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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Like so many things about your child, you really don't get to decide on his food preferences.  People who think they did a great job thwarting a fussy eating, really didn't have one.  They just had a toddler going through a phase.  You can absolutely decline to offer extra options.  You can not force a "no thank-you bite" to a kid who is not willing to take it.  I have one great eater and one not both raised the same way.  I thought by ignoring the narrow selection of the fussy one, they would phase out..but no.[/quote]

What you can control is offering your kid a variety of foods, not just bland "kid foods," not jumping to offer an alternative to what you've served, and asking your kid to try a bite before saying no.  And I think that's valuable, because it really can take repeated exposure to new foods to develop a liking for them.

Beyond that, kids will like what they like.  Some kids will like nearly everything, and will grow up to be adults who like nearly everything.  Some kids are genuinely picky eaters who eat only a handful of things.  Most kids (and adults, really) are somewhere in the middle.

And there are phases--some days, kids are not as hungry and therefore less willing to try new things.  Some days, a previously adventurous eater will refuse to try something new--or even something they've liked before.  Tastes change.

And keep in mind--what is your goal?  I want my kid to eat a reasonably healthy, balanced diet; to be able to enjoy a family meal; and to raise an adult who can find something she likes in most restaurants, who can enjoy meals with friends and be a good guest, and who can maintain a reasonably healthy, balanced diet throughout her life.  Having a kid who eats everything is not a moral victory.  It's a practical one.  [/quote]

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