Explore the Cuisine of Other Cultures

America is a melting pot of cultures, but most of us still just have meat and potatoes in the pot on the stove. With a little planning and enthusiasm, you can lead your whole family on an exploration of other cultures and their cuisines. Plan your international menu in advance. It will be easier for you to incorporate a variety of new foods and dishes by planning theme nights such as Mexican, Italian, or Chinese Night. For your smaller kids, you might want to keep the dishes plain and avoid adding too many spices, but feel free to zest things up for those with more sophisticated tastes.

Smaller children will have fun with theme nights if you play the part. Dress up or put on a little theme music in the background. Purchase some face paint from a party store and give yourself and your kids curly mustaches and pretend you're eating on the streets of Rome. As with all meals, don't force-feed your children if they are full or don't like something you've prepared. Apply the one-bite rule and be content that they have tried the food in front of them.

More on: Healthy Meals for Families

Excerpted from:

From Raising Healthy Eaters: 100 Tips for Parents by Henry Legere, M.D. Copyright © 2004. Used by arrangement with The Perseus Books Group.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.