Hacks For Getting Picky Kids To Eat

401770 02: First-grader Brendan Eckenrode uses the fingerprint scanner to pay for lunch at Penn Cambria Pre-Primary School March 1, 2002 in Cresson, Pa. Penn Cambria is one of three school districts utilizing a biometric program from Food Service Solutions, in Altoona, PA that enables students to buy their lunch with their scanned fingerprints. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

(Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

These hacks are straight from a dietitian so you know it's real!

Producer Nicole here.

Looking back on my childhood, I was such a picky eater. Like...chicken nuggets and french fries type of picky. What can I say, I liked what I liked! I remember my mom always cooking new dishes and me being such a brat about trying them for the first time. The funny part? I ended up liking pretty much everything I tried! Sorry, Mom!

Jennifer Anderson has a Facebook and Instagram full of simple and realistic hacks to help feed the little Nicoles in the world. Her goal is to expose kids to as much real food as possible and these are the tips to help do so.

Treat veggies like toys - Branding is everything, even to the little ones! When broccoli becomes tiny trees, kids could think it's cool to take a bite
Play the 'Exposure Game' to get your kid to eat veggies - Don't force your little, picky eater to eat a vegetable. Instead, see how many times you can expose them to one.
Let your kid "sneak food" from a snack drawer - Talk to your kid and come up with some foods to put in the snack drawer and decide on the time frame they'll be available. This allows you to set some parameters around snacking and gives your kid some independence.
Have an "unwanted food" bowl - If your toddler is a food thrower, try keeping an "unwanted food bowl" around for them. It's not a fun stage, but remember, they'll grow out of it and it'll be over soon.

Alright parents out there...do you have any hacks to add to the list? Tweet us! @theMRLshow

Nicole WeaverWriter