Picky eaters can be quite a handful during mealtimes. A parent who is concerned about providing wholesome meals to the picky eaters can feel quite stressed and despaired when the child refuses to eat certain foods. The following are some ways in which you can coax your child to eat.

Do not force the child to eat if the child is not co-operating. Forcing only increases the level of stress at meal-times and this will make future tries more difficult. Remind yourself that there will be many more opportunities to get the child to eat new foods. When the child refuses, simply leave the food near him and let him be. You may be surprised that the child may just try it out if he is not forced.

When you prepare food for the child, try to make the food as appealing as possible to the child. This includes using different colours to add variety to the look; make special arrangements of the food; and adding condiments that are exciting to children. Besides that, the food can also be prepared in special shapes and interesting cuts to appeal to the senses.

You can also create stories that you can associate with the food that the child does not like to make the meal interesting and exciting. These stories can distract the child from the food. Use ‘toys' or ‘extras' as part of the story to make it even more exciting for the child.

Remember to offer new foods to the child at the start of the meal instead of the end. This is because the child is the hungriest at the beginning of the meal and will be more willing to try something new. If the picky child is already full, he will not be as willing to explore. Also, if the child is active, the child will normally be hungry during meal-times. As such, arrange for physical activities to keep the child busy before meal-times to increase his appetite.

Bring the child along when you shop for groceries and allow the child to help you pick and choose the food. By participating in the shopping, the child may be more willing to explore the new types of food that he ‘helped' in choosing.

You should also be a good role model to your child. If you are picky yourself when it comes to eating, your child will observe your eating patterns and preferences; and follow suit. As such, in order to convince your child to eat new foods, you should be willing to eat the foods yourself.

If all fails, do not be too disappointed and stressed out. There are many other parents in the same boat. Continue to love your child and monitor his mental and physical growth careful. Arrange for regular checkups with your family doctor to make sure that the child is growing well. Include supplements like vitamins and minerals into his diet. Hopefully, as the child grows, his preferences will change to and will be more willing to try out a wider variety of foods.