Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

The way I got our son to eat healthier was to expose him to new and varied foods. They say it takes at least three exposures before kids will even try anything new. Will is now nine and eats everything from sushi to broccoli. His favorite food is freshly steamed asparagus. This won't happen overnight but- with enough persistence- it will happen. Kids are strange, though. William will eat pretty much any cooked veggie but he HATES salad with a passion. The only raw veggie he will eat is carrots. Kooky kiddo. lol.

Oh, a subject near and dear to my heart. This'll be a long post. Sorry!

If he's a supertaster it will be much more difficult to overcome (but not impossible). That said, the majority of picky kids are created, not born, in my experience. Sadly, many parents encourage this tendency without meaning to do so. I have a theory that this "problem" is mostly unique to wealthy societies, where food is plentiful, junk food is a "normal" part of the diet, and few people have ever experienced true hunger.

Anyway. There are many "standard" methods, and least some of them will usually work, if not all. The most important thing to recognize is that very few children will starve themselves. Eventually, once genuinely hungry, they WILL eat. I've used all of these. My youngest had a huge propensity toward finickiness as a toddler. As a middle-schooler, she now eats everything in sight (a new problem unto itself).

Offer many foods, and offer them in different preparations. A child who dislikes plain steamed carrots, might like them glazed, mixed into soup, or raw (especially with a dip). A whole apple, eaten out of hand, might be unappealing and/or overwhelming. One that's been peeled and sliced, and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, baked with brown sugar, or dipped in PB, may become a favorite.

Consider flavor subtleties. Try to start with things that are relatively bland and "universally-liked" to some degree. Carrots and corn are sweet. Broccoli is bitter, especially to a supertaster. Take baby steps.

Be flexible. Yes, ranch dressing is fattening, and ketchup and chocolate milk both contain too much sugar. But you're trying to get them eating the underlying food. Indulge and even encourage these "helpers" for a while. You can wean them off of them later.

Teach tolerance tricks. My parents taught me to eat my one bite of "icky" food first. I got it over with, and knew I'd be ending the meal with a yummy taste, instead of cold, mushy cauliflower.

Have the child participate in all aspects of meal prep. Menu planning (this includes learning to select a balanced meal), grocery shopping and helping with the cooking make "weird" foods less of a mystery, and can fuel food enthusiasm. Carrots taste better when you "get" to peel them.

Quickly build up the eating "rules" to include the one-bite policy. Even if it's something they've already tried and disliked, the one-bite rule should apply. Some things are acquired tastes, and may take many exposures before they become palatable.

Don't make special accommodations for the finicky eater. It drives me crazy when I see people make boxed mac'n'cheese for little Johnny because "he they doesn't like grilled chicken", or bring a McDonald's bag to a restaurant because "it's all little Madison will eat." I always made sure there was at least one nutritious item in the meal that my kids liked, but I told them, "This is what we're having. If you're truly hungry, you'll eat it. If it doesn't sound good, you're probably not hungry." They might go to bed hungry once in a while, but they seldom starve.

Remove unnecessary junk. If there's soda pop, chips, sugary cereals, frozen pizza, etc., on hand, it's just a distraction and a potential battlefield. It's much easier to tell the kids they can't have pizza when there isn't any to be had.

Don't insist on foods that aren't really essential. If a kid doesn't like red meat, so be it. Find a quality protein he DOES like, and make it available. If he hates drinking milk but will eat cheese or pudding or yogurt, that's a fair trade. And teach him about the importance of those trade-offs.

At the age of 6 - that is quite a tender age of nurturing. It still isn't too late to get him used to eating healthy and not be so finnicky. Remember he is ONLY finnicky because you let him.

Try getting him involved in cooking - cooking and eating healthily does not need to be a chore. You also have to be firm with him - he is there to learn good/bad habits from you. It's amazing how little things can be picked up by kids at an early age and how it escalates into the adulthood.

There are friends of ours, their kids are 5 and 3, and they are eating and savoring blue cheese and black olives.

Have you tried soups, such as butternut squash soup? Don't bother with e cream etc, just prepare the squash into chunks and maybe throw a few red peppers in it, drizzle very very lightly with some oil and bung it in the oven to roast. When done, puree the squash with a bit of seasoning, stock and maybe a tiny bit of sugar (yes a tiny bit, maybe 5-10g max).

How about shakes made from frozen fruit and low fat skimmed milk/soy milk (unsweetened variety)? This if done with the right proportions of the two - makes it almost like a slushy/ice cream.

Have you tried pasta for example? Pasta with tinned tomatoes and ground beef. Use the leanest beef (9% i think it is here in the US). Fry some onions, garlic in the minimal amount of oil, add the beef, season with a little salt and pepper, then add the tomatoes (I always add fresh ones too). Add a bit of JUST bouillion, stir, season with herbs like basil etc etc and serve with freshly made pasta.

To make nuggets even healthier - why not make them yourself at home. You then know exactly what you put inside them. I mean use proper chicken meat, lightly coat them in egg then flour and breadcrumbs. Don't deep fry them, you can bake them - it's so much more healthier.

Just like Loco (whose tips are great), this topic is near and dear to my heart. In fact my whole blog is devoted to how I have been raising my son, now almost 5, to eat everything.

I would focus on the following:

1. Getting child involved in cooking and/or shopping. Kids LOVE to eat what they create.

2. Eat what you love and the children will follow. Prepare foods you love and the love is infectious.

3. Only keep foods that you want your child to eat around the house. It is true they will not starve themselves but if they know another option is available, they will be more resistant to eating what is put in front of them.

Read more here:
http://www.izzyeats.blogspot.com

p.s. I would not recommend making a puree for a 6 year old. Make soup instead!

I agree with Izzy's mama--have him help in the preparation of his meal (to a certain extent). I would also recommend carrots or apples dipped in peanut butter. Anything that can be dipped actually.

1. I guess my biggest suggestion would be to look at what he is eating now and then look for healthier substitutes. For example, if you child likes regular beef hot dogs (I mention this, because it is the only food my brother ate for a few years) substitute them with hot dogs. Or, instead of ice cream for dessert, get those Jello Sugar-Free Fat Free pudding mixes and use 1% milk to prepare. Lastly, try spaghetti squash mixed in with regular noodles and top with your normal sauce choice (preferably something tomato based). Actually, a pasta dish is a great dish that you can slip extra veggies into--like thinly diced zucchini or carrots or green pepper. The sauce will mask any sign of healthiness :)

2. Though the mention of this may make you cringe, perhaps take him to the grocery store with you to do your shopping. Take him to the vegetable and fruit sections and have HIM pick out a few that look appealing to him. (He doesn't have to know that the food is good for him--perhaps he'll be drawn towards the bright colors of green and red pepper, or perhaps he will be intrigued by hairy-coated kiwis.)

3. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT!! give him his calories through sugary drinks, particularly sodas. Juice is great, but look for 100% juices and V8 blends. Chocolate milk should be a special occasion, and making it at home (versus buying it at the store) can lower the sugar content. Ovaltine (despite those annoying commercials) is actually very tasty! But, the 4 tbsp serving size is too much. You can definitely cut it back a bit.

4. As other's have mentioned, you can't keep less healthy foods in the house and then expect him to eat completely different foods. And don't entirely restrict him in what he can or can't eat--it will only be detrimental for the future when he decides its been too long since he has eaten a huge bowl of ice cream, or a bowlful of mac and cheese.

I'm no expert, but I hope my suggestions can help just a bit! Good luck with your nephew!