Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Toddlerhood is all about independence -- "No, Mama, *I* do it!" -- so I try to let them have that control and not make eating a power struggle. But I hope to lay the groundwork for them to be healthy eaters of a wide variety of food. Long before I was a mom I met some little kids who popped tofu in their mouths like I had seen other kids eat tater tots, and I realized it's all about what they're introduced to early.

A more experienced mom gave me advice that I've tried to follow: She offers her kids fruits and veggies at every meal (no veggies at b'fast though...), requires a *taste*, and otherwise doesn't worry about it.

I made my own baby food (for nutritional and economic reasons) and introduced lots of veggies, not just carrots, potatoes, peas. And I used a variety of grain cereals, too, instead of just Gerber's overly processed rice stuff -- quinoa, etc. The whole forming-taste-buds gig -- I consider it one of my most important jobs as a mother.

Now that they're off baby food, they eat what my husband and I eat. I don't make "kids' meals" -- a huge pet peeve for me! Yes, occasionally, we (all) eat grilled cheese or mac and cheese. But, as I've heard many a mom say, "I'm not a short order cook." I make one meal for all of us. If they choose not to eat it, so be it.

And, how about trickery? "Let's eat lettuce like a little bunny" (cue bunny nose twitching), "Can you crunch your snap peas louder than me?", etc.

They say that the best predictor of a child's interest in reading is her parents' interest in reading, so I trust that's true with food, too. At this stage, one of the most important things is modeling healthy eating habits for them.

SamTheButcher - it sounds like your former boss and my parents shared the same philosophy. Growing up, I knew that dinner is whatever my mom cooked for that night (thank goodness, she's a fantastic cook!). My brother, who is a very picky eater until today, and I never complained or requested any special meals. We knew that if we didn't eat whatever my mom gave us, there won't be any snack or other special meals to substitute. Perhaps this has something to do with Korean culture and how Koreans raise children, i.e. children must respect their parents and elders, etc.

Also, I think if eating veggies aren't made into a big deal, kids tend not to resist eating them. My nephew who is three eats pretty much everything. When my brother and his wife introduce new food to him, they don't make a big deal out of it (no rewarding him for trying it, etc.). And they eat it with him.