You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him eat vegetables. But it seems like planning a meal is a lot more about what everyone won't eat than about what they actually do like. And as every parent knows, the fast, popular, and easy usually wins out over the slower, home-cooked meal. In other words, tired and hungry often spells pizza delivery. This keeps it balanced, yet engaging.
Children learn to enjoy food that they help fix.
Let children tell you their preferences, and then help them choose those foods that are healthy and good. Forcing food only increases the power struggle. This means few criticisms, no interrogations and minimal instructions. Save the manners lessons for specific lesson times, not daily nagging. Check our Resources page for links to cooking and other parent-friendly sites.