Many parents worry endlessly about the eating habits of their child. Don't lose any more sleep over picky eating habits! It is completely normal for a child to go through periods of time when they refuse new foods and even turn their nose up at foods they used to devour. Young children may also go through "food jags" where they refuse to eat anything but a few select foods. With a little patience and perseverance, picky eaters often become very well rounded eaters. Here are some tips to help you get through this trying time:

Don't panic: Most children (and even adults, at times!) don't eat a completely balanced diet every day, but over the course of a week, their diet will usually be well balanced if you continue to offer a variety of foods. Encourage, don't force your child to try new foods.

Be Patient: You may have to offer a food 10-20 times before it will become acceptable to your child. Try offering the new food in a small amount once or twice a week. Encourage your child to try the food by relating it to other familiar foods. Give your child permission to politely and discreetly spit the food out into a napkin if he tries it and does not like it.

Respect your child's hunger: Children grow more slowly after age 2 and appetite tends to vary from day to day. Try to stick to a schedule for meal and snack times and avoid giving juice or snacks too close to a meal. Your child may be more open to trying new foods when they are hungriest. Do not force your child to clean their plate—this may lead to problems with overeating later in life.

Have Fun: Try offering foods in new and exciting ways, or give foods fun names. Place broccoli "trees" in a mashed potato "mountain" and let your child pretend he is a dinosaur eating the leaves! Cut foods into different shapes with cookie cutters or serve foods with a sauce for dipping.

Enlist Help: Take your picky eater to the grocery store or farmers market and have her pick a new food for the whole family to try.

Set an example: Your child looks to you for guidance, so if he sees you enjoying a wide variety of foods then he will be more likely to try new things as well.

Sneak it in: Try mixing vegetables or fruits into foods your child will eat. Add chopped broccoli, grated zucchini or carrots to pizza or spaghetti sauce. Make pancakes with mashed bananas or grated apple.

Looking for more ideas for you picky eater? Check out 10 Tips for Picky Eaters.