When I was a kid, I didn’t like to eat pasta because of the seeds in tomato sauce. Now I come from an Italian family, so you guessed it, pasta was served A LOT. Because I would gag whenever one of those itty-bitty seeds would get stuck in the grooves of my teeth, my poor mom or grandmother would sift the tomato sauce for me. (They must have been relieved when I finally outgrew that aversion!)

While you don’t have to go to these lengths to get your kids to eat what’s on the table, you certainly might need to strategize. Not only will mealtime be less of a struggle, but you’ll actually break free of the grilled cheese–sandwich rut. As a nutrition editor, I’ve interviewed a range of experts on their secrets to getting kids to eat more than mac n’ cheese. Here is some of my favorite advice.

Teach don’t preach. Seek out kids’ books that explain good nutrition. One to try: Eat Healthy, Feel Great (Little, Brown & Co., 2002). You can use it when reading to your preschooler. Now you might think that by that by grade school kids are set in their ways. Parents, there’s still hope! I gave this book to my then 6-year-old cousin, and at home, he starting telling his mom which foods were “grow” (good) foods and which ones weren't.

Get cookin’. Even young children can roll up their own wraps or smear peanut butter on bread—and don’t worry about the mess. They’re all too happy to serve as sous chefs and help you out when you’re cooking. So ask your 3-year-old to pass the sweet potatoes or ask him to mix something up in a bowl. (Just make sure the mixture doesn’t contain raw egg, which could make them sick if it ends up on their hands and, in turn, in their mouth.)

Give them some control. How many times have your found yourself negotiating with your kids to put back that box of cookies when shopping at the grocery store? To avoid a supermarket scene, think up fun games to keep your sanity intact and to get your young child interested in better food. For example, when you’re in the produce section, ask your kid to help you pick out the prettiest apple. Ask her, “Which one is the reddest?” Or, simply pick a color, like green, and have your kid pick out all the veggies he sees in that color.