Should you worry about picky eaters? If you have a picky eater in your family, the first thing you can do to help is “relax and be patient.”

When children are given enough time to eat, they learn to recognize their “food-related” body signals of being hungry and being full. Sometimes when a child doesn’t want to eat or leaves food on his plate, he is just letting his own internal signals be his guide – and this is just what you want him to do.

Offer your child several food choices, then let him decide what to eat and how much. If your child stops eating, remove food from the table.

Keep in mind that it can take as many as 10-15 exposures to a new food before a child will accept and willingly eat it! Be patient and persistent, and your kids may someday learn to love asparagus as much as you do!

Remember, too, that YOU are your child’s most influential role model – so if they see you wrinkle your nose at a food when serving it, they will probably not want to eat it, either.

For more tips on handling picky eaters, refer to the resources shown here.

Additional Resources:

• Handling a Choosy Eater
• Nutrition for Everyone: Quick Tips: Healthy Children, Healthy Choices