Picky eater

Answer: First of all - don't panic. Finicky eaters eventually grow out of this stage. At the very least you can look forward to the addition of a BIG MAC or WHOPPER by the time he turns 14!!

Seriously, some children just don't want to venture into new foods for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps they are unfamiliar with the texture of the food, or it just smells funny. My experience is to try not to force the issue. Work with what you have and blend in new foods - one at a time until you find something that sticks. My youngest son was also a picky eater. Every time that he would add a different item to his limited menu medley, we would call it his new "food group". Here are a few suggestions that worked for me:

Pasta
If he will eat macaroni and cheese - he may eat other types of pasta. Start with plain noodles and add a little olive oil or butter and a splash of Parmesan cheese. Call it "Noodles and Cheese". From there you can try spaghetti with just a little marinara sauce. If that works, you can add meat to the sauce and eventually even some veggies!

Chicken pepperoni
If he eats pizza, he may like other pizza flavored foods. Try a chicken cutlet, dipped in breadcrumbs and quickly sautéed. Place the cutlet in a baking dish and top it with pizza sauce, pepperoni slices and Mozzarella cheese. You've just made Chicken Pepperoni, one of my kid's favorite dishes.

Keep it simple
Try a plain hamburger. You may have to put a little pizza sauce on top! If the hamburger works you can progress to plain meatloaf or meatballs. Smoothies are a great way to "sneak in" some fruit to your child's diet. Try adding just one strawberry to a vanilla milkshake. If he likes it - try two the next time.

Ask your son to try one bite of a new food when you serve it. Just one bite - he doesn't have to try an entire green bean or a whole teaspoon full of tomato soup. Eventually he will bite into something that he will add to his "new food groups."

More feasting challenges:
• Add sneaky veggies into his favorite dishes
• Adding excitement to a school lunch
• Fast meals to impress your in-laws
• Quick appetizers
• Making lumpless gravy
• Grilling summer vegetables