Q: Dear Gail,

My little girl hates to eat her vegetables and refuses to touch anything that seems to be good for her. Can you give some ideas on introducing healthy foods into her diet?
Sincerely, Concerned Mother

A: Dear Concerned Mom,

You did not share the age of your little girl, so I will assume she is about 3-5 years old. This is quite a common concern with young children.

Many well-intended parents resort to nagging and bribing which seems only to nourish their anger, not their child's body. Face it, there are three things you simply cannot make a child do: go to sleep on command, "pee or poop" on command or eat on command. Young children in general are always trying to assert control over things. So realize these are three areas the kids simply "hold all the cards". I think it's wise to not let food become a battleground because it's something we have to engage in at least three times daily.

I would like to share some creative tips that have worked for others in solving the problem of refusing to eat veggies. A pediatrician once assured a friend of mine that there is nothing in veggies that isn’t also in fruits; so he confidently recommended offering more of her child's favorite fruits to increase the daily nutrient intake. Sounds like a pretty sensible and simple solution.

A neighbor shared with me her success story with dried and frozen vegetables. Some kids really like the crunch of dried peas, carrots and corn (a little pricey at health food stores, but worth a try); it must remind them of potato chips. However, I must confess that I haven't developed my own healthy tastebuds enough to crave a big bowl of lovely crunchy expensive veggies instead of a bag of Jay's potato chips! Remember children will do as you do not necessarily as you say.

So when you are able to "veg-out" think of it as a literal reminder to set the veggie example. Easier said then done! Consider a new approach. Offer frozen French string beans, frozen zucchini or carrot slices, etc. Keep in mind that kids' tastes are quite different than ours. These frozen vegetables can be a totally different "animal" than when they're cooked. Raw "trees" (broccoli) dipped in "snow" (ranch dressing) also amazingly get eaten at some creative dinner tables.

And then you can literally hide the veggies. Chop them up and mix into the hamburger meat; better yet you may want to consider pureeing them...they actually become almost invisible.

I know my youngest, who simply loved pepperoni pizza, began to throw a fit if he spotted any green things (oregano). If he even saw just one green dot ... the entire pizza became instantly inedible. So when normal people check the box for fat content, calories etc, I'm looking at the ingredients and the picture to make sure there is nothing green in or on the pizza!

My last creative suggestion involves getting the kids actively involved in the preparation of the meal including the veggies. One of our favorite activities at school was reading the children’s story called "Stone Soup". If the book is too hard, make up appropriate words to go along with the pictures.

Look for a stone with your child to be used in the recipe. Prepare the stone carefully (wash it together). This is the magical ingredient, along with the story, that makes this soup totally tasty and edible. You can slice up just about any veggie in your refrigerator. Let the kids decide what goes in and in what order ... potatoes, beans, peas, tomatoes, onions.

On a good day, you can even invite kids from the neighborhood to each bring a veggie and give the whole block of children a nutritional boost! Growing your own veggies with your child also seems to make what used to be totally inedible ... edible!

Children will go through stages of pickiness. Give yourself a break; let your pediatrician assess your child's nutritional status. If he says your child seems pretty healthy, thank God and get off your child's case. Make some rules about meals that fit your family and discuss them frequently at a family meeting so the kids know in advance what will be the consequence related to eating. Bon appetit!

--Gail Reichlin