Parents and Caretakers: What methods do you use to get your toddler to sit and eat?

I have a daughter who is almost 2½. When it’s mealtime, she will eat a bite or two, get up, go play, and only with pleading and bribery tactics will she come and eat more. What has been working lately is when i say to her “if you don’t eat you don’t get dessert.” However, i don’t want her to expect dessert every night. How do i get her to sit and eat without distractions and being all over the place? Help!