Do you have a child who is a picky eater or won’t eat vegetables? You are definitely not alone. These are two of the most common frustrations I hear from parents. Although it is tempting to try to force or bribe your child to eat a variety of foods or to just give in and make separate meals for your child, these options aren’t fun for you or your child and won’t help your child start to enjoy a variety of foods. Instead, try out these tips to not only help ensure your child gets the nutrients they need but also make dinner time more enjoyable for everyone.

Number one rule: Never let them see you sweat. No pressure and remain neutral. Bribing, cheerleading and enthusiastically applauding and jumping up and down don’t help. Even if it appears positive, children can’t be fooled. Your child thinks, “If they have to do all that to get me to eat it, it must be really bad.” They react by decreasing their natural curiosity and journey of learning about food.

Instead of talking about how the food tastes, focus on the texture, shape and color. How might they like it better? Keep a positive attitude. Believe that they will start to enjoy a variety of foods and continue serving them. Have patience and keep the faith!

Get them involved in the kitchen. Let them wash the lettuce, open cans with your guidance, stir the ingredients together or decide the toppings of the salad. The more involved they are the better! They are more invested and more likely to eat the meal.

Let them choose. Take them shopping and let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable, and when asking about what to serve for a snack or side let them decide out of two healthy options. For example, rather than ask, “Would you like cauliflower?” ask “Would you like cauliflower or cucumbers?” Let them decide the vegetable to have with the meal and the fruit to serve for dessert. Trying a new food is a lot more fun if they get to pick it.

Offer the food over and over. It often takes 5-20 times before a child will learn to accept a new food. Yes, 20 times. Many people give up at three times; keep trying!

Serve the food different ways. Serve it fresh, prepared from frozen and canned. You may find your child likes it one way although not others. Serving the food the way they enjoy it helps them be able to eventually transition to liking it other ways too. Try crispy, oven-roasted broccoli, raw broccoli with dip, steamed broccoli, broccoli with a sprinkle of cheese and broccoli with teriyaki sauce. Try not to overcook vegetables, as many children prefer them crunchy.

Pair it with a familiar food they already like. If they love macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets, serve the new food with them. Make a fruit tray and serve kiwis next to favorites such as grapes, strawberries or apples.

Serve it when they are hungry. Use some baby carrots and cucumbers with light ranch or a sliced apple as an appetizer to munch on while you finish preparing the meal. Make sure to keep snack times separate from meal times. If your child is eating right up until the meal, they are unlikely to be hungry enough to eat anything but their favorites.

Make it fun! Use cookie cutters on the sandwich, make fruit and vegetable faces, shape blueberry pancake batter into animals or simple shapes, think of broccoli as trees and cauliflower as trees with snow — it may take a little more effort but is worth it to have your child eating a variety of foods. And who knows, the adults in your household may like Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes too!

Model healthy eating. Children tend to follow older family members. If your child sees you enjoying a variety of food, they are much more likely to do so also.

Andrea Nikolai is a registered dietitian at Washington Pediatrics located at 1206 Brown St. in Washington and can be reached at 252-946-4134.