How to get kid to a dinner table?

Hey !! I got 23 reasons... 1. Enjoy a variety of foods. Serve up a healthy variety of foods each day. These include fruit and vegetables, legumes (such as dried peas, beans and lentils), wholegrain cereals, low fat dairy, lean meat, fish and skinless chicken. Reduced fat milks are not suitable for young children under two years. 2. Shop healthy. If you haven’t got a healthy variety in your kitchen pantry or cupboard, you can’t put it on the table. 3. Go for quality, not quantity. Children’s serves may be small. It all depends on their age and appetite. Variety is the important ingredient. 4. Stick to three meals and two snacks every day. Growing children need to be fed regularly and often. 5. Begin their day with a healthy breakfast. It improves concentration and builds stamina. 6. Give your children choices. Offer kids a few healthy choices. For instance, ask if they want an apricot or a plum, beans or broccoli, an egg or a tuna sandwich. 7. Lunch boxes that go crunch. Skip the chips. Fruit and vegetables in season make a great snack or lunch box addition. Try corn on the cob, carrots, small Lebanese cucumbers, green beans, cherry tomatoes, celery, stone fruit, grapes or berries. 8. Freeze in summer. Frozen fruits make great summer snacks. Try frozen grapes, bananas and mango wedges. 9. Keep warm in winter. Corn on the cob, baked potatoes, hot home-made popcorn, baked beans and stewed fruits can really hit the spot on cold winter days. 10. Go for a dip. Set up a colourful veggie platter with a variety of dips or salsa. 11. Give them water instead of juices, cordials and soft drinks. These drinks are full of energy and can often take away their appetite for other foods. 12. Set a sweet limit. If you do include sweet drinks in your child’s diet, set a limit. That could be one small glass of fruit juice a day - around 125ml. 13. Make family mealtimes part of your routine. Whenever possible, sit and eat together as a family and have the TV turned off. 14. Lead by example. If the kids see you eating well and enjoying a wide variety of healthy foods they are likely to join in too. 15. Family food - include everyone. Encourage children to enjoy the family foods and meals from an early age (about 12 months). Children will learn to eat what the family eats if they are given the same food and encouraged to try it. 16. Be persistent - you can’t afford to give up. It’s common for all kids to love a certain food one day and hate it the next. Just keep offering them healthy choices and they’ll soon be eating a wider variety. 17. If at first you don’t succeed - try, try again. Kids can be stubborn. But be patient. You may need to offer a new food ten times or more before your child will accept it. 18. Get the kids in the kitchen. Encourage kitchen skills by having children make a sandwich or salad. Let them wash fruit and vegetables and make a simple green salad, tabouli or a fruit salad. Being involved will increase a child’s willingness to try new foods. 19. Be consistent. If your child isn’t hungry for healthy food, refrain from offering unhealthy substitutes. This will only encourage eating for reasons other than hunger. 20. Give them an encouraging word. Try not to force your child to eat. A much better technique is to praise them when they make a healthy food choice. 21. Try not to use food to punish or reward a child. A hug or a book is a much better alternative to food. 22. Hungry or not? Children sometimes eat when they’re bored, sad or lonely. Help your child to understand when they are eating for reasons other than hunger. 23. Let them make their own decisions. At the end of the day, it’s up to the child to decide whether or not to eat and how much. Your job is to offer healthy foods at regular intervals.

My daughter is the same she is sooo fussy she is 2.5yo They will eat if they are hungry so don't force her but only offer her healthy meals and she will eventually eat, she won't starve... It just takes a lot of time and patience... Make the food interesting or get her involved with preparing it...

it is very worrying when they are that age but they do get better. one of my children , who was a normal healthy eater at 2 years old is now a picky eater. she rarely feels hungry , picks at her food and would live on fresh air if we didnt nag.she is 12 and very thin but otherwise healthy. she gets in a rage if i nag her so i try to just get her to eat small meals regularly. we talked and she says she has never had an interest in food .its a very dodgy subject so be very careful even from an early age as getting cross can cause problems in later years.

a lot of people go through this with their kids. all you have to do is offer her 3 helathy meals a day and 2 healthy snacks in between. put them on the table and make her sit. if she refuses to eat. do not cave in and don't give her anything else until the next snack or meal time. kids won't starve, they will eventually eat when they are hungry enough. good luck