One of my nephews sneered at broccoli until my sister started calling it a "tree" -- all of a sudden, broccoli was interesting.

Sometimes, parents have to resort to little tricks to get their picky eaters to try new foods. The food pyramid folks realize this and now, there's a special pyramid designed just for preschoolers. Not only does this new pyramid outline the proper amounts of foods kids need, it also aims to help parents with the little picky eaters in the house.

In addition to helpful tools like a growth chart, sample meal plans and kitchen activities for preschoolers, the MyPyramid for Preschoolers site gives tips for breaking the picky-eating problem. Some suggestions:

• Set a good example by eating healthfully
• Offer a variety of foods ... and keep offering them
• Start with small portions.
  

I adopted my son at age 10. While he was far from a preschooler, he was just as picky as one. When he talks meals at his previous homes, he recalls a lot of frozen dinners and pizza. So adjusting to homemade meals was a bit of a challenge. I found that it took adjustments by both of us -- he needed to some familiar foods on his plate, along with small portions of new foods, and he had to be exposed to those new foods several times before he'd try them with an open mind.

I think MyPyramid for Preschoolers has some good ideas, but it's certainly not a magic bullet. As parents, we need to be flexible and find the methods that work for our kids.