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To: Kid Rock who wrote (9413)	11/28/2006 5:57:47 PM
From: epicure	Respond to of 51709

OK Here's my idea- my kids loved this. Make a "buffet" of finger foods, and I mean everything. I used to buy one of every kind of seafood salad at Whole Foods (for example) and put them on the table (that's how my kids first ate octopus)- and there was no punishment for not liking anything. You took a bite for fun, you tried it, and you moved on if you didn't like it. I've done this with fruits and veggies, and I'm also not afraid to do some creative "re-branding". My son, who was not VERY fond of veggies as a toddler, would dip anything called a "french fry" in ketchup. So we had green bean french fries, and carrot french fries, and celery french fries.... I've dipped carrots in chocolate (for fun), and mixed all sorts of things together that my kids thought would be fun. I think the main way to expand a kid's diet is to let them think they have control, and that it's fun to try the new foods, and thus it's their idea if they want to incorporate them. Have you taken this 5 year old shopping in the veggie and fruit section? Go somewhere cool, like Whole Foods- get a bunch of weird looking things. Buy a bunch of 1/6 pound servings at the prepared food country- I KNOW you will find something that kid will like. Dim Sum is also a really fun way to expand a child's diet. You don't always know what you're eating, but there are so many plates, and the servings are so small, you can try lots of things. My kids also like Tapas. Do you have a Tapas bar near you? We also go to a Greek restaurant that serves many small "sample" type plates. Remember, part of being "picky" is control over you, the adult, and part is taste. I think there are enough wonderful things in the world that you can overcome the taste issue with choice, creativity, and presentation. The control issues are easily overcome too, if you let the child think he or she is making his own choices- which is where my ideas of buffets and child led shopping come in. I don't think I've ever said no to any veggie or fruit my kids wanted to try. We've tried some really odd ones.