Do NOT make something separate for the picky eater!  My children got whatever I made, period.  They did get a chance to voice what they would like on occasion.  Birthday's they got to choose what we were having for dinner and every week or two when I made a menu before shopping, I would ask if any one had any ideas for dinner.  Sometimes they would make a request, sometimes not, and sometimes I would honor the request and sometimes not.

If they didn't eat what was put before them, I used two methods depending on the child, other factors.  One, was they would sit there until they finished.  Everyone else would leave the room, they would sit there.  Their siblings and friends would be outside playing (particularly effective in the summer months), they would still sit there.  Eventually they ate.

The other method was whatever they didn't finish in a certain time frame (usually and hour after everyone else was finished), I would put it in the fridge and they would have it for breakfast the next morning.  I never had any that were too stubborn about it, a few times they held off until lunch, but they do eventually get hungry, and they do eventually want a snack like their siblings were getting.  The idea is no other food until that food is eaten.  It works!  I now have adult children who will pretty much eat anything, and if they are out at someone else's house and something is served that they don't like, they smile and politely eat it!  A couple are still more picky than the others but they will eat whatever I serve, no complaints! :)

My kid eats what we eat, period.  When we were kids, my mom gave us the choice between what was served or a peanut butter sandwich.  As far as encouragement to try things, use the three bite rule, don't banish a food forever because your child doesn't like it, tastes change with age, and the adults in your house should have good food attitudes too.  the kids aren't going to want to eat their peas if daddy won't eat them and always says how gross they are.

This is tricky. My daughter has a few foods that are her favorites...and there are certain things that we eat that she can't chew...like steak or pork chop. I usually cook separate food for her, but it's super simple like pasta (that's made ahead of time in a large batch), and steamed veggies. She likes all her food plain, so that's easy. I offer her foods that we eat too, so that we can see if she'll like what we have. She usually does, but prefers the plain stuff. I have no idea why because there's no flavor to it. Go figure...If she doesn't have her plain food and we just offer whatever we have, she'll eat it too, but not as ethusiastically as her food. She's pretty easygoing though. I see some kids who will throw the food across the room if that happened. You know your child best.

@bLueAnGeL55@xanga - It's not forcing.  They have a choice, eat what is cooked or eat nothing.  None of my children have eating issues.  

@XbabyK@xanga - awesome pic of the Stig!

My children eat whatever *they* want to eat.  I have no problem cooking them something different than what my husband and I are having (actually, it's very rare that my husband and I eat the same thing for dinner).

I dont have kids yet but I often add things I don't like all that much or that my partner hates to meals by blending it up or grating it and you don't even notice it is in there at all. A favourite of ours is sausage rolls with grated carrot in it. It's a good way to get people to eat vegetables they don'treally like the taste of because you can't really taste it at all.
When we have kids, we will definately be doing it as well.

I have worked with kids a bit too and find one thing that helps alot with getting them to eat foods that are definately not their favourites is to let them help prepare the food. Its amazing how many kids wont like certain vegetables, but will love them cut up into shapes to make a face and put on a pitabread pizza.

I firmly blieve that they should not get the choice to be picky, I have four kids that can eat "everything" now, and they have to eat what is put in front of them.  There are a few things that I know they have tried more than once and really do not like so I do not MAKE them eat it, but our rule is 4 big bites of something new, they are visual eaters and it is funny if it looks intresting they will pick at it and say they do not like it but more times than not after the four bites they like it and will eat their plate, so our four bite rule seems to do the trick for now.

my 2 year old most of the time eats what we do, but there are a lot of food he has no interest in. I don't believe in forcing him to eat something he doesn't truly like. But I also know that before I usually make anything truly different for him, I let him see what we are having, his taste buds will grow and change and sometimes what they don't like now they could like the next time its made. But he usually eats what we do, pizza, pastas, mexican food, really anything expect for hamburger meat.

@MlleBaroque@xanga - Goodness, soy sauce makes you gag? My husband and I eat so much soy sauce I'm suprised that we haven't turned into blocks of salt. :)

I've never heard of a person who didn't like soy sauce! That's interesting.

I am not sure how to handle this yet. My son is 20-months-old and likes just about everything. I have had one or two times where he didn't want to eat lunch, so I put what he didn't eat in the fridge and he would eat it for dinner. But it is foods like, beefaroni (which I know he likes) that he won't eat for lunch. He just isn't hungry. When he gets a little bit older and can voice that he'd rather have chicken nuggets and fries for dinner every single night -- I'll start making him try other things. He'll have to take at least a few bites.

My brother used to do that gag effect. He would stuff his mouth so full of food and gag on it (on purpose) and go and spit it out. My parents gave into it and he did that for about two or three years, so he wouldn't have to eat it. Eventually he got to the point where I guess he noticed how silly he was acting -- but I don't think it is a good thing. Some kids may take it to heart and think that gagging on their food is okay. I don't want Sean to think that. The first few times he tries that (if he does) I'm prepared. I'll just give him an extra helping of what he gagged (except it'll be a helping times two). And he will eat it, in smaller bites, hah.

I was never forced to eat things and I am a VERY picky eater. I do try new things whenever I get a chance to. I just hope I can get Sean to eat different foods and like them. I do not have problems yet though!

@sugartomyhoney@xanga - That sounds terrible! =( I can understand why any parent would want their kids to try things before they are dismissed as yucky, but I can't see any need to force kids to eat something they don't like. My memories of seeing kids tear up as they choke down something they really hate leave a much worse impression on me than a 6 year old not finishing his broccoli. People that have kids should be prepared to accommodate for what they want. I was very picky, but was not forced to choke down anything in entirety. I just had to try it. But today I am constantly trying new things, and after I turned 10 or 11 my taste buds matured and I was able to enjoy a lot more foods! When I think of kids being force fed, I think of the Mommie Dearest biography.