“Ewww!” “That looks nasty!” “I don’t want it!”

If you’ve ever heard your child say these phrases in response to a meal you’ve prepared, then you’re not alone. Help is here.

A Stanford Infant Growth Study revealed upward of 22% of children ages 3 to 11 were classified as picky eaters. In other words, children refused foods prepared certain ways, consumed a limited variety of foods and offered verbal and nonverbal expressions about foods they liked and disliked. Picky eating can turn peaceful mealtimes into stressful, tense moments between parents and children. It can also discourage children from trying new foods. But parents shouldn’t despair: Help is here!

According to Dr. Alicia Morgan-Cooper of Village Pediatrics, parents can try several techniques with picky eaters. “Try to feed them when you know they are very hungry, let them feed themselves and give two healthy choices.” The goal is for children to eat and for them to eat healthy options.

What if your child has a favorite food he or she must have with each meal? Morgan-Cooper suggests a simple approach: “Let them eat the same (favorite food) with each meal.” If carrots are the favorite this month, serve carrots! Keep in mind that “favorites will change over time,” she says.

Presentation matters for picky eaters

Just as children grow physically, so does their palate. Even the most particular children will be impacted by how parents present meals to them. Thinking about presentation can be a parent’s first line of defense.

For the busy mom of a 22-month old, Ashley Day knows firsthand how important meal presentation is for her daughter. “At first, she would eat anything, but now she wants her plate to look like ours.” Day’s daughter not only looks for similarities between her plate and her parents’ plates, but she also cares about “what her food is on and what she is using to eat it with.” As a result, Day has had to think ahead and keep a toddler plate and fork and spoon combo in her car to use when they eat out.

Ditch the pressure to create plates worthy of a food photo and instead put effort into adding kid-friendly and colorful items that are enticing. For example, create a kid-approved snack plate (aka charcuterie board) full of colorful sliced fruit, crackers, sliced meats, veggie sticks and dip. Add a few sweet treats, such as mini marshmallows or chocolate chips, between the healthier items. Leave the plate on the kitchen counter so that children will be able to select items at their leisure.

Healthy eating recommendations: Fruits and vegetables matter

Gone are the days of the food pyramid. Welcome MyPlate, a visual which shows the suggested portion size for vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins. After only one glance, you realize that fruits and vegetables are still essential parts of healthy meals. While fruits may be an easier sell to children, Morgan-Cooper talks to her families about kid-friendly vegetable options such as “broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, peas, sweet bell peppers and grape tomatoes.” She advises parents to cut the items into “small pieces for young children to prevent choking.”

Visit online sources such as Pinterest for inspiration. Give the infamous TikTok a try for ideas about how to incorporate more vegetables into your child’s diet. You’d be surprised at what moms and dads can do with vegetables in easy—and inconspicuous—ways.

Parents can model open-mindedness

Through her work with parents whose children are more selective than others, Noni Robinson, nutritionist and creator of Black Girls Eat, recommends parents “begin with conversations (about different foods) when you’re going grocery shopping. That’s a place where you can expose children to different options. You can talk about healthy foods and what foods you’re going to prepare for the week and encourage them to try new things.”

Robinson says parents can make the practice of trying new foods an activity for the whole family. Messaging is so important. Children are developing their opinions of foods based on parents’ commentary. If children hear that a particular food is nasty before they have a chance to experience it, they are not as likely to give it a try. Morgan-Cooper says parents can use “language that is encouraging and engaging for children” about the foods they eat while talking about how delicious they are and how the food items help their bodies to become strong.

Get your children in the kitchen along with you to help prepare meals. Toddlers and school-age children can have a role in the meal preparation. “Make it a parent-child coordinated effort and make it fun,” says Robinson. She further suggests “Munchy Mondays,” days when the family eats healthy foods that are crunchy. Tap into your child’s creativity and sense of adventure while introducing them to—and reinforcing—new foods.

Tips for picky eaters

• Try to feed them when you know they are very hungry.
• Let them feed themselves.
• Give two healthy choices at each meal.
• Add kid-friendly and colorful items that are enticing.
• Cut food items into small pieces for young children to prevent choking.
• Make the practice of trying new foods an activity for the whole family.
• Let toddlers and school-age children participate in meal preparation. Some kitchen tasks, such as measuring and mixing, are ideal for little hands in the kitchen. Plus, exposing your children to cooking at an early age can encourage your kids to experiment and explore different foods and cooking techniques as they grow older and become more confident in their food preparation abilities.
• Introduce new foods in moderation. Taking baby steps will keep your child from feeling overwhelmed by too many new food choices at once.
• Keep power struggles with your kids away from the dinner table. Getting into an argument over food is not going to encourage your child to try anything new. Never force a child to eat or punish children for not eating.
• Set out a selection of condiments—such as ketchup or mustard—and give your child the power of condiment choice at the table. Pouring ranch dressing over steamed cauliflower may not be your idea of great taste. But unusual combinations of flavors and textures may appeal to your kids.
• Think about serving sizes. Rather than fill your child’s plate with a sizeable serving of new foods you want him or her to try, offer smaller portions instead.
• Use your child’s favorite foods, such as pasta, pizza and tacos, as creative inspiration for new variations of their favorite fare. Prepare a vegetarian pizza with homemade or commercially prepared tomato sauce, various sliced vegetables and their cheese of choice. Replace ground beef in tacos with cooked, mashed beans. Use sweet potatoes for a healthy, homemade version of french fries.