Want kids who eat healthy and enjoy it? Guest blogger Robin says it's not as hard as you think.

My 5-year-old is quite possibly the world's pickiest eater. It's typical at this age, I know, but it's still frustrating. Most days, it's a battle to get him to eat anything that's not made completely of sugar. Finally, after endless begging ("Please try it, honey") and bribes ("If you try just two bites, I'll give you a dollar"), I found a new strategy.

Let him cook!

It's no secret that children this age assert their independence wherever and whenever they can. The dinner table is one of the most popular proving grounds for little folk trying to have their way. Being choosy about their foods is just one way young children try to gain control of their environment.

So I let him have control. Well, at least a little.

He was enrolled in an after-school cooking class at his preschool and was really excited about the recipes they made each week. So we started to make dinner together at home.

We started with having him mix ingredients for recipes. Then we moved on to pizza. He loves to roll out the dough, spread the sauce and sprinkle the cheese. So I tried to make his culinary adventures a little more healthy. We added spinach to his pizzas (yes, spinach!). He made fruit smoothies (not bad for a kid who will ONLY eat grapes and apples). One of our favorites: banana bread made with whole-wheat flour--and some chocolate chips thrown in for good measure. We even made old-fashioned oatmeal. He made this during his cooking class and couldn't wait to try it at home. For a kid whose idea of a healthy breakfast is marshmallows, his homemade oatmeal with a drizzle of honey was an exciting change--for both of us!

The more he cooks, the more things he's willing to try. Just getting a little bit of variety into his diet is a big deal. Don't be afraid to let your little ones help out in the kitchen. Just keep the wet wipes and broom handy!