#AskTheExpert My baby is 16 months old. She doesn't eat much. She just wants to play around only. I have let her eat forcefully. She doesn't finish half roti at a single time. I have tried different healthy dishes as well but she just eats half of the half. what should I do??

A. Offer new foods when you and your child are relaxed, and your child isn’t too tired or distracted by other things.Set a time limit of about 20 minutes for a meal. If your child hasn’t eaten the food, take it away and don’t offer an alternative snack or meal.Avoid punishing your child for refusing to try new foods. This can turn tasting new foods into a negative thing.Avoid bribing your child with treats just so they’ll eat some healthy food. This can make your child more interested in treats than healthy food and sends the message that eating healthy food is a chore.Keep offering new foods. It can take 10-15 tries for children to accept and enjoy new foods.Serve your child the same foods as the rest of the family. Your child will get the nutritional benefits of a wide range of foods, and accept new tastes and textures as ‘normal’.Offer new foods with foods that your child already knows and likes.If your child refuses something, offer it again in a week or so. Your child might gobble it up and even ask for more – toddler interest in food can fluctuate wildly.