And never discuss how much or how little your child eats when you're in her presence. Don't cook on demand. Never get up and make special meals for a picky eater, says Dr. Eden. Serve a well-balanced meal and let your child eat what she wants from what you have served. Eliminate ''gag'' foods.
Some kids have a natural aversion to foods that they associate with being sick.
If a child happened to become ill after a certain food, that food may turn his stomach. Those foods should be put in a special category and simply eliminated from the menu,'' he says. Avoid the dessert dilemma. This is a classic Catch22. If everyone digs into a rich gooey cake for dessert but the noneater isn't allowed any, you're reinforcing the idea that ''good'' food is a reward for eating ''bad'' food.