[joanasevilyboaz]

We have a two year old and he loves broccoli, green beans, asparagus, even salad. When you have a little one in the house, it's like having a video camera on all the time. They observe carefully and pick up your attitudes as well as your actions. It's amazing how, at 2 years old, when he can barely speak, he can already imitate my voice and facial expressions!

I think that the trick to getting a child to eat healthy is to offer lots of different nutritious food and rarely if ever offer non-nutritious food. Also, as soon as they're old enough to pick up their food, they will like to dip it into things, so offer healthy sauces also.

It's important that you do not limit the healthy carbs for a growing child, though. Offer lots of whole grains, cut up fruit and veggies. They need lots of calories and they don't have a lot of extra fat, like we do. They need to get their energy primarily from healthy carbohydrates.

I cook what I can eat, but I always cook another high-carb dish for my daughter and grandson.

When your chld gets to school, it's a whole different ball game. I don't know how you keep the junk food away when the kids are trading lunches! And what they see on TV too! Maybe if you teach the child to love healthy food, the junk food won't look so appealing.