My three-year-old, like most three-year-olds, is, shall we say, particular, when it comes to food. He wasn’t always this way. When he first began eating solid food, he would consume anything put in front of him. And my smug self thought I had birthed the perfect little gourmand.

Slowly my child who willingly sampled every morsel, morphed into a toddler who wouldn’t eat noodles if they were covered in the wrong colored sauce. I thought it was just a phase, and maybe it still is, but I was determined to get some healthy food in his belly.

My son is no fool. Hide healthy food in tasty treats? He’ll detect the tiniest speck of carrot or spinach. Refuse to serve anything but the nutritious meal I cooked? He’ll go without for hours until I cave. My son is strong-willed, and this was one battle I’m not sure I wanted to fight.

I was ready to give up and be grateful for the few nutritious foods my son was willing to eat, when it occurred to me: the answer was in my cupboard.

Hemp seeds.

Luckily, these nutritional powerhouses have made their way from the fringes of the health food stores to the aisles of the mainstream supermarket. I was ecstatic when I recently discovered they were available by the pound at my local Shoprite.

My intention was to use them in my own meals, particularly salad, never thinking they might be a great way to add a healthy boost to what my son was eating. Until one day when I decided to mix them in with his scrambled eggs, and I realized how easy they can be added to almost any meal.

My picky son gobbled his eggs up without complaint, and I had a small win under my belt. Before I get too cocky, I’ll admit not every dish is welcomed. My hemp-infused pizza was dismissed after a few bites. Still, I’ll keep experimenting.

So next time you find yourself struggling to come up with a way to get your kids to eat better, just think small, really, really small.