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Kids and vegetables don't have to be two bitter rivals. By offering a wide variety of crunchy snacks to choose from and setting a good example yourself, you may be surprised at your tots naturally healthy eating habits.

First of all, if your child is accustomed to seeing you eat an entire bag of chips in front of the TV or eat five cookies in one setting, convincing them to have a handful of carrots isn't practical. Setting a good example for you child to follow is imperative if you want to instill healthy eating habits.

Another way to make sure that your children are eating healthy is to offer a variety of healthy options and remove junk food from the household. If you can't bear to get rid of your chips or chocolate, buy the snack size packs and mini bars and keep them on the top shelf out of your child's eye sight.

When your child is whining for a snack, make sure you have a variety of cut up and washed vegetables on hand. Packing them in ziploc bags so little hands have easy access is smart too. A trick is to make sure you wash and cut up the veggies right when you get home from the store so you aren't too lazy to cut them up when your child is hungry.

If you want to be a little more adventurous, get a juicer and you and your son or daughter can have found throwing in different veggies and creating your own juices. Make ants on a log with celery, peanut butter and raisins.

At meal time, be persistent in offering vegetables. Kid's taste buds change quickly and where as they may not like a vegetable the first time they try it, by the fifth or sixth tasting they may be cleaning their plate. Don't be afraid to try a variety of vegetables, even ones you don't like yourself. Your kid may love brussel sprouts or onions even though you don't care for them.

Try a few tricks to add a little taste to veggies if they consistently get left on the plate. Melt a low fat cheese on broccoli, blend spinach into their mashed potatoes or melt a marshmallow on their sweet potatoes to add flavor.

Adding vegetables to your child's food behind their back is also an avenue if your child is adamant they don't want their greens. A lot of veggie patties are textured and flavored as meat. I ate breakfast sausage from Morning Star without even realizing it was vegetable sausage. You can also try adding vegetables to other foods. Put salsa on their baked potato, add parsley or cilantro into their chicken or add bits of broccoli into their rice.

Children can be stubborn but if you keep a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains coming across their plate you are bound to find something that they like. By limiting processed foods and sugary sweets you leave them little option when they are hungry than to branch out and try new things. Without being able to constantly indulge in cookies and fries, you'll be surprised when they start reaching for grapes to satisfy a sweet tooth or edamame for that salty craving. Be creative, and pretty soon you'll find you and your children are eating a much more balanced and healthy diet.

Learn more about this author, Molly Carter.
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