How To Deal With Picky Eaters

Does your kid subsist on a diet consisting entirely of macaroni and cheese and peanut butter and jelly? Do they refuse to eat anything green? Do they require ketchup on the side... for grapes? If that sounds familiar, you've probably got a picky eater on your hands and you're not alone.

Most parents deal with fussy eating to some degree at some point. Rare is the child who will eat anything you put in front of them. Everyone, adults included, has something they dislike. Unfortunately, our little ones don't have the knowledge of the importance of a balanced diet to guide their decisions.

Fortunately, you don't have to resign yourself to a lifetime (or at least 18 years) of preparing fish sticks. Typically developing children can be encouraged to be more adventurous eaters. They may never love Brussels sprouts, but the following strategies will at least get them out of their buttered pasta rut.