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Dining Dilemmas?

10 Parent-proven Solutions for Mealtime Battles

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3. My 5-year-old hates vegetables. Any tips on encouraging him to add at least a few varieties to his diet?

Try grilling potatoes, sweet potatoes and other mild-tasting vegetables on the barbecue. This idea is likely to score points with the child who is a hamburger or hot dog nut. (If it comes off the grill, it's got to be good, right?)

Find a dip that appeals to your child and then team it up with the vegetable he hates least. Let him dip to his heart's content. Don't limit yourself to things you think of as veggie dips. Some kids are wild about mustard or plum sauce.

4. My 3-year-old hates the texture of meat. He chews it for a while and then spits it out on his plate.

You can make meat more palatable by sticking to tender cuts of meat, serving meat in broths or sauces, and cooking with lean ground meats. And don't forget that there are also all kinds of protein-rich alternatives to meat, such as chicken, fish, beans, peas, lentils, peanut butter, eggs and cheese. Consult some vegetarian cookbooks for ideas on healthy meat-free meals.

5. My 5-year-old and my 6-year-old are constantly fighting at the dinner table. It's so annoying.

Your kids may be tired, hungry and restless by the time they arrive at the dinner table. If you can serve them a healthy snack before dinner – perhaps a fruit and veggie platter with dip – they might not be quite as famished (or irritable) by the time everyone sits down to eat. It's worth trying. And don't worry about them filling up on all those healthy foods before dinner. Worse things could happen, right?


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