Twenty-five percent of American kids don't get a single serving of fruit each day. And thirty percent don't get any vegetables on their plate, according to a new study from Baylor College of Medicine. The problem is many parents give up trying to get their kids to eat carrots and broccoli after one or two tries.

Is there a better way?

It's lunchtime at the Brighter Day Preparatory School in Austell, Georgia. An adamant four-year-old girl named Breihe asserts, "I do not like no broccoli!"

Lucky for her, today it's fish sticks, rice and mixed vegetables. But even those are a tough sell.

"Alexia do you like to eat your vegetables?" asks teacher Carla Halls. "No!" Alexia responds.

At school and at home, it is difficult getting kids to eat their veggies.

"They hate vegetables," says Mrs. Halls. "You have to dress them up, you have to put cheese on them, you have to put other seasonings on them for them to eat them and they still might not eat them all."

Experts say that's normal. "Kids tend not to like a lot of vegetables when they're young," says nutritionist Page Love. "They haven't developed their tastes fully and it's just part of normal growth and development."

Parents can overcome a picky palate. Offer raw veggies (kids tend to like those better) with different dips and sauces. Let kids play with their food, bright fun colors can be appetizing. Also, get kids involved in shopping and cooking. The American Academy of Pediatrics also suggests cutting the size of your child's entrée. It may be a subtle way to get them to eat more of the fruits and vegetables on their plates.

But, if it's nutrients you're worried about, don't panic, Love says. "If you're a parent and your child is not totally excited about a wide variety of vegetables, if they are liking fruits they're getting some of the same nutrients."

Still, Love says, don't give up. Patience is a vegetable.

Carla Halls knows from experience. "You just have to keep introducing the children to the vegetable," she says. "You have to be very persistent with it. You can't just give up just because they didn't eat the vegetable that one time."

Tips for Parents

It can be very frustrating for parents when children refuse to eat vegetables. It can turn dinnertime into a battle zone. But experts say it is best not to force a child to finish his vegetables. The tactic can backfire, and only strengthen a child's distaste for vegetables. But because the vitamins and minerals supplied by a variety of vegetables are so important for growing children, it's important not to give up. Instead, a different approach suggested by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health might work:

• Serve and eat a variety of vegetables. Realize that as a parent your eating habits will influence your child's habits.
• Prepare vegetables to retain their taste, texture, eye appeal, and vitamin content. By all means, avoid overcooking vegetables. Many children actually prefer raw vegetables that are crunchy and brightly colored. Children also enjoy raw vegetables served with a dip (peanut butter, yogurt, or bean dip.
• Prepare vegetables by stir-frying or steaming.
• Have your child help prepare vegetables for a snack, salad, or dinner.
• If it's garden season, have your child help you plant vegetable seeds and watch them grow into something good to eat.
• If you have some time, cut the vegetables into fun shapes and call them catchy names - carrot "coins", pepper "pinwheels", broccoli "flowers", and "vegetable pick up sticks."
• Top cooked vegetables with grated cheese or a cheese dip or white sauce.
• Don't give up on vegetables. Try again. From time to time reintroduce vegetables in your child's diet. A child who refuses a vegetable the first time may enjoy it the second or third time around.
• Add vegetables into other foods you prepare if all else fails. Make quick breads or muffins with pumpkin, squash, or carrots; chop a variety of vegetables and add to tomato sauce, meatloaf, pizza, omelets, or casseroles; make soups using pureed vegetables (cream of broccoli, carrot, spinach).

Remember, children often learn by example. Your own eating habits could influence your child's habits. Eat your vegetables!

References

• Baylor College of Medicine
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• University of Iowa Health Care