Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
Many parents would be relieved if only their children would taste the simple foods on their plate.
And then there's Willie, who at age 2-1/2, said, "Mmmmm! Octopus!" with his first bite - and squealed for more.
Although your goal might not be to turn your child into a seafood junkie like Willie, you want your children to grow up accepting a wide range of food.
It's good for your children's development and good for your sanity if you're trying to get everyone to eat the same dinner.
"If your children are curious about food, they'll have a broad curiosity about everything. It opens doors and opens minds," says Willie's mom, Nancy Tringali Piho, Washington, D.C.
Unfortunately, advertisements, and not your best judgment, may determine what you put on the table, says, Piho, who has two children, Willie (William), now 5, and Daniel, 2.
Tune out commercial messages
If you want to avoid raising picky eaters, stop offering children their own bland diets. Instead serve one meal for everyone the way your mother did, says Piho, a food publicist and author of "My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus" (Bull Publishing Company, 2009).
"When I was growing up there was no question that children were going to eat what the rest of the family ate," she says.
To acquaint your child with the menu, introduce new flavors on a regular basis.
Start with the foods your family likes to eat, says Melinda Johnson, MS, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
"You want your child to become familiar with the family's diet," says Johnson, Chandler, Ariz.
Put a small portion of a new food on your child's plate (provided your child is developmentally ready), says Johnson.
Use positive language
For example, even though Piho likes bitter-flavored foods, including dark chocolate and broccoli, she realizes bitter is a loaded word and uses "sharp" instead.
Even with the improved vocabulary you might have to make several attempts before your child likes a new food.
Willie wasn't wowed by his first experience with steamed arugula, but Piho gently persevered. Now her son loves the sharp green used raw in place of lettuce on a sandwich.
"We tend to give up too quickly. You have to try it [a new food] again and again in several ways," she says.
No one's documented the number of attempts you have to make, but it can be up to 10 times, according to Johnson.
"You need to allow children to approach the food in their own time. We do know that if we push the food on the child, he will hate it," Johnson says.
Don't fall into the trap of bribing a child to eat a certain food, such as a vegetable.
"Once the bribe is taken away your child won't eat vegetables," Johnson says.
And, sometimes you have to throw in the towel for the night.
"You can try two weeks later or two years later, or maybe try the food in a different form," Piho says.