Offer whole milk dairy products between ages 1 and 2. Limit the use of sodas, candy and empty calorie foods like chips in your household. If you know that the main entree will not appeal to your child, make sure there will be plenty of bread or potatoes or pasta and milk. Snacks should resemble small meals and include foods from 2-3 food groups. Smaller children can help set the table, wash produce, pick the color of food items or count out ingredients.
Older children can follow simple recipes and measure ingredients.
Letting kids make some of the decisions and enlisting their help with food preparation lets them get used to those foods and can boost their confidence when trying unfamiliar foods. Link to 5 A Day for more information on encouraging your child to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Link to WIC for information on food assistance programs for infants and children up to age 5. It is very common for adolescents to experiment with new eating styles such as skipping meals in favor of snacks or even going vegetarian. It is also common for adolescents to have large appetites so if you keep healthy foods like pre-washed and cut up vegetables and dip, yogurt, cheese, bagels and fresh fruit on hand chances are that they will eat some of those foods too.