The kid who won't eat anything green or would sooner die than eat anything but macaroni and Cheerios -- we've all faced a picky eater moment. Fortunately, Amanda Haas, Williams-Sonoma's test kitchen manager and creator of the popular One Family, One Meal blog, has three tips to help:

1. Try, try again

Children change their minds, tastes change and palates broaden, so don't worry about a broccoli snub or carrot contempt. "You can introduce a food item to a child up to 12 times," Haas says, "and they could still change their minds."

2. Relax

"I do think a lot of it comes from how we choose to deal. It's like temper tantrums," Haas

Children change their minds, tastes change and palates broaden, so don't worry about a broccoli snub or carrot contempt. (Chris Ware/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT)
says. If you don't pay much attention to them rejecting a food the first time or third time -- or 11th time -- reintroducing a new food won't be a big deal. It's only when we regard the dinner plate as a battleground that it becomes one.

3. One family, one meal

Don't fall into the two-meal trap. Parents and children should enjoy the same meal. It's a disservice to your kids, Haas says, to assume they'll only eat dinosaur chicken nuggets. Instead, she says, tell your kids, "There are three things on your plate. You can choose from what's there."

Find more family dinner tips and recipes at Haas' website, www.onefamilyonemeal.com.


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