Are you running out of games to coax your kids to eat their veggies when dinnertime comes around? Do you ask the question, “What do you want for dinner?” and get the same “Friend chicken!” response every time? Is meal preparation becoming such a torture for you because you keep trying to please your child’s palate, while making sure the entire family, including adults, get their fair share of much needed nutrients? If you’ve answered an exasperated “yes” to all questions, then it is clear: You have a picky eater in your home, and you are extremely concerned over your preschooler’s nutrition.

This article shares some of the most effective tips to help parents deal with picky eaters and how to get them to explore new foods and flavors.

1. Avoid the meal-time struggle.

You may think disciplining your child with the “if you don’t finish your vegetables, no TV for one week”, but the effects are actually more dangerous than beneficial. You may be conditioning your child’s mind, but are not necessarily disciplining it. Avoid physical struggles, like pulling your tot to the dining table, or strapping him or her to the high chair. If your child says he or she isn’t hungry, let it be. A child who’s really hungry will gobble down anything, even those green vegetables, which he or she sees it’s the only one that’s left on the table.

2. Have a routine – and stick to it.

If your child is used to five meals a day – breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks, then stick with this routine. Changing this, or attempting to, has a lot of effect on a child’s appetite. When he or she eats, it also dictates when he or she begins to feel hungry. Changing a meal plan or time will only mess with your child’s appetite.

3. Introduce one flavor at a time.

Young children are usually picky eaters because their taste buds are not accustomed to a diverse mouthful of flavors as yet. This is why a new food placed inside their mouth has a very high possibility of getting spit out. Avoid complicated flavors which can be rather confusing to the child’s taste buds. If you want your child to appreciate complicated flavors, you will have to start with one taste at a time.

4. Make meal-time fun.

Meal-times are usually the one time of the day the family gathers to talk and bond. If your tot doesn’t see meal-time as a time to eat, then let it be a time for him or her to see the entire family gathered together and engaging in good food and great conversation. Soon, he or she will realize that she or he must eat wit the family to share in that fun.

5. Take your tot shopping.

Make your child appreciate different foods by stimulating his eye sight. Take him to the vegetable and fruit section and allow him to explore the different colors, sizes, shapes, and forms of different vegetables and fruits.

6. Hire a junior chef.

To stimulate your child’s interest in food, you must involve her in food preparation. You can easily do this by asking for your child’s help when needed. For example, you can ask help to help you make healthy oatmeal cookies, or to make mashed potatoes. All that mixing and blending can sure stimulate your junior chef’s appetite.