7 Ways to End Picky Eating (Strategies for raising an adventurous eater (that will eat at least some of his veggies)

I wanted my kids to be good eaters. It mattered quite a lot to me, in fact. But I wondered, during the breast-pump-and-jarred-baby-food days, what I could do to help them grow up liking not only broccoli and oranges but also foods like salmon, fava beans and goat cheese, as I do. Or was appetite one of those things, like personality and hair color, that's simply ingrained?

I wish I could say that I was motivated purely by concern for their health, but that was only part of it. I also wanted them to grow up open-minded about new experiences, starting with ones that arrive on a plate. Mostly, I was motivated by self-interest. I love to cook, and longed for eager guinea pigs at the table. I had spent too many years living alone and attempting to divide recipes in fourths, or eating leftovers night after night. What joy to march boldly into a recipe that "serves six"! Joy, that is, as long as my diners wouldn't stick out their tongues and yell "yuck!"

So I did some research, watched friends with their kids and talked it over with my husband. He and I have evolved a set of seven strategies for raising an adventurous eater, or at least turning a cautious eater into a more adventurous one. Well, they've worked for us. At least for now.

1. You're not a short-order cook.

At mealtime, we tell our three kids, "This is what's for dinner. If you don't like it, that's fine; you don't have to eat it. But there isn't anything else." They can decide for themselves whether to eat the food in front of them or wait until the next opportunity. Of course, it helps to consider their tastes when planning a meal, making sure that—in addition to the new recipe you're trying—at least one or two of the other offerings are tried-and-true favorites.

It was the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that actually gave me the courage to follow through with this idea. Around the time my firstborn, George, was learning to say "No!" I came across this passage in its book Guide to Your Child's Nutrition: "Children will not become ill or suffer permanently if they refuse a meal or two, but parents sometimes act as though youngsters might shrivel up and die." If you've been giving your child alternative entrees up until now and she threatens to go on a hunger strike rather than eat the family meal (as some certainly will), I suggest you try strategies 5 and 6.

2. You can spice things up.

True, kids have delicate taste buds, but that doesn't mean they need to be served a steady diet of pasta with butter (even if that's all they ask for). In fact, it's all the more reason to give them flavorful food; children really notice when something tastes good because of their naturally sensitive palates. I expected my kids to shun garlic when they were babies, for instance. And surely, I thought, they'd hate olives. But a little garlic makes so many things taste better that even a 1-year-old can enjoy the difference (there's a good chance he's already sampled it in your breast milk anyway). Olives can be wonderful, too, if they're the mild, fragrant kind marinated in oil and herbs. I do go out of my way to avoid very spicy foods and funky, stinky things like blue cheese. But other than that, I cook the same kinds of meals for my family that I used to cook for friends.

3. Give vegetables the hard sell.

This food group is traditionally a mom's biggest hurdle, and it's easy to understand why. Boiled and salted, vegetables are typically nothing more than a good-for-you side dish, dumped by the ladleful alongside things that actually taste yummy. No wonder getting kids to eat them requires begging and threats, tactics that quickly backfire. Because once your kids realize that you really, really want them to eat vegetables, refusing to do so becomes a power struggle that they will always win.

I've had success using recipes that integrate vegetables into delicious main dishes, such as eggplant layered with spiced ground lamb, smashed peas and rice and sautéed zucchini with tomato and basil. And I've made lots of vegetable-based sauces for pasta.

Another trick: On the nights that I do serve vegetables as a side dish, I'll often place them on the table first, when my kids are the hungriest. Usually they've wolfed them down by the time the rest of the meal arrives.

4. Try to eat dinner together.

You've heard all the research: Kids who eat dinner with their parents have healthier diets, better vocabularies, get better grades, blahblahblah. I'm not going to guilt-trip you about needing to do it every night. But do try to pull it off when you can. And be realistic with your expectations. Little guys simply can't sit at a dinner table for very long. A toddler may last only five minutes, and 15 minutes from a 4-year-old is a very good thing.

So that our children appreciate family dinnertime without feeling coerced into it, here's what we decided: If one of our two bigger (out of the high chair, that is) kids is finished eating his dinner, he can leave the table, but he can't hang around nearby, playing and talking and distracting the rest of us. He has to go into the living room or upstairs to his room and entertain himself. Usually, it turns out that what he really wants is our company and attention, so he'll stay in his seat. My husband and I have our own rules to obey, too. We don't answer the phone or watch TV during dinner.

5. You have to try one bite.

And no more, if what your child tastes makes him or her gag. Like most parents, I have childhood memories of being forced to eat foods that turned my stomach, and I don't want to subject my kids to that. Some moms I know are so worried they won't be able to tell the difference between genuine revulsion and mere stubborness that they let their kids off the hook too quickly. But it has actually turned out to be easy to tell when a dish is truly nauseating to one of my kids. I'll quickly let him know he doesn't have to finish, and praise him for giving it the old try.

6. If all else fails, use bribery (and don't feel guilty).

My kids may now be more open-minded about food than most, but that doesn't mean they always like what I've cooked. Heck, I don't always like what I've cooked. But eating it isn't torture. If they start poking food around on their plates, eating a bite of this but none of that or acting stubborn or sulky, we resort to the same bag of tricks that parents have used for generations:

• No dessert if you don't eat a fair amount of dinner.
• No seconds until you try a little of everything—but then seconds can be whatever part of the meal you like most.
• Or, the most mysteriously effective one of all, "I see you're not eating your chicken. Mind if I give it to your brother?" at which point, some inexplicable competitive urge kicks in, and the petulant child turns into a food-eating dynamo and polishes off everything on his plate.

7. Save room for dessert.

I can't lie: Ice cream often tastes better than anything on the planet. Life has its share of sweetness and serendipity, and mealtime should, too.

4 Fun Ways to Get Baby to Talk (How to teach your baby to learn and love language and conversation)

For months, in my family, silence was an enemy. No matter how hard my wife and I tried, no matter how much we read to and blabbed at our baby daughter, the kid wouldn’t speak a lick. Sure, she smiled and giggled when we acted goofily. And yes, she grabbed her stuffed walrus when we asked her to. Brain cells were clearly functioning correctly. But for months there simply were no words.

Maybe we were a bit neurotic. Around the baby’s 10-month mark, we were vexed; by 12 months, we became concerned. We were about to contact our pediatrician when the baby let out a loud “Mama.” She hasn’t stopped talking since. All that worrying! All those nights hunched over books about what to expect! Our Type-A panic was all for naught.

The truth is that helping our babies acquire language skills may be easier and more natural than we think, so say many speech pathologists and child psychologists. It turns out, those of us who have called this process “learning to talk” have had it all wrong; the art of communication is much broader than our babies acquiring new words and regurgitating them upon command. It requires a positive environment that fosters trust and celebrates success. It requires repetition. Most important, at least to Larry Gray M.D., assistant professor of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Chicago Medical Center, it requires fun.

“No matter what kind of expert you ask, the current thinking is this: Present parents who interact with their babies help create kids who’ll succeed,” says Dr. Gray. In other words, as long as you talk to your kids and keep them interested, you can’t go wrong. Here are four steps to help you be a present parent who rocks:

Conversation Starters

It’s never too early to instill a love for language; just ask Alice Finch of Seattle. Just after Finch’s first son was born, she and her husband engaged the boy nonstop, even going so far as to create a series of fabric books to spark an interest in words. The strategy worked wonders, and the baby said his first words at about 6 months old. “Tremendous brain growth is happening from day one,” Finch says. “I knew from the beginning I was going to provide lots of opportunities for exposing my kids to the details of life.”

The truth is Finch’s son likely started learning language even before these tactical forays into language immersion. Recent research out of the University of Amsterdam indicates that most kids start acquiring rudimentary language skills (such as cadence and beat) while they’re still in the womb. After birth, though communication skills may not “click” immediately, rest assured: Those baby-brain synapses are firing. Babies can take weeks to assimilate words they hear every day—often giving us parents no clues there’s learning going on behind the scenes, says Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Ph.D., a director of the Temple University Infant Laboratory in Ambler, Pennsylvania. “From day one, babies are hearing information, so they can later compute the frequencies of what they hear and figure out how words and phrases and sentences fit together,” Hirsh-Pasek quips. “They’re constantly constructing how language works.”

what you can do

Remember there’s no such thing as too much exposure to language during your child’s earliest stages. Talk often. Get creative (like Finch’s fabric books). Be patient if all you hear at first are crickets.

Total Exposure

Over time, the more words your child hears, the better. The Finches made a concerted effort to talk to their son as much as possible. For Kevin and Libby Frank of Cincinnati, the strategy with their firstborn was much more free-form. Sure, the couple tried quizzing the baby on certain key words. Ultimately, however, Libby says her daughter learned best through repetition. “One day after I got cut off in traffic, I heard this little voice from the backseat say, ‘num-nuts!’ and I knew something was working,” Libby remembers.

Experts say the “how” of language exposure doesn’t matter as much as exposure itself. The seminal study on this topic, the 1995 book Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children, correlated the number of words a child hears by age 3 to that child’s success later in life. Modern experts agree that the more words our children hear as their brains develop most significantly, the better.

what you can do

This isn’t as hard as you might think. One great way to achieve this goal is by using “self-talk,” the clinical term for a play-by-play of one's day-to-day activities, says Dr. Gray. “Imagine yourself as a radio announcer broadcasting details of your world to the most important listener of all,” he says. Dr. Gray adds that while the approach feels very awkward at first and you may feel kind of silly, parents end up sharing thousands of words an hour and “can turn the routine into a fun, language-based learning experience.”

Make Conversation

Words, however, can’t exist in a vacuum. Think of language skills like a garden; the more they blossom, the more they must be nurtured. This means consistent interactions as your child gets older. Just because your kid appears to be getting the hang of things doesn’t mean you can spend more time on your cell phone or on Facebook (or both). Now’s the time to emphasize the give-and-take nature of conversation: talking and listening.

Such is life for Dan and Susan Twetten of Chicago. Dan, an attorney, says he and his wife strived to embrace language-oriented activities to share with their daughter, including conversations and responsive readings or singalongs. That Susan stayed home with the baby made it easy to weave these activities into a daily routine—one that to this day comprises interactive language games designed to spark learning. “Our methodology, if you’d call it that, was to just stay involved,” Dan says, noting that the real language explosion happened between 20 and 24 months. “I know there are a lot of different theories on the subject of language acquisition, but it all seemed pretty straightforward to us.”

what you can do

First, when speaking to your child, allow for a response, even if he isn’t old or verbal enough to give one. Second, be patient. If your child misidentifies certain colors or objects, be sure to acknowledge the effort in and of itself. Finally, turn off the television. Janice Im, senior director of programs for Zero to Three, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., says even “educational” programs are no substitute for face-to-face, one-on-one interactions.

For parents without the luxury of staying home, many child-care facilities embrace similar tactics and plan curriculum around them. At KinderCare Learning Centers, the nation’s largest early-childhood education and care provider, for instance, educators emphasize reading, sing-alongs and word games such as rhyming and poetry. “It’s all about creating an environment where language becomes part of a bigger and broader context,” says Linda Nelson, a senior curriculum developer for the company's education department. “We all began to learn what we know about conversation at an early age.”

Success = Party Time

Of course, understanding comes most easily when it’s fun and rewarding. When our daughter picks up new words and phrases, we clap like cheerleaders and chant her two-syllable name as if she’s playing shortstop for the San Francisco Giants. We try to reinforce vocabulary development by singing duets where we take turns filling in appropriate words. For instance, a current favorite is “Clementine.” I sing, “Oh my” and she adds “darling,” then I sing, “Oh my darling,” and she finishes with “Clementine.”

what you can do

Dance a jig the first time your baby strings together two or three words. Ask open-ended questions such as “What do you see in this picture?” Be sure to allow time for your baby to respond in her own way. Perhaps most importantly, engage your child and look him in the eye when speaking to him. “The more direct one-on-one interactions you can have, the happier and more engaged your baby is going to be,” says Nancy Tarshis, a speech and language expert at the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center in New York. “Become excited but also reinforce what they say by responding contingently, either by getting them what they are requesting or by making a very related, relevant comment.”

In most cases, these steps should lead to (lots of) talking. And as a parent who has worried about his child’s language acquisition from the very beginning, I can attest: Silence is totally overrated.

Look who's talking

Though every baby is different, there’s a predictable progression to his language skills. Here’s a look at what to expect when.

0 to 4 months

Mostly cooing and gurgling sounds; children mimic certain noises and are particularly interested in the pitch and level of your voice.

4 to 7 months

Babbling at first; sounds like B, D and M are evident.

7 to 12 months

Sounds diversify into grunts and squeals; first words usually emerge around baby's first birthday.

12 to 18 months 

Vocabulary grows exponentially; multiple- word combinations are not unusual.

18 to 30 months

Small phrases, sentences and more.

still waiting?

If by 18 months your child isn't speaking at least 15 words, contact your pediatrician. Don’t write it off as a phase. The sooner you have the child evaluated for speech pathologies, the sooner you can help reverse the situation if something is awry—which isn’t always the case. Every baby develops at his own pace. Contact the American Speech-Language-Hearing Asso- ciation directly to locate a certified speech-language pathologist or audiologist and set up a formal screening. Visit asha.org for more information.

Month-by-Month Guide to Baby's Milestones

When will my baby sit up, crawl and walk? What is considered "normal" when it comes to reaching milestones? What I tell new parents about their baby's development is this: Infants' growth once was viewed as a sort of developmental elevator. Baby went from floor to floor, stopping at each level to learn a new skill. But there's more to that story. Babies build their skills based on the environment they find on each floor. If the interaction with you or other caregivers is responsive and enriching, she gets back on the elevator with even more skills, and the ride to the next stage is much smoother. Knowing how your baby acquires new cognitive and motor skills not only teaches you about him, it's also a worthwhile reminder that every infant is a little different (and it may even help you avoid the neighborhood race to see whose baby sits or crawls or walks first). Here are the average time frames and descriptions of some of the most important first-year accomplishments.

How Stress Affect Your Health

Natural Reaction

Have you ever found yourself with sweaty hands on a first date or felt your heart pound during a scary movie? Then you know you can feel stress in both your mind and body. 
This automatic response developed in our ancient ancestors as a way to protect them from predators and other threats. Faced with danger, the body kicks into gear, flooding the body with hormones that elevate your heart rate, increase your blood pressure, boost your energy and prepare you to deal with the problem. 

9 Science-Based Health Benefits of Almond Milk

Usually, extra nutrients such as calcium, riboflavin, vitamin E and vitamin D are added to it to boost its nutritional content.

Many commercial varieties are available, and some people make their own at home.

It’s great for those who cannot or choose not to drink cow’s milk, as well as people who just like the taste.

This article takes a closer look at the 9 most important health benefits of almond milk.

1. Low in Calories

Almond milk is much lower in calories than cow’s milk.

Some people find this confusing, as almonds are known to be high in calories and fat. However, due to the way almond milk is processed, only a very small portion of almonds is present in the finished product.

This is great for people who want to cut calories and lose weight.

One cup (240 ml) of unsweetened almond milk contains about 30–50 calories, while the same amount of whole dairy milk contains 146 calories. That means almond milk contains 65–80% fewer calories (1, 2, 3).

Restricting your calorie intake is an effective way to lose weight, especially in combination with exercise. Even a moderate weight loss of 5–10% of your body weight can help prevent and manage conditions such as diabetes (4, 5).

If you are trying to lose weight, simply replacing two or three daily servings of dairy with almond milk would result in a daily calorie reduction of up to 348 calories.

Since most moderate weight loss strategies recommend eating approximately 500 fewer calories per day, drinking almond milk could be a simple way to help you lose weight.

Keep in mind that sweetened commercial varieties can be much higher in calories, as they contain added sugars. Additionally, unfiltered homemade versions may have a greater amount of almonds left in them, so they can also be higher in calories.

SUMMARYUnsweetened almond milk contains up to 80% fewer calories than regular dairy milk. Using it as a replacement for cow's milk could be an effective weight loss strategy.

2. Low in Sugar

Unsweetened varieties of almond milk are very low in sugar.

One cup (240 ml) of almond milk contains only 1–2 grams of carbs, most of which is dietary fiber. In comparison, 1 cup (240 ml) of dairy milk contains 13 grams of carbs, most of which is sugar (1, 2, 3).

It is important to note that many commercial varieties of almond milk are sweetened and flavored with added sugars. These varieties may contain about 5–17 grams of sugar per cup (240 ml) (6, 7).

Therefore, it is important to always check the nutrition label and ingredients list for added sugars.

However, unsweetened almond milk could aid those trying to restrict their sugar intake.

For example, people with diabetes often need to limit their daily carbohydrate intake. Replacing dairy milk with almond milk may be a good way to achieve this (8).

SUMMARYUnsweetened almond milk is naturally low in sugar, making it suitable for those restricting their sugar intake, such as people with diabetes. However, many varieties are sweetened, so it is still important to check the nutrition label.

 3. High in Vitamin E

Almonds are naturally high in vitamin E, providing 37% of the daily vitamin E requirement in just 1 ounce (28 grams) (9).

Therefore, almond milk is also a natural source of vitamin E, though most commercial varieties also add extra vitamin E during processing (10).

One cup of almond milk (240 ml) provides 20–50% of your daily vitamin E requirement, depending on the brand. In comparison, dairy milk contains no vitamin E at all (1, 3, 11).

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that combats inflammation and stress in the body (12, 13).

It helps protect against heart disease and cancer, and it may also have beneficial effects on bone and eye health (14, 15, 16, 17).

What’s more, vitamin E has been found to significantly benefit brain health. Studies have found that it improves mental performance. It also appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and may slow its progression (18).

SUMMARYOne cup (240 ml) of almond milk can provide 20–50% of your daily vitamin E requirement. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce inflammation, stress and the risk of disease.

4. A Good Source of Calcium

Milk and other dairy products are key sources of calcium in many people’s diets. One cup (240 ml) of whole milk provides 28% of the daily recommended intake (3).

In comparison, almonds contain only a small amount of calcium, just 7% of the daily requirement in 1 ounce (28 grams) (19).

Because almond milk is most often used as a replacement for dairy milk, manufacturers enrich it with calcium to ensure people are not missing out (10).

Calcium is an important mineral for the development and health of bones. It also helps reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis (20).

Additionally, calcium is necessary for the proper functioning of the heart, nerves and muscles.

One cup of almond milk (240 ml) provides 20–45% of the recommended daily intake for calcium (1, 11).

Some brands use a type of calcium called tricalcium phosphate, rather than calcium carbonate. However, tricalcium phosphate is not as well absorbed. To see what type of calcium is used in your almond milk, check the ingredients label (21).

If you are making almond milk yourself at home, you may need to find other sources of calcium to supplement your diet, such as cheese, yogurt, fish, seeds, legumes and leafy greens.

SUMMARYAlmond milk is enriched with calcium to provide 20–45% of your daily requirements per serving. Calcium is particularly important for bone health, including the prevention of fractures and osteoporosis.

 5. Often Enriched with Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for many aspects of good health, including heart function, bone health and immune function (22, 23).

Your body can produce it when your skin is exposed to sunlight. However, 30–50% of people do not get enough vitamin D due to their skin color, lifestyle, long work hours or simply living in an area where there is limited sunlight (22).

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fertility issues, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases (24, 25, 26, 27).

Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, so manufacturers may fortify foods with it. Products that are often fortified with vitamin D include milk, juices, cereals, cheese, margarine and yogurt (28, 29).

Most almond milks are fortified with vitamin D2, also known as ergocalciferol. On average, 1 cup (240 ml) of fortified almond milk provides 25% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin D (1, 11).

Homemade almond milk will not contain any vitamin D, so you will need to seek other dietary sources if you are not getting enough vitamin D from sunlight.

SUMMARYVitamin D is a nutrient essential to good health, although 30–50% of people are deficient. Almond milk is fortified with vitamin D and provides about a quarter of the recommended daily intake in a 1-cup (240-ml) serving.

6. Naturally Lactose-Free

Lactose intolerance is a condition in which people are unable to digest lactose, the sugar in milk.

It is caused by a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that’s responsible for breaking down lactose into a more digestible form. This deficiency may be caused by genetics, aging or certain medical conditions (30).

Intolerance can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including stomach pain, bloating and gas (21, 30).

Lactose intolerance is estimated to affect up to 75% of people worldwide. It is least common in white people of European descent, affecting 5–17% of the population. However, in South America, Africa and Asia, the rates are as high as 50–100% (10, 21).

Because almond milk is naturally lactose-free, it is a suitable alternative for people who have lactose intolerance.

SUMMARYUp to 75% of the world's population is lactose intolerant. Almond milk is naturally lactose-free, making it a good alternative to dairy.

 7. Dairy-Free and Vegan

Some people choose to avoid dairy milk as a religious, health, environmental or lifestyle choice, such as veganism (21).

Since almond milk is fully plant-based, it is suitable for all these groups and can be used in place of dairy milk on its own or in any recipe.

Additionally, almond milk is free of the proteins that cause milk allergy in up to 0.5% of adults (31, 32, 33).

While soy milk has been a traditional alternative to dairy milk for adults, up to 14% of people who are allergic to dairy milk are also allergic to soy milk. Therefore, almond milk provides a good alternative (34).

However, given that almond milk is very low in digestible protein compared to dairy milk, it is not suitable as a replacement for infants or young children with milk allergies. Instead, they may require specialized formulas (34).

SUMMARYAlmond milk is completely plant-based, making it suitable for vegans and other people who avoid dairy products. It is also suitable for people who have a dairy allergy. Because it’s low in protein, it is not suitable as a full replacement for dairy in young children.

8. Low in Phosphorus, With a Moderate Amount of Potassium

People with chronic kidney disease often avoid milk due to its high levels of phosphorus and potassium (35, 36).

Because their kidneys are not able to properly clear these nutrients, there is a risk they will build up in the blood.

Too much phosphorus in the blood increases the risk of heart disease, hyperparathyroidism and bone disease. Meanwhile, too much potassium increases the risk of irregular heart rhythm, heart attack and death (35, 36).

Dairy milk contains 233 mg of phosphorus and 366 mg of potassium per cup (240 ml), while the same amount of almond milk contains only 20 mg of phosphorus and 160 mg of potassium (35).

However, the amounts may vary from brand to brand, so you may need to check with the manufacturer.

If you have kidney disease, your individual requirements and limits may vary depending on your stage of disease and current blood levels of potassium and phosphorus (37).

However, almond milk can be a suitable alternative for people trying to reduce their intake of potassium and phosphorus due to kidney disease.

SUMMARYPeople with chronic kidney disease often avoid dairy due to its high levels of potassium and phosphorus. Almond milk has much lower levels of these nutrients and may be a suitable alternative.

 9. Very Easy to Add to Your Diet

Almond milk can be used in any way that regular dairy milk can be used.

Below are some ideas about how to include it in your diet:

• As a nutritious, refreshing drink
• In cereal, muesli or oats at breakfast
• In your tea, coffee or hot chocolate
• In smoothies
• In cooking and baking, such as recipes for muffins and pancakes
• In soups, sauces or dressings
• In your own homemade ice cream
• In homemade almond yogurt

To make 1 cup (240 ml) of almond milk at home, blend a half cup of soaked, skinless almonds with 1 cup (240 ml) of water. Then use a nut bag to strain the solids from the mixture.

You can make it thicker or thinner by adjusting the quantity of water. The milk can be kept for up to two days in the refrigerator.

SUMMARYYou can drink almond milk on its own, added to cereals and coffee or used in a variety of recipes for cooking and baking. You can make it at home by blending soaked almonds with water, then straining the mixture.

The Bottom Line

Almond milk is a tasty, nutritious milk alternative that has many important health benefits.

It is low in calories and sugar and high in calcium, vitamin E and vitamin D.

Additionally, it is suitable for people with lactose intolerance, a dairy allergy or kidney disease, as well as those who are vegan or avoiding dairy for any other reason.

You can use almond milk in any way that you would use regular dairy milk.

Try adding it to cereal or coffee, mixing it into smoothies and using it in recipes for ice cream, soups or sauces.