Clever Tools to Motivate Picky Eaters

When you’ve got a picky eater, it can be downright difficult to ensure they’re getting enough nutrients. When my own children go through a picky-eating phase, these simple tricks have helped me through.

• Change up the presentation. For example, cut carrots into rounds instead of sticks or shred the cheese instead of slicing it.
• Remember that just because your child doesn’t want to eat something today doesn’t mean that will be the case tomorrow. Repeated introduction of foods is key with kids.
• Try to keep the stress (at least outwardly) to a minimum; mealtime will not be made easier with more pressure on kids or parents. 

Luckily, there are also some clever tools available that can help boost your child’s interest in food. From themed plates to spiralizers and knives, these 12 genius products will take the stress out of your daily mealtime battle.

Ant toothpicks

When you want to get kids to eat something there is one trick that almost always works: put the food on a stick or toothpick. Suddenly that boring pile or food is an interesting treat, beautifully displayed. These ant toothpicks will take the fun to the next level. Kids will love seeing the pile of friendly ants on their plate delivering their meal. 

Ant toothpicks, 24 pieces, $8.99

SpinMeal plate

Sometimes the best way to a peaceful meal to take the power struggle out of the equation. Parents begging (or insisting) that kids eat specific foods tends to end in tears and frustration (for everyone). The SpinMeal plate helps ease those dynamics. What will your child eat next? Let them take charge by spinning the arrow to see! You can put a mix of foods on the plate that are familiar and new, encouraging them to try a few new things while knowing some of their favorite are options too. 

SpinMeal plate, $19.99

Crinkle cutter

Jamie Oliver often recommends an old-fashioned crinkle cutter to get kids interested in food. The novel shape will make carrots and potatoes a little different and hopefully encourage extra chomping. 

Crinkle cutter, $12.99 for a set of two

Kid-friendly utensils

My own kids get extremely frustrated when utensils aren’t functional. Small children need to spear and scoop well in order to be successful in getting food into their mouths. These implements are sturdy, functional and cute.

Stacking utensils, $12.99 for a set of three

Tools to get them cookin’

It’s widely known that when kids are part of the process of making food, they are more interested in eating it. That’s easier said than done when half of the work of preparing food is chopping. These nylon chef knives make it possible for small kids to help with that process, so long as they are closely supervised. 

Nylon chef knives, $14.91

Spiralizer

My kids will eat just about any vegetable raw when they see it coming out of the spiralizer. The gadget makes raw or cooked veggies into shapes that can shake a child’s reticence to put fork to mouth.

Spiralizer, $34.99

Game plate

If you need to add the element of fun back into mealtime, this game plate should do the trick. You can even tuck a little treat into the treasure box at the end, providing positive reinforcement when your little one makes it through the broccoli and pasta. 

Dinner Winner plate, $21.99

Veggie chopper

If you don’t trust your little one not to chop off a finger, this veggie chopper is a very safe and fun option for your kitchen helper. Plus, it’ll make your dinner prep job a little easier while containing the mess! 

Chef’n VeggiChop, $19.95

Clever plates

Some kids have trouble when foods touch each other. This firetruck set will keep foods from encroaching on each other — and it returns a little of the fun to mealtime. 

Firetruck meal set, $19.99

Kitchen helper

Having a child assist in the kitchen can be tricky when they’re too short to reach the counter. A learning tower elevates them to counter height, providing a more stable surface for standing than a chair and keeping them from falling backward with a wooden bar.

Little Partners Learning Tower, $199.99

A worthy throne

If you want your child to sit and eat well at a table, trying foods like an adult, set them up for success by making sure they are at the proper height to use utensils. A simple booster seat will keep frustration to a minimum. 

Ingenuity Smartclean booster seat, $39.99

Cool lunch box

While it’s a little more work for the parents, packing lots of tiny munchable bites into a lunch box can help kids re-engage with food. A washable bento lunch box is the perfect receptacle for healthy nibbling. 

Bentgo kids’ tray, $9.99

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2019, and updated most recently in January 2024.

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