As a registered dietitian and mother of three children, I enjoy working with parents of young children. Parents may struggle to get their children to eat a variety of foods. Picky eating behavior is common for children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. A child may not like a certain texture or consistency, such as soft foods like mashed potatoes or hot cereal. Or a child may not like it when foods touch each other on the plate, but will eat them when they are separate or “plain.” For a young child, making decisions on what to eat or not to eat from his or her plate may be one of the first signs of independence. Teaching healthy eating habits at this young age is very important. Here are some tips for helping your child to eat well at mealtimes:

1. Plan regular meals

Offer three meals and two or three healthy snacks. A child’s stomach is small, so he or she needs to eat frequently: about six times per day. Snacks should be midway between meals, no closer than one hour before the next meal. Limit mealtimes to 20 minutes and snack times to 15 minutes. Be a good role model for your kids and eat with them: For example, eat broccoli when you want your child to try it.

2. Let your child help you shop for foods

Take your child to the grocery store or the farmers market. Let him or her choose between two foods: “Which would you like to choose: strawberries or blueberries?” At the farmers market your child can meet the farmer who grew the food, ask questions, and taste new foods.

3. Have your child help you prepare meals

Young children can scrub vegetables in a sink of water or add ingredients and stir foods together. Children get excited about foods that they make.

4. Limit milk

After age one, your child needs only four half-cups of dairy products, or 16 ounces of 2 percent or whole milk per day. After age 2, your child can drink 1 percent or skim milk. Offer water for thirst between meals. 

5. Offer new foods first

Your child is most hungry at the beginning of the meal. Serve a small portion of new food with a familiar food that your child likes.

6. Keep offering new foods

Research shows that it takes 10 to  15 times of trying a new food before it might be accepted. The first one to three times children are given a new food, they may just smell, touch, or play with it. The next four to six times they are given a food, they may spit it out or nibble on it. The next seven to nine times they are given the food, they may actually eat and swallow it.

7. Avoid short-order cooking

While it might be tempting to quickly make something else for your fussy eater, stick to your original meal plans. You can have your child help plan the menu or select a side dish.

8. No more “clean-plate club”

Many of us grew up as members of “the clean plate club” – we were expected to eat everything whether we were hungry or not. This is not recommended because it can teach children to overeat. A child will learn the feeling of fullness if allowed to eat when hungry. 

9. Trust your child will eat

Do not use food to bribe your child. Your child may learn to expect more dessert when he tries a new food or cleans his plate. Or he may learn to use food to punish you by refusing to eat to get your attention.