Dealing With Picky Eaters

For starters, and to give yourself some peace of mind, give her a multivitamin-mineral supplement as an insurance policy. It will help you worry less that she's getting her vitamins and minerals and make sure that nothing bad like anemia develops.

Many kids actually are less picky than their parents imagine, and if you make a list of what your child is willing to eat, you may be pleasantly surprised. If she eats milk and/or yogurt, bread, peanut butter, some fruits and some lean meats, you have the basis of a good diet.

Setting a good example by eating healthy things yourself without pushing them on her can work wonders. It takes awhile, but if you keep bringing good food to the table, you will probably find that she'll add more things to her diet over time. And make sure that she gets healthy versions of the things she's willing to eat: Buy peanut butter without hydrogenated fats and added sugars, for instance, or the leanest kind of chicken nuggets and so forth.