Lot of parents think that when their child refuses to eat the food they put in front of them, these kids have an eating disorder. Wrong. Usually, the problem is that they have behavioral problems when it comes to eating. That should not be a surprise to us. With the surplus of junk foods in the market, we don’t need to be Einstein to know where the bad behavior comes from.

Now, try these ten ways to deal with children who are very picky with food:

1. Focus on making meals and snacks healthy and nutritious, rather than offering processed junk foods.
2. When introducing new foods (as many as 8 to 15 tasting opportunities may be required before the food is accepted), offer just one or two at a time, and present them in small quantities, giving second helpings if requested.
3. Make ‘taking a bite of everything on my plate’ or ’sitting at the table until I’m finished’ categories in your child’s reward scheme.
4. Don’t punish your child for refusing to try new foods.
5. Get your child involved in choosing and preparing food (if age appropriate).
6. Try to make eating at the table a fun family time, rather than a stressful time.
7. If they refuse to eat main meals, resist temptation to give unhealthy snacks before the next meal, and try to avoid keeping unhealthy snacks in the home. This way when they do eventually get hungry the only option will be a healthy snack.
8. Check your attitude to food - your child may pick up on any negativity you have towards food and eating.
9. Stop any force-feeding.
10. Experiment with different methods and styles, for example many children don’t like cooked vegetables, but may eat raw vegetables served with a tasty dip.

Just because your child refuses to do your bidding when it comes to food does not mean he/she has an eating disorder. Most of the time, the behavior comes from being able to get what they want when they were still toddlers. Your fear of hearing them cry before and giving into their every whim turned them into these little food haters. So, the next time you have a child (and for first-time mothers), train your child to eat healthy as early as they are a couple of months old.