How to get my toddler to eat healthy???

All of my children went through this, including my now 4-year old who eats anything and everything. I think as long as they are maintaining weight, gaining appropriately, etc., it is ok. Just keep offering/encouraging healthy stuff and she'll come around. Maybe you can things like "if you eat this....I'll give you that...."

My girls are 3 and 7, so we've been there done that. We try to lead by example - whatever we are eating, we offer it to them. Sometimes, we modify it. If DH is putting some spice on our meat, he may cook the meat for the girls first, then add the spice for ours. We also often have a platter of raw veggies to snack on with dinner. My 3 year old loves to dip, so she's more likely to try new veggies if she can dip them.

We also did the cutting foods into shapes for both of them. They've now outgrown it, but it worked at the time.

Also, don't forget that it could take up to 15 times for a kid to like something, so keep offering foods to her. She may come around eventually.

Mostly, I try to avoid the dinner table battles. We offer what we are having (or a simple modification). If she decides she doesn't want it, there are no other options. Time to time, my 3 year old will have next to nothing for dinner. And that's o.k. She will not starve.

I think leading by example is one of the best things that you are already doing. I think a few years ago Jessica Seinfeld wrote a book about this cause, like you, she just couldn't get her kids to eat healthy. While we would like kids to crave these foods in their most natural form now, I don't necessarily think (this is just my opinion) hiding them (which is what she sometimes suggests) is the worst thing in the world either if the point is to get the nutrients in their diet. I thought the concept was clever cause I remember when I used to au pair, getting those kids to eat healthy was a full time job. Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-ebook/dp/B0035C0MMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1277305514&sr=1-1

I also use to worry about this issue. My little girl is 3 now and she was the same way until recently. I started cooking what I normally cook and we sit at the table as a family and eat supper at least. She loves to do this together. I put about a tablespoon of whatever I make on her plate and encourage her to eat it. I know if she is really hungry is she digs right in. The foods that I have trouble getting her to try I just tell her that she can not be excused until she eats one bite of it. She usually ends up liking it and will eat it all or come back and ask for more.

Her pediatrician always told me that if she gets hungry she will eat but not to worry so much about it as long as she was maintaining a healthy weight.

I also read that if you will get an icecube tray and put little healthy fingerfoods in each part of the tray that the child would usually graze and eat most of it. I tried it and it worked. I put avacado and beans, etc. in it. It was great at your childs age to use. It lets them feel like they have a say in what they are eating by being able to pick what they want from the tray. I read that some people even put tofu in it.

One last idea, try sugar snap peas. You can eat the whole thing and it is sweet. We love them. Just make sure to take the string off the side that is thicker and hard to eat. You just snap the top and peel it down the side. It will remove that part without opening the bean and losing the peas inside. They are great to eat as a healthy snack. Good Luck!!