One of the most challenging things that any parent can face is how to deal with a picky eater. What exactly is a picky eater you might ask? Well, a picky eater is usually a child who only wants to eat junk food, fast food or that child might only want to eat a handful of different food items.

For the human body to remain a healthy, a person must eat a wide range of healthy food…which includes several servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. In addition, children need a high amount of calcium in their diets so that they can build healthy teeth and bones.

If you have a picky eater in your life, here are a few tips on how to change them into a healthy eater who enjoys a wide variety of food choices.

1. Be a good eating role model for your children. Children often follow in their parent’s footsteps when it comes to selecting healthy food choices. Often times if the parent is a junk food eater, so will be the child. Take the time to make the changes in yourself and then lead your children into following you.

2. Plan out your meals ahead of time! Meal planning doesn’t take a lot of effort or time. There are a lot of great online sites and offline books that you can read to help you plan out healthy meals for your family. A great idea (if your child is old enough) would be to include the entire family in the meal planning process.

3. Keep healthy foods easily available! A lot of people will grab that bag of chips, pretzels or cookies because they are quick and can satisfy that hunger pang in a matter of seconds. Instead of keeping junk food readily available, stock up on freshly cut vegetables, health veggie dips and a lot of fresh fruits. If there are no unhealthy snack foods in your home, children will eventually gravitate towards the healthy choices when they are hungry and need a snack.

4. Hold family taste testing parties! Go online or read a few healthy eating cookbooks and whip up some new recipes for your family to try out. Ask them for their feedback on what you prepared. If they like it…keep the recipe, if they don’t, trash it and replace it with a new one. You should make these family taste testing nights a fun experience for all involved.

5. Let them help grow, shop for and cook their food. A lot of parents have been seeing success with smaller children when they are able to shop for their food and even help in the kitchen to prepare the foods for the family. If you have a garden, let them have their own section to care for and plant their favorites. By being involved from start to finish, they are more likely to try new foods.

If you are dealing with a picky eater in your household, take the time to really understand the problem. Is the child only eating junk food because that is what is available? Is the child modeling their eating habits after your own? Do you only cook the same few dishes over and over? Once you understand what the problem is, it will help you to correct the problem and to start implementing healthier choices.

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