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Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!

Mealtime a battle? Try some of these great picky eating tips from our readers.

By Today's Parent staff
Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!

Picky, picky!

Making meals shouldn't feel like prepping for a battle. If you have tiny mouths that won't open when your kids are sitting at the table, test out some of these ideas from parents like you.Plus, watch our video about how to deal with picky eaters>

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Paul Hardy/Corbis

02Blend it up

I blend up veggies and add it to the food!Ashley Pischiutta, Moncton, NB

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Du?an Zidar/iStockphoto

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03Make food fun

My little man started school this year, and his lunches were coming home untouched. So I bought little plastic toothpick swords and started to cut up his food into little cubes so he could jab them. He loves it!Shawna Tremblay, Dundas, ONT.

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: vikif/iStockphoto

04Animal shapes

In our house, our best bet is anything that can be made to look like an animal. I make mice-shaped sandwiches, and I use cheese and apple halves to make ladybugs.Candice Martey, Mississauga, ONT.

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Viktorija Kuprijanova/iStockphoto

05Pay up

I've started paying my son to try new things. Imagine, a quarter to find out he actually likes shepherd's pie!Mandi Blundell, Penetanguishene, ONT.

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Grzegorz Kula/iStockphoto

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06Make popsicles

My secret weapon is popsicles! I make my daughter smoothie popsicles out of milk, plain yogurt and different fruit. Plus, for extra protein, we add cottage cheese and beans (kidney, chickpea or black beans). I purée it all up and pour it into popsicle moulds, then pop them in the freezer.Anne-Marie Crotty, Gananoque, ONT.

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Magdalena Kucova/iStockphoto

07Cook together

I find that if I let my picky eater help me cook, she's way more willing to eat it, no matter what it is. Fun names help, too, like "roast beast" and "smashed totatoes."Nicole Torbet, Abbotsford, BC

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Dejan Ristovski/iStockphoto

08Sneak in the veggies

I get veggies into my picky eater by shaving up carrots and adding them to meat patties and sauces. I've found shepherd's pie is great for added vegetables since it's all mixed together, and he loves it. On his really stubborn days, I just blend it all up, but I try to make sure there are vegetables in every meal.Carla Vegnaduzzo, Hamilton, ONT.

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Fudio/iStockphoto

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09Allow toys

To encourage my daughter to eat, I make mealtime playtime. She's allowed to bring her stuffed animals to the table, and I pretend to feed a spoonful of her food to the stuffies, too.Jessica Johnson, Victoria

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: Alija/iStockphoto

10Prep together

We try to get the kids involved with the meal prep by washing or cutting veggies, or setting the table, so they know what is being served. We try to plan our week's dinners on the weekend, and the kids pick out something to cook from the flyers and often help with the shopping.Jennifer Tobin, Whitby, ONT.

Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!Photo: digitalskillet/iStockphoto

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Picky eaters: 9 tips to get them eating!
This article was originally published on Jan 04, 2013

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