I started my daughter helping me cook. She always wanted to try what she helped to make. Of course I didn't let her do anything near the stove but she poured the mix into a bowl, stirred it, etc. There are a lot of things they can do without hurting themselves.

well, I'm a HUGE advocate for bringing up kids who will eat healthy and NOT be picky eaters. I have lots of pick eaters on both sides of my extended family and it can get maddening.

so, here 's what's worked for me:
my son will eat just about anything, even the heads off those small squids on the Chinese buffets haha.

try to introduce lots of different colors, textures, maybe one at a time.
I always insist on at least one or two THANK YOU bites, even if he says he hates it. *usually* he'll take the thank you bites and keep right on going. yea!
also, putting sauce or a dip with stuff is a big winner. like making ranch dip pink, calling it "princess dip" or making it green for boys, calling it monster dip, helps get them to dip veggies.

also, a big winner: making a face on a plate with healthy stuff. my kid will eat *anything* if it's shaped like a monkey's face.
here's one: wheat bread, spread with pnut butter or hummus, to make monkey's face and light color for mouth, a banana for the mouth, prunes, raisins, olives, carrots to round out the rest of the face and hair.

I'm sure you get the idea. = )

also, I let my kid quit when he's full as long as he's taken the thank you bites but if he leave a lot of stuff, there will be no snacks. this is a big trick for kids, they say they're full, they walk off, come back 10 minutes later, say they are hungry and lots parents let them eat junk for the snacks. hell-o? LOL

also, I agree with sb116, letting them pick out the lettuce or healthy stuff, put it in the cart, chop it up (with a butter or dullish knife) is very helpful.

I hope it helps. just remember, you are the one in charge, the one responsible and if you tell her she has to eat ____ b/c it will help her grow shiny princess hair and b/c you LOVE her, in the long run and maybe even the short run, she'll admire you for it.
good luck!

We try to only stock healthy food in the house, and then once a week we go out and the kids can eat those nasty chicken nuggets, French fries, and soda (or whatever other unhealthy thing they choose). At home, they don't have much of a choice. I won't lie to you and say my kids eat all kinds of fruits and veges, but they drink skim milk or water because that's all we have. They eat chicken, apples, and carrots for dinner (as an example) because they're really nothing else. If they're hungry, they eat!

Yes, you are getting the full initiation!
The rule around our house is, you don't have to like it, but you do have to try it. And that means I will serve it 10 times, and you have to try it every one of those ten times, because studies show that that is how long it takes to get used to something.
The study is right - lots of times they go ahead and eat the rest of it, or start eating it after the umpteenth time.
You can make healthy versions of fast food at home. We make Sweet potato fries - just peel the sweet potato, slice it (in circles is easiest) and saute (not deep fry) in extra virgin organic single pressing olive oil. Or any decent oil.
Chicken nuggets can be made by cutting a chicken breast into bites, shake it in a bag with corn meal or flour, and saute in extra virgin, etc. Pizza can be made at home too!
Try to keep her from watching TV commercials with fast food. And if you have to go to the fast food restaurant, only drive through so she can't see all the food or see what other kids are getting.
Raw veggies are great. My kids eat carrots, green beans, sliced turnips, cukes, baby tomatoes raw, with or without dip.
Do not take her to the grocery store with you. It is good to take her to the Farmer's Market where everything is safe to buy.
You may have to eat healthier yourself. I find that it is hard to sneak or hide junk for me. Not worth the trouble.
You have a great opportunity to introduce her to the rules of her new house. It's much harder to change the rules later. Try to start out the way you plan to go. Our house rules are, no candy, no fast food, no soda, practically no juice, no ice cream off trucks, no junk food period.
My kids eat nearly everything they are not allergic to.
The key thing with little kids, is be very consistent. If you do it once, you will be negotiating it forever.
Good luck!

Okay thank you all for that. I am definitly trying to figure this out. We made spagetti last night and she cried when she looked at it. But we did the have to take a couple bites and she was okay. So we told her we would be making that again.

One good thing about her is that she doesnt really like the junk junk... like Pop or frosting on cakes and what not... so thats good.

Thank you all for your ideas I will definitly put them to use!!

MY KIDS 5 AND 6 THEY EAT MEAT VEGGIES AND FRUIT.THOSE ARE HEATHY FOODS.YOUR DOC COULD HELP.

Try and talk to her about eating healthy too. I tell my son (5 1/2) that he needs to eat healty so he won't get sick, so he will be strong and grow big. He has fruit and or veggie with each meal. I try to let him pick out of 2 or 3 so he feels like he can help with the decision. It may be harder if she is used to eating what she wants at her previous home, but maybe let her know why she has to eat better. She will be healthier and stronger and run faster, etc..,!

It may take awhile to "wean" her off of the unhealthy meals but you can do it with consistency, variety and maybe a few tears.... But once she realizes that you're not backing down, what choice does she have? She can eat or go hungry. Not to sound mean but she is still too young to decide what is okay and not okay to eat. She doesn't have to like everything you cook but you should have a rule that she has to at least try it and she has to eat healthy foods in order to get "treats."

Here's my response from a discussion back in July (from the preschool community)... I'm going to cut and paste:

" They say that you may have to offer new foods up to 15-20 times before the kids will try it or actually swallow it.

Also, I recently created "New Food" reward charts for my little ones and they worked like a charm! It worked like this: For each new food that they tried (and actually swallowed) they would receive a sticker. When they have 5 stickers, they would receive a reward. It took a few weeks (there aren't too many new foods they haven't tried) but they ended up trying Mushrooms, lamb chops, sushi, cauliflower (all of which they loved) and squash (which they didn't love). But they each got their 5 stickers and their reward. They can't wait to try it again!

I don't think it's a good idea to bribe your kids to eat... but to reward them for trying NEW foods, could be a good way for them to open their minds to a variety of menus.

Additionally, if you have the time and energy, I recommend taking a look at Jessica Seinfeld's new book: Deceptively Delicious. It's fabulous if you have the time!