Want to avoid turning the dinner table into a battlefield when your child is older? In the next three minutes, I’ll give you my best advice for getting eating off to a healthy start.

First, share your food.Once you’re past the very early stages of introducing solids, feed your baby what you’re eating. I’m not proposing you spend hours making organic baby food, I’m suggesting you puree whatever’s on your plate, salt and spices and all.

Second, no pressure.While your baby’s still getting most of her nutrition from breast milk or formula, it really doesn’t matter how much she eats or how many times she pushes the spoon away—and don’t forget that it can take ten or more tries before a new food is a success. Don’t give up on peas after a few faces—in fact, don’t give up on peas ever. Keep putting them on the spoon and on the plate and just don’t worry how much or even if they get eaten.

Third—keep it up.What you eat, she eats, forever, even if the only thing she likes on the table is rice or bread and butter. Once you start making chicken nuggets because she doesn’t like curry, you’re sunk. And if she barely touches a thing?Remember, no pressure. Kids don’t need to eat a lot at every meal, and it’s what they eat overall, not what’s on one dinner plate, that counts.

And remember—the most important thing at dinnertime isn’t what’s on the plate, it’s who’s around the table. So take every opportunity to sit down together and show your baby or toddler a parent relaxing and enjoying a meal—at least until she flips over her plate.