Dr. Ana-Maria Temple suggests requiring kids to eat a fruit or vegetable before junk snacks like Cheetos. She also keeps a charcuterie-style platter of cut-up fruits and vegetables on the counter where kids can grab them, which works better than constant nagging about picky eating.
When we did in the snack phase, I was like, sure, you guys can eat your Cheetos and Doritos, but before you do that, you have to eat a fruit or vegetable. And they're like, ah, I'm like, that's fine. You don't need to, then you're not hungry. And so then when they would come home from school, they'd be like, we're so hungry. And I, if I was home from work, I would have a charcuterie platter ready to go on the counter because it doesn't matter what you tell me, how picky your children are, how much they complain. When food is cut up for them right in front of them with a nice presentation, they will eat it.
