"I don't like it!" may be a common sentiment expressed at the dinner table when you eat with a toddler, but getting a little one to eat doesn't have to be an epic battle. First, try to get to the bottom of why she is refusing food. From when they begin to talk until they are capable of making their own choices, they may want to assert their independence by turning their noses up at food - the dinner table may be one of the only places when they feel they have a chance to exercise that independence. Experts do not recommend bribing kids who won't eat the healthy stuff with dessert - you'll teach them to expect a reward whenever they do something they don't want to. But one unconventional way to get kids to eat at least a little dinner is to serve a small portion of dessert at the same time you serve dinner.
At first, she may just eat the sweet stuff, but she'll quickly learn that it won't fill her up and will begin eating the healthful items on her plate. If your little one limits herself to just a few types of food, and you want to introduce new food, then experts recommend starting out with a tablespoon of the new food, not a hearty helping - unless she just goes gaga for the new food. Offer the new food with the standard fare, and don't make a huge deal about it. Likewise, if the new food is ignored, don't give up. Keep serving the food every once in awhile, increasing the amount as interest and consumption increases. It may take 10 to 15 times of being exposed to a certain food before a toddler even tries it, so don't give up!
