods at one time can be scary.

Choose the right timing.

It's always helpful to offer new foods at the beginning of the meal, when everyone is most hungry.

Combine foods if necessary.

Some kids may like new foods mixed in with other foods, such as a casserole. Other kids may like new foods separate, and a sectioned plate works best.

Dealing with picky eaters may seem like a never-ending, uphill battle, but it will get easier. Keep in mind that you're not alone. Nearly all parents struggle with picky eaters. The key is to keep going and continue offering new foods.

By Mayo Clinic Health System staff