more hungry at the next one.

Forget bribery: The old line, "Just eat two bites, and you can have a cookie," rarely ever works. It just upsets the child even more because he knows there's a cookie waiting in the wings, and he doesn't have it!

Be the example: Let your children see you enjoying healthy foods. Show them how much you enjoy eating a carrot or digging into a nice salad.

Check with the doctor: If you're still concerned about your children's poor eating habits, consult with their pediatrician. He or she may suggest that you supplement with a multi-vitamin. If your children are growing appropriately for their age, don't be overly concerned if salads aren't their favorite food yet. Many children out

If your child will eat anything out of the vegetable garden, consider yourself lucky. But many kids are more likely to race to the ice-cream aisle at the grocery store, rather than the produce section. If your children are in the latter category, here are some strategies for making healthy food more appealing to their palates:

Stock up on sprinkles: They go great on everything! Put sprinkles on applesauce, yogurt, pancakes, mac and cheese, veggies . . . whatever your kids want! Somehow everything looks a little more appealing to them with sprinkles on top.

Serve dipping sauces: Place little piles of ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce on your children's plates and pronounce them "dipping sauces"! They'll have fun dipping their food in the various condiments and are more apt to eat them. Cut up raw vegetables and serve them with a small bowl of ranch dressing for dipping. Let them dip apple slices in a little caramel sauce.

Blend up some smoothies: Kids love to drink smoothies (call them "milkshakes" if you must), and it's a great way to get a good serving of fruit. Mix various fruits, like bananas, strawberries and other berries in the blender with some milk and ice, and they'll drink them up!

Serve individual portions: For some reason, children like having their own individual servings. Witness the popularity of pudding cups! So make mini-pizzas out of bagels or bread slices. Serve carrot sticks in cupcake liners. Cook your lasagna in little serving-sized pans.

Let them help: When they help you make their food, children develop more of an interest in it. Put crackers and squares of cheese and lunch meat on kids' plates and let them build their own "sandwiches." Let them sprinkle cheese on their pizza or make faces out of pepperoni.

Be patient: Just because they don't eat something the first time doesn't mean they won't try it on the second or third attempt. Experts say it sometimes takes up to ten attempts before kids will try a new food! Pick another day to serve them a food they didn't eat the first time. You might be surprised to find that they just weren't in a "new food mood" on the first (or second or third!) day.

Call it "cake": Labeling is very important. When you serve your children banana bread, call it "banana cake"! Somehow the thought of "dessert" makes them more eager to try it. Call a hamburger patty a "hamburger cookie." Refer to broccoli as "little trees." Call it whatever you need to in order to make it sound appealing!

Don't force anything: Trying to force your children to eat something will only frustrate all of you. Leave it in front of them for a while, and if they still refuse to taste it, take it away. But don't bring them a cookie because you're concerned that they'll starve! You don't want to teach them that they can have whatever they want. They won't starve if they miss one meal, and they'll be that much more hungry at the next one.

Forget bribery: The old line, "Just eat two bites, and you can have a cookie," rarely ever works. It just upsets the child even more because he knows there's a cookie waiting in the wings, and he doesn't have it!

Be the example: Let your children see you enjoying healthy foods. Show them how much you enjoy eating a carrot or digging into a nice salad.

Check with the doctor: If you're still concerned about your children's poor eating habits, consult with their pediatrician. He or she may suggest that you supplement with a multi-vitamin. If your children are growing appropriately for their age, don't be overly concerned if salads aren't their favorite food yet. Many children outg

n dipping their food in the various condiments and are more apt to eat them. Cut up raw vegetables and serve them with a small bowl of ranch dressing for dipping. Let them dip apple slices in a little caramel sauce.

Blend up some smoothies: Kids love to drink smoothies (call them "milkshakes" if you must), and it's a great way to get a good serving of fruit. Mix various fruits, like bananas, strawberries and other berries in the blender with some milk and ice, and they'll drink them up!

Serve individual portions: For some reason, children like having their own individual servings. Witness the popularity of pudding cups! So make mini-pizzas out of bagels or bread slices. Serve carrot sticks in cupcake liners. Cook your lasagna in little serving-sized pans.

Let them help: When they help you make their food, children develop more of an interest in it. Put crackers and squares of cheese and lunch meat on kids' plates and let them build their own "sandwiches." Let them sprinkle cheese on their pizza or make faces out of pepperoni.

Be patient: Just because they don't eat something the first time doesn't mean they won't try it on the second or third attempt. Experts say it sometimes takes up to ten attempts before kids will try a new food! Pick another day to serve them a food they didn't eat the first time. You might be surprised to find that they just weren't in a "new food mood" on the first (or second or third!) day.

Call it "cake": Labeling is very important. When you serve your children banana bread, call it "banana cake"! Somehow the thought of "dessert" makes them more eager to try it. Call a hamburger patty a "hamburger cookie." Refer to broccoli as "little trees." Call it whatever you need to in order to make it sound appealing!

Don't force anything: Trying to force your children to eat something will only frustrate all of you. Leave it in front of them for a while, and if they still refuse to taste it, take it away. But don't bring them a cookie because you're concerned that they'll starve! You don't want to teach them that they can have whatever they want. They won't starve if they miss one meal, and they'll be that much more hungry at the next one.

Forget bribery: The old line, "Just eat two bites, and you can have a cookie," rarely ever works. It just upsets the child even more because he knows there's a cookie waiting in the wings, and he doesn't have it!

Be the example: Let your children see you enjoying healthy foods. Show them how much you enjoy eating a carrot or digging into a nice salad.

Check with the doctor: If you're still concerned about your children's poor eating habits, consult with their pediatrician. He or she may suggest that you supplement with a multi-vitamin. If your children are growing appropriately for their age, don't be overly concerned if salads aren't their favorite food yet. Many children out

k your lasagna in little serving-sized pans.

Let them help: When they help you make their food, children develop more of an interest in it. Put crackers and squares of cheese and lunch meat on kids' plates and let them build their own "sandwiches." Let them sprinkle cheese on their pizza or make faces out of pepperoni.

Be patient: Just because they don't eat something the first time doesn't mean they won't try it on the second or third attempt. Experts say it sometimes takes up to ten attempts before kids will try a new food! Pick another day to serve them a food they didn't eat the first time. You might be surprised to find that they just weren't in a "new food mood" on the first (or second or third!) day.

Call it "cake": Labeling is very important. When you serve your children banana bread, call it "banana cake"! Somehow the thought of "dessert" makes them more eager to try it. Call a hamburger patty a "hamburger cookie." Refer to broccoli as "little trees." Call it whatever you need to in order to make it sound appealing!

Don't force anything: Trying to force your children to eat something will only frustrate all of you. Leave it in front of them for a while, and if they still refuse to taste it, take it away. But don't bring them a cookie because you're concerned that they'll starve! You don't want to teach them that they can have whatever they want. They won't starve if they miss one meal, and they'll be that much more hungry at the next one.

Forget bribery: The old line, "Just eat two bites, and you can have a cookie," rarely ever works. It just upsets the child even more because he knows there's a cookie waiting in the wings, and he doesn't have it!

Be the example: Let your children see you enjoying healthy foods. Show them how much you enjoy eating a carrot or digging into a nice salad.

Check with the doctor: If you're still concerned about your children's poor eating habits, consult with their pediatrician. He or she may suggest that you supplement with a multi-vitamin. If your children are growing appropriately for their age, don't be overly concerned if salads aren't their favorite food yet. Many children out

p>Call it "cake": Labeling is very important. When you serve your children banana bread, call it "banana cake"! Somehow the thought of "dessert" makes them more eager to try it. Call a hamburger patty a "hamburger cookie." Refer to broccoli as "little trees." Call it whatever you need to in order to make it sound appealing!

Don't force anything: Trying to force your children to eat something will only frustrate all of you. Leave it in front of them for a while, and if they still refuse to taste it, take it away. But don't bring them a cookie because you're concerned that they'll starve! You don't want to teach them that they can have whatever they want. They won't starve if they miss one meal, and they'll be that much more hungry at the next one.

Forget bribery: The old line, "Just eat two bites, and you can have a cookie," rarely ever works. It just upsets the child even more because he knows there's a cookie waiting in the wings, and he doesn't have it!

Be the example: Let your children see you enjoying healthy foods. Show them how much you enjoy eating a carrot or digging into a nice salad.

Check with the doctor: If you're still concerned about your children's poor eating habits, consult with their pediatrician. He or she may suggest that you supplement with a multi-vitamin. If your children are growing appropriately for their age, don't be overly concerned if salads aren't their favorite food yet. Many children out

more hungry at the next one.

Forget bribery: The old line, "Just eat two bites, and you can have a cookie," rarely ever works. It just upsets the child even more because he knows there's a cookie waiting in the wings, and he doesn't have it!

Be the example: Let your children see you enjoying healthy foods. Show them how much you enjoy eating a carrot or digging into a nice salad.

Check with the doctor: If you're still concerned about your children's poor eating habits, consult with their pediatrician. He or she may suggest that you supplement with a multi-vitamin. If your children are growing appropriately for their age, don't be overly concerned if salads aren't their favorite food yet. Many children outgrow their food aversions with time.

Don't turn your family's dinnertime into a battlefield. With a little creativity, your children will soon be ingesting a variety of foods, and they might even start asking for broccoli!