My house rule is the same - here's your food, eat it or don't, see you at the next meal. However, they need to keep their thoughts about their food to themselves, meaning no "this is gross" or the whole group joins in, and they must stay seated at the table until their friends are finished eating. If they can't do that they can go straight to their nap cot.
I too have had a couple of dcks who would go all day without eating a thing, and they are still alive and well. Like you said, we can't force them.

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