 Most parents that I meet have, at some point or other, experienced a situation in which their child refuses to eat something that the parent wants the child to eat. My children do this to me on a regular basis, and that's probably why the term picky eater is used commonly, especially here in the United States. And there are a lot of theories about why children refuse certain foods. Some people think that in our culture, the parents are to blame, that we don't expose our kids to a wide enough variety of foods as babies, so they resist new or unfamiliar foods later in their childhood. Other people believe that some children have a heightened sensitivity to the flavors and textures of certain foods, and then there's the theory that children may have different nutrient needs at different stages of growth, so they may crave a certain type of food and reject another during those periods. I think the bottom line is this. No parent tries to raise a picky eater, and nobody enjoys a power struggle at the table when there's a battle over food and a child is refusing to taste or eat something that the parent wants them to eat. In general, eating should be stress-free whenever possible, so here are some tips for overcoming the picky eater syndrome. Firstly, the more children feel that they're involved in either choosing or helping to cook a meal, the more likely they'll be to eat it. So if you can, take your children to a farmer's market or the vegetable section of a grocery store and ask them what they feel like having for dinner that night. When kids see adults coming together around healthy foods like they do at a market, they'll often be more willing to try new things. Also, at places like the market where most of the choices are healthy ones, you can't go wrong letting them have the power to make that decision. Secondly, as much as possible, try and involve your children in the cooking process. Let little ones mix things in a bowl or add fruit to make their own smoothie. Older children can actually help prep vegetables or mash things like potatoes or bananas or avocados, even letting children assemble their own meal, letting them make their own yogurt parfait in the morning, for example, or make a fruit face with their berries. This gives them a sense of control that can help them to be more adventurous eaters. Another helpful step you can take is to surround picky eaters with good role models as much as possible. If children see us, their parents, or their brothers and sisters, or other children their age eating healthy foods, then they're going to be much more likely to try some too. But in general, mealtime should be kept fun and light. If you're worried about what your child is eating, try not to bring that worry to the table. A wise mother once said, it's our job to provide them with a variety of healthy options and it's their job to decide what and how much they want to eat.