Dinner Makeover: Cooking for Picky Eaters in a Tiny Kitchen

Retrain Picky Eaters

No two are alike, so there’s no universal strategy to outsmart them. That said, Dawn gave Brook the following suggestions.

• Have kids help. Let them pick out fruits and vegetables at the store. Ask them to give you a hand with the washing and prepping.
• Present them with choices. Don’t ask, “Do you want carrots?” Ask, “Which would you like, carrots or peas?”
• Offer new foods at the beginning of a meal, when a kid is hungrier (and thus more receptive).
• Serve meals family-style to give kids control over their plates. Take victories as they come: If he eats two lima beans, that’s better than none.
• Make it fun. Include vegetables in a taco or a baked potato bar. Or let the kids make their own kebabs or top their own pizzas.
• Don’t try to sneak in vegetables. Kids need to learn to appreciate healthy foods as delicious in their own right—something that will never happen if squash is always pureed, then hidden in a brownie.