“I have two children: Luke who is six, and Laura who is five. As a working mother with two young children, with two different appetites, every meal becomes a symphony of improvisation. I try to use common sense and started my kids on plain vegetables from an early age, knowing the uphill battles most parents fight in getting their kids to eat vegetables. I never put salt or butter on the vegetables, figuring that my children’s ignorance is bliss.

“While Laura prefers basic veggies and will eat most non-starchy vegetables, Luke is the more picky of the two. He likes to create his own snacks, so I’ve embraced his artistic side by making faces with his veggies. Great vegetables to use are carrot sticks, green beans, pepper strips, cucumber slices, broccoli (his favorite), tomato wedges, alfalfa sprouts, red cabbage shreds (makes good hair)—really anything. Aside from funny faces, we’ve spelled words and made different shapes, including volcanoes out of mashed potatoes with red pepper “gushing out.” You can make a 3D scene, such as trees made out of broccoli, a fence with the carrot sticks and flowers cut up from peppers all laid out on shredded lettuce. It’s easy to make a little animal out of a radish or two or other veggies and create a farm or park scene.

“To give him a sense of control in the kitchen, I allow him to place healthy veggies of all sorts into easy-to-make wraps with shredded cheese. So far, this approach is working great! I hope as my children grow they’ll continue to make smart and healthy choices regarding their food and the amount of salt they put on it.”

                                                                    — Elisa, Shelton, Connecticut