Many kids become picky eater by the age of two. They don’t like vegetable served to them. Meal time is mostly with bread and jelly. But by doing this he is missing the nutrient powerhouse required for maintaining good health. If the kids are a picky eater the parents are also involved somewhere. Here is list of 10 biggest mistakes by parents.

1. Setting a Poor Example

The first thing you can do to help your kids eat well? Eat well yourself -- in front of them. Adults who enjoy a variety of nutritious foods in a happy setting are far more likely to have kids with healthy attitudes toward eating than adults who constantly diet, overeat, refuse vegetables, or simply leave kids to eat alone.

2. Applying Too Much Pressure

Any kind of coercion is the parental behavior experts object to most. Children become overwhelmed this way. Even if kids do eat the food, they're likely to avoid it when they get the chance. Plus, pressure makes eating a control issue. It's not about food anymore; it's about a child's need to be autonomous.

Forcing can begin with the first spoonful of rice cereal. If babies don't want it, parents sometimes try to get the food down anyway. New textures aren't going to be accepted right away.

3. Using Bribes

Offering cake to children who eat their broccoli is really just another form of pressure. It adds to mealtime tension, and it won't help them like broccoli. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. Another problem: When the reward is dessert, it sends the wrong message about what's worth eating. Sweets become more valuable than meat and vegetables.

4. Giving Up On New Foods Too Soon

Too many parents stick to bread and jelly or noodles because they are eaten without complaint. To eat a variety of foods, you must have a variety offered to you. You have to keep offering the food with the expectation that the child will eat it. Look for signs that a child is sneaking up on a food: watching you eat it, allowing it on the plate, and putting it in his mouth and taking it out. Its okay if he spit it into a napkin. Try not to get frustrated when kids don't eat and don't get hysterical with pleasure when they do take a step.

5. Short-Order Cooking

It's easy to fall into the trap of preparing something different for each family member. But this doesn't improve eating habits, and it saps time and energy. Instead, offer limited choices related to what the rest of the family is eating. If you're having sandwiches, for example, kids can choose between pasta and idli. Be considerate with menu planning. There should always be at least one item at the table that the child knows and likes. If she chooses not to eat anything, so be it. She won't starve in the hours before the next meal. And if she does get a little hungry, she'll begin to understand the consequences of not eating.

6. Serving Big Portion Sizes

We sometimes forget that children are small and therefore need child-size portions, which equal one tablespoon per year of life. Too much food is intimidating and discouraging for the child -- and disappointing for the parent who sees a full plate even when the child has sampled everything. Start small and remember that one green bean is better than no green beans and that you can always offer more.

7. Overdoing Juice and Snacks

Some children graze all day on cookies, crackers, and other snacks washed down with endless juice boxes. Neither habit helps when it comes to healthy eating because children are filling up on the wrong things and then aren't hungry for healthier options when it's time to eat real meals.

It's not necessary to cut snacks and drinks altogether. Rather, you should look at snacks as an opportunity to provide nutritional alternatives or new tastes. Make snack-time a ritual -- offer a few healthy options at specific times of day. And limit juice to six ounces daily.

8. Overemphasizing Neatness

Taste is only one way young children learn about food. Feeding is a multisensory experience. A new eater who is never allowed to play with food won't enjoy it as much as one who knows the fun of smearing bananas and crumbling crackers. As for toddlers, what they eat is more important than whether they eat it with a fork or spoon, so it's good to be tolerant of messy mealtimes.

9. Ignoring Nature

Not everyone will learn to like every food. Some people just taste flavors more strongly, especially bitterness. There's also a natural fear of new things ("neophobia") that's strongest during the preschool years. Parents interpret it as pickiness, but it's actually adaptive and normal. Food neophobia is stronger in some kids than others, mostly due to temperament differences.

When your child refuses new foods, chalk it up to neophobia and keep trying. If after repeated exposures he still doesn't like it, just accept that preference. But if you're worried about his diet, look at our kids recipes section to find smart substitutes.

10. Worrying Too Much

Even children who seem to live on macaroni and cheese may not eat as poorly as moms and dads think. Parents label children 'picky eaters' and it ends up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. A lot of these kids are actually quite normal. And many improve with age. The truly important indicator of a serious problem is the growth curve. If a child is growing at a normal rate, she is meeting her nutritional needs. Young children meet those needs over a broad period of time, not meal to meal or day to day. For reassurance, you can give a multivitamin, but remember that it's better to get nutrients from food. Another helpful exercise is to write down everything your child eats -- even one bite -- for a week. If you come up with at least one serving from every food group, things really aren't so bad after all.