When you have small children, feeding them can be a chore, especially if they are fussy eaters. Their nutrition is very important, and there are ways of getting them to eat even if they do not want to. Such dishes as homemade chicken noodle soup, crockpot chicken noodle soup, hotdogs, or pizza are always favorites.

Even though it may be a chore, when you are preparing dinner, prepare several different dishes so your child has choice of what he or she wants. You could try asking them what they are in the mood for on occasion to get a guaranteed winner night with no fitting over them eating anything let alone enough.

Encourage your child to take a no thank you bite of each of the dishes that you prepare. This way he or she will at least taste the food before disliking it. Nine out of ten times, he or she will like the dish and possibly ask for more.

Another way that you can encourage your child to eat is to give the food names of their favorite cartoon or fictional character. Atomic Betty beans or Patrick pancakes can bring a smile to your child’s face and a full belly. Children identify with their favorite shows, and if they think that they are eating their favorite cartoons food, then they will most likely clean their plates.

Making dishes that are colorful and fun is a great way to encourage a finicky eater to actually eat. When you use bright and colorful ingredients such as green, yellow and red bell peppers, and give the dish a name like Christmas casserole, or if you make a veggie lasagna and call it Diego’s delight, you will have a better chance of a having a peaceful dinner.

Children are fussy when they are small and they know what they like. If something appears unappetizing, you won’t have much chance encouraging them to eat it. Children depend on you to get them to eat healthy foods.

If you like to cook, one way that you can encourage your child to eat is to let them prepare the meal with you. When you do this, they will see the ingredients, which are being added and feel like they are a part of the cooking process. They are more likely to eat what they prepare because they are proud to have done it. They would much rather have some homemade chicken noodle soups than the stuff in the red and white can.

If you know your child does not like something and it is a necessary ingredient, then wait until he or she is out of the room and run it through the food processor until it is finely ground up and then add it to the pot. He or she will never know it is there.

When you are feeding a child, sometimes these alternative methods help. The main thing is to be flexible while still providing adequate nutrition. Simple meals like chicken noodle soup, lasagna or grilled meat with a sauce and vegetables provide excellent nutritional value. Nobody wants dinner to be a battleground and if you follow these tips, it doesn’t have to be.

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