How to Deal with Picky Eaters

This is mainly geared toward dealing with picky children, but feel free to try some on your significant other if you wish. lol

Also, these are just some of my personal reflections about dealing with picky eaters. I'm not a professional, but do have 4 children of my own who eat what they're given (even my youngest...who just turned 1)....though none of mine have had any particular "reason" to be picky (for example, allergies to foods...though my oldest two are Celiac), so keep that in mind if yours do have other factors. The main thing, in my opinion, when dealing with food (or anything for that matter) is being consistent...and sticking with what rules you set down and what you say...but here are some other tips/ideas as well...

1. Make ONE meal for everyone and make them at least try some before you give in to making them something else. For example, they have to try X number of bites before they can get the other item/meal. Increase the number of bites they have to reach the next time that particular meal is served. 
2. Take them shopping with you and let them help to pick out HEALTHY items. Perhaps they'd trade in their favorite not-so-healthy snack for some nice juicy peaches (you'll never know if you don't try). 
3. In conjunction with #2, let them help you to cook. Even young ones can help out somewhat. Mine are still younger, but love to help wash, peel (for my eldest), stir, and shape/make meatballs. Children are more likely to try something that they're involved in making. Also related, if you have a garden, let them help in it (even if it's just spraying it with a water hose). You know they'll be excited about trying something that they grew themselves. :)
4. The most helpful and obvious one would, of course, be to not keep "junk" in the house. If it's not in their immediate surroundings, it makes it easier for them (and you) to try other options...especially if they're not old enough to go out and get their own junk from the store. 
5. Bribery. This doesn't mean you have to have junk in the house by any means. I've been able to bribe my children with fruit, veggies, even homemade bone broths. lol  Find something healthy that they really like and enjoy eating (or drinking) and use it to your advantage. 
6. Don't make them try anything that you're not willing to try yourself. While this isn't an excuse for them to be as picky of an eater as you might be (and I'd be the first to admit that I used to be a VERY picky eater growing up); it's more of a push to make yourself be more open to foods as well. Children are more willing to try something if they see their parents eat it first (I know my children would rather have anything on my plate than eat off their own, even if it's the EXACT SAME THING). Also, try your best to save the "icky" faces for when the children aren't looking. So, even if it's something you don't love, PRETEND to like it so that your child will at least try it for themselves. Even if you've never been picky, increase your own adventurousness when it comes to food...you could even let the child pick something new to have every week and you could both try it together. 
7. Lead by example. If they see you choosing something healthy over a "junk" food, they'll be more likely to pick something healthy as well. 
8. Let them go hungry (within reason, of course). When mine were toddlers and first introduced to "grown up" foods, there were a few nights that they went without dinner. If they weren't willing to at least taste the meal, then they didn't get anything else and had to wait to eat until breakfast in the morning. It's not a pleasant thing to deal with...but is very effective and they quickly learn that if they're hungry, they'll eat what they're given...even if it's not their most favorite thing in the world. This being said, I never made them try/eat anything that I knew they hated...so if they'd tried brussel sprouts before and not liked them, I didn't force them to eat a plateful the next time around. I'm not completely mean. ;) Also, I'd offer the undesired meal to them again several times before bed in the hopes that they'd eventually try it...so it was of their own choosing that they decided to go without. 
9. Keep their favorite item to eat for last/dessert. For example, if your child loves all meats but hates their veggies and never touches them, then use that to your advantage and say, "If you eat your veggies (or x number of bites of your veggies), then I'll give you the meat" or "If you clean your plate, you'll get dessert." Again, the "dessert" doesn't have to be a junk food. Mine eat fruit for dessert pretty well every night. 

Those are the main things I've come up with to help with picky eaters. Hopefully some of you find them helpful.

I think out of all of my 4 children, my eldest was the pickiest. She used to just love bread (which is funny, cause we found out she was Celiac at age 4)...and only had a few foods she'd eat. Now (she's currently 7), she'll eat (or at least taste) anything she's given. She'd still love to have bread-y things if she could...but does well with our restricted diet and is by no means starving.

...and, as an example, here's what my children (ages 7, 6, 3.5, and 1) had to eat today. It did take us a while to get to this point...as we've been eating gluten free and mostly paleo since April 2012. We've slowly incorporated new things (most recently kale...which they surprisingly liked). Remember to take things at your own pace...you don't have to jump right in with everything. I pretty well started out with changing/trying new things for one meal/day...then expanded until we got to where we are now...

Breakfast - kale salad with tuna

Lunch - small kale salad with chicken, 2 orange slices, a handful of pineapple, a handful of cantaloupe, a celery stick, and, when they ate all of that, either a banana or a carrot stick if they were still hungry (which they all were)

Snacks - today they probably had 2-3 bananas between lunch and dinner. Most days they have oranges, raisins, and maybe 1 banana...but we were out and about...and bananas are easier to carry and less messy to deal with. lol 

Dinner - chicken and squash (http://beeve04.blogspot.com/2015/02/creamy-chicken-and-squash.html)
For dessert after finishing their dinner, they had a fruit salad of pineapple, peaches, blueberries, and strawberries.
...and they're currently (now 1.5 hours after dinner and almost 1 hour before bed) having another banana.