Just about every child goes through a stage where they become picky eaters. For some, this lasts til adulthood and can become a major bone of contention between parent and child. It is important not to try and force a child to eat a particular food that they claim to dislike as this is just giving them another reason to dislike it.

There are various reasons why a child rejects a certain type of food. They may be wary of the unknown and regularly offering the child this type of food could eventually entice them to try it out. They may simply dislike the look, taste, texture and smell of a certain food and refuse to try it.

It’s not necessary for anyone to like every single kind of fruit or vegetable so if the child will not eat one thing, then try them with something else. Many fruits and vegetables have the same nutritional values so it is easy enough to find a replacement food. If the sight of vegetables turns your child off their meal, then find ways of disguising the vegetables. Blending vegetables into a puree and mixing with a bolognese sauce for example is one of the easiest ways to get a child to eat vegetables because the sauce covers the flavour and look of the vegetables. Try cooking vegetables in a different way.

Many children do not like vegetables that are soggy or "slimy", so maybe you could cook vegetables so that they are crunchy instead. If a child will not eat the fruit you buy, then try more exotic forms of fruit, dried fruit or fruit juice. Remember that children’s taste buds are a lot stronger than an adults so when they say something does not taste nice, it’s probably true.

Don’t put pressure on them to eat food and praise them when they try something new. Eating as a family from a young age can also make a difference as they can learn from example. Make mealtimes a calm time for everyone involved and don’t worry, what they won’t eat today, they may eat next month.