How do you get around fussy eaters? Tell us to win £100-worth of picture books! Ends midday 8 February

[SorchaMumsnet]

Eat Your People! is a hilarious tale of fussy eating, guaranteed to get children giggling. To celebrate its publication, we want to know how you get around those pickier eating habits.

Do you think vegetables are yucky? Just wait until you see what Monty the Monster has on his plate!

Monty definitely does NOT want to eat his people. He'll eat his vegetables - every single one! - but he will not eat his people.

For your chance to win Eat Your People! and a £100 picture book bundle from Hachette, just tell us: what are your tips for dealing with fussy eaters?

This discussion is sponsored by Hachette and will close at midday on 8 February

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DS is an excellent eater. But I try to present in fun and different ways - silicone muffin cases in various shapes is a hit - plus he hates monotony (!) so I try and vary things. He helps me cook and knows the rule is that you have to try something before refusing it. With him, this results in him enthusiastically eating said food 9 times out of 10. The fact that he is allergic to dairy has been surprisingly helpful too, as he knows he has to eat a balance of things to keep his tummy healthy and happy.

My son is allergic to a lot of things as well as fussy. It makes for a very limited diet.
I just keep putting stuff in different of him as well as the limited stuff he likes but I don't make a fuss when he doesn't eat it. Hopefully one day he will more. I also get him involved in making dinner and that seems to help.

My 2 year old daughter can be fussy but if you let her feed you some of her food then she will take it in turns, mummy try one now you try one.

Try and get the whole family to sit and eat together and encourage conversation and lots of laughs, distraction helps!
Don,t be tempted to spoon feed your fussy eater once past baby stage!
With veg I would blend them up with boiling water and gravy granules and pour lots of thick gravy on food, ideal for sprouts,swede,sweet potato etc!

My son has autism and has an extremely restricted diet.
We have had some success recently by providing him with a "tasting plate". At meal times he get his usual dinner (the same foods every day prepared exactly the same way and displayed in the same way, on a particular section plate). Along side this he has a small section plate containing 4 different new foods for him to try. These new foods are changed each day although sometimes the same food will appear a few days on the trot. There is no pressure for him to eat anything from the second plate and but he gets plenty of praise if he licks or bites anything.
I think having his normal food there is reassuring as he won't go hungry but having the option to try now foods in his own time seems to be working well.

Hmmm..don't know if I have any tips! My son (6) is a terrible eater. He lives on pancakes, cheese, bread and fruit and crisps, biscuits and chocolate.
He only gets to have pudding if he has eaten some fruit first. I try to get him to try just a mouthful of new things but he usually spits them out and says they are an insult to his tastebuds.

Mine will eat lots of fruit and veg if you give it to them as an 'appetizer', "while you wait for dinner to be ready" (ie while I faff about so you actually eat the fruit or veg...)

Well, two of three do. Ds is terrified of most food and has not eaten any fruit or veg in 7 years - will drink juice and smoothies with some persuasion. It wasn't a surprise he got diagnosed with ASD (the only obvious symptom, rest are more subtle), but he is the most amazingly healthy child. He hasn't even had a cold for nearly 4 years. He gets a couple tiny bits on a tasting plate which removes the panic and every month or two he will suck a carrot stick.

I figure his mental health is the vital bit to support here and devote my efforts to telling all the zillions of well-meaning/patronising/know-it-all types to STFU.

My twins have been so fussy. I find alot of patience from my end, bribary and reward is helping! Reducing snacking helps build up the appetite. We drew up a list of dinner time rules together which includes trying everything on their plates. Now they are a little older am tryng to get them more involved in preparing dinner too.

Keep trying - I spent years as a child rejecting tomatoes because I loathed the tinned tomatoes served at school. Years later, I tried and now love fresh and cooked tomatoes - but still abhor tinned.....

I don't force it but keep putting different foods on her plate and eventually she tries it. My daughter would eat anything when a baby but when she got to around 2.5 just got really fussy. There's no point worrying

Firm but fair. Make sure they see us eat what we are asking them to, explain why they should eat healthily, no snacks if they won't eat their meal..... I could go on, but just maintaining a consistent view. It's not been easy for us with either of ours though.

I think persistance is key when it comes to fussy eating. The worst thing you can do is just give in to it and let them eat what they want - you're just making a rod for your own back in the long run! My youngest daughter hated olives for a while (as a lot of children do), so every time I made a pasta dish I chucked some in the sauce...eventually she grew to love them and now she will eat bowls of them on their own!

I blend lots of cooked veggies into pasta sauces...my 2 daughters love it.

I have really struggled with my daughter and still do even though she is nearly 9 !! I must admit the only way I have managed to get goodness inside her as been bribery..which sometimes works but not all the time :)

my daughter is terribly fssyive found getting her more involved in meal times has helped. she enjoys helping to prepare the foods and we make funny faces and shapes out of the food as well

I no longer bother with tricks or trying to hide anything - but ignore it but still dish everything up. Occasionally they try something new but I try to let them decide

I make pictures on the plate out of the food. Here's my spaghetti face with mushrooms, peppers & onions for the face

The only one I've found to sometimes work is bribery! Eat this and you can't eat this/ play on this / after.

Or calling everything something a different name , all meat is chicken. Beef is chicken. Fish is chicken. Etc.

SMALLER POTIONS

By either disguising in other food or saying they have to eat one otherwise no pudding!

My son is a fussy eater, has been from the age of 2. I however, just continued to cook the same meal for everyone regardless of whether he ate it. He only went to bed hungry a few times as I refused to give him anything else. He is now 11 and would be happy to eat beans on toast every day of the week. He used to sit there for almost an hour when eating his dinner, so I threatened to throw it in the bin, he soon realised that it was best to eat it as he didn't want to go to bed hungry..

We play the Superhero game - a mouthful for each superhero he can name. It works for us.

I just went with the flow and did the best I could. He went through a phase where all he'd eat was cheese sandwiches, but he'd have yogurt, and would eat fruit dipped in the yogurt, so pretty healthy overall! Not allowing too many sweet treat alternatives helped!

Blend veggies into a sauce to go with pasta... make faces with the ingredients on their plate.. shape cutters such as love hearts for sandwiches went down well with my daughter!

Thankfully i dont have overly fussy eaters and are always willing to try new things. Sometimes though when they're going through a "phase" i puree veg and add it to mash potato.