As with everything else, children want their eating habits to mature. The main task for parents is not to get them to accept more food, but rather to expect appropriate mealtime behavior so that eating is not an issue. A finicky eater can't force down unappealing food, but can learn to behave at the table and cope with her sensitivities. She can learn to pick and choose from available foods, eating what she can manage, perhaps sampling other foods when she is ready, and politely refusing others. Of course, adults have to take no for an answer.
Planned snacks are important.
They allow children to come to meals hungry but not famished. They are also essential parts of eliminating between-meal grazing of food and caloric beverages such as juice and soda. Parents should plan meals so they don't end up short-order cooking for an inexperienced eater. Satter encourages eating a variety of food at mealtime, then letting children pick and choose from what is available at the meal, eating as much or as little as they want. Children can generally eat it if all else fails.