Tricks for Feeding Holiday Picky Eaters

When it comes to holiday traditions, sitting down with your loved ones for a fabulous holiday dinner with all the trimmings is one of the very best.

But it's not always such a joyous affair when some of the smallest eaters in your family are also among the pickiest. Here's how to serve a variety of healthy holiday foods and keep your festive meal from morphing into a stressful ordeal.

For starters, "If you're serving a new food or dish to your child for the first time, it's best to do so at a time when there's minimal stress—and that usually isn't the case at a holiday meal," says Annette Bartz, R.D., a clinical dietitian at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. So a week or so before the big day, try serving that roasted butternut squash or green beans with almonds dish at a regular dinner, when there is less pressure and chaos.

"You want to make the child's first experience trying a new food as positive as possible, so you're not setting up negative associations right from the start," says Bartz.