Good Eaters

How does one get children to eat a variety of foods?

**Note- I am not a professional.  If you don't believe it, wait until you see suggestion 3!  
These tactics may not work for the strongest willed child**

* We have a "try everything, finish something" policy.
Meaning, they need to take a decent bite of each kind of food, but really only need to eat all of one of those foods before they are excused, or get dessert (if we have any).

* We serve a wide variety of flavors and textures, consistently.
I like LOVE food, and I don't want to be limited to what I get to eat.  Plus, I think that the more kids are exposed to flavors and textures at a young age, the more they will find they like as they get older.

*Lie. 
(Don't look at me like that.
It is fun.)

Exhibit A
"That food is protien (truth) and it helps build muscle (truth) and you can decide where that muscle will grow (lie, but way more fun!)."
I still crack up when George eats some chicken and declares it will make his leg, or arm, or neck muscle grow.  We can fix that in health class, right?

Exhibit B
"Yes, those (black) beans are really chocolate beans! Yum!"

Exhibit C (and a Classic)
"Carrots make you see in the dark!"
Then the kids scarf down 10 baby carrots and run to shut themselves in a closet to test out their newest superpower.

*Cater to Colors
Virginia was so excited to eat her favorite color beans.
This was EASY and no lying involved.