WINNING THE VEG WAR

Put a plate of lovingly prepared vegetables in front of your child and you may well encounter those dreaded words: "That's yucky, I'm not eating it". But if we leave vegetables off the menu of our junk-food-loving youngsters, what effect might that have on their long-term health?

In Britain, cancer accounts for 23 per cent of all deaths and over a third of these have been linked to diet. Current scientific evidence now suggests that encouraging children to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables will help reduce the risk of the common forms of cancer later in life. This is because fruit and vegetables contain a cocktail of vitamins, minerals and fibre (which cannot be entirely substituted by vitamin supplements) which can act as anti-oxidants. These mop up substances called "free radicals" which occur naturally in the cells of our bodies and which, left unchecked, may cause genetic damage leading to cancer.

A survey conducted by Professor Gerard Hastings of Strathclyde University this January found that only a small number of children liked vege-tables. There were degrees of dislike, with Brussels sprouts and cabbage almost a lost cause, and one or two varieties, such as sweetcorn and potato, still managing to entice young palates.

Schools were felt to provide little motivation for vegetable consumption. School dinners were often nutritionally poor and allowed children too much choice of unhealthy options. It might be a good idea if more schools were to emulate one school in Scotland which is trying out an incentive scheme of point-scoring dependent on which foods pupils choose to eat for lunch. Prizes are on offer for choosing more nutritious foods like fresh vegetables and fruit rather than sausages and sticky puddings.

Finally, food advertising was felt indirectly to de-motivate children from eating vegetables by stimulating demand for less healthy foods which were presented more attractively.

For some children, the mere sight of vegetables in a dish can result in a stubborn determination not to eat and a McEnroe-style tantrum. Antics like flying aeroplanes are generally a complete waste of time and disguise might be a more successful ruse, since children cannot object to what they cannot see. For example, you could take a popular dish like spaghetti with tomato sauce and blend cooked vegetables such as carrot, aubergine and sweet pepper into the sauce so that they are no longer visible to their trained eye.

Making your own "healthy fast food" is another good way to introduce vegetables. Children tend to like pizzas, so I add a selection of fresh vegetables such as mushrooms, courgettes, onions, peppers, sweetcorn or spinach to the toppings. It's amazing what children will eat if it's dressed up to look like a pizza. You can buy ready-prepared bases, or make mini pizzas using crumpets, muffin halves or French bread. I spread a tomato sauce over the base, arrange a selection of cooked vegetables on top and sprinkle over grated cheese for a simple but delicious and healthy meal.

It's also worth noting that frozen vegetables can be more nutritious than fresh. This is because vegetables are frozen within hours of being picked, thus preserving the maximum amount of nutrients, whereas fresh green beans could already be three days old before being bought at the supermarket and might have lost up to half their vitamin C content.

As children only have small stomachs and often need to eat between meals, snacks feature prominently in their diet and are often more popular than proper meals. There are times in the day when even the fussiest eater is hungry and resistance is low. Straight after school is a prime moment to make healthy foods available.

Children seem to find raw or salad vegetables more acceptable than cooked vegetables - probably because of their crunchy texture - which is all to the good since they contain the maximum amount of nutrients in their raw state. I prepare a selection of raw vegetables and leave them with a tasty dip on a low shelf in the fridge; my children go and help themselves.

Snacks like crisps are marketed in brightly coloured bags to appeal directly to young children. But many are highly processed. A healthier option now available is the delicious mixed vegetable crisps made with only natural ingredients. As these tend to be expensive, you might like to try making them at home. Choose a selection of vegetables like sweet potato, carrot and parsnip, and slice them wafer-thin using a potato peeler. Deep-fry each vegetable separately until crisp and lightly golden. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt. If vegetables start looking like crisps, they could go up in your child's estimation.

Below are three quick and easy recipes which should appeal to the most hard-nosed anti-vegetarian.

MINI VEGGIE BITES

Makes 8

lOOg/4oz each grated carrot, courgette, potato

1 tablespoon plain flour

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil

Squeeze out excess moisture from the grated vegetables by laying them on several sheets of kitchen paper, covering them with more paper and pressing down to soak up any liquid. Mix together in a bowl with the seasoning and flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry heaped tablespoons of the mixture, flattening with a fork to make spiky round croquettes. Saute for five minutes, until they are golden on the outside and cooked on the inside.

DRESSING FOR DINNER

Serves 5

25g/1oz finely chopped onion

50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil

30ml/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

30ml/2 tablespoons water

15ml/1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root

15ml/1 tablespoon chopped celery

15ml/1 tablespoon soy sauce

7.5ml/11/2 teaspoons tomato puree

7.5ml/11/2 teaspoons sugar

5ml/1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt and pepper

The secret of getting your child to enjoy salad is to find an irresistible dressing. I use this one to dress a mixed salad of crisp leaves, tomatoes, carrot, cucumber and sweet pepper. Cut the carrot and cucumber into star shapes using a small biscuit cutter. Combine all the ingredients below in a blender or food processor until smooth.

ORIENTAL STYLE PASTA AND VEGETABLES

Children love trying to eat with chop- sticks. Make them more user-friendly for young children by securing them with an elastic band.

Serves 4

350g/12oz pasta twists (fusilli)

45ml/3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, cut into strips

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 medium carrots, cut into strips

175g/6oz broccoli, cut into small florets

175g/6oz mangetout, topped and tailed

lOOg/4oz mushrooms, sliced

175g/6oz beansprouts

4 small courgettes, topped, tailed and sliced

225g/8oz fresh spinach, carefully washed

1/2 chicken stock cube, crumbled to a powder

30ml/2 tablespoons soy sauce

30ml/2 tablespoons oyster sauce

a little freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and saute the onion until lightly browned; add the chopped tomato and cook for one minute, then add the carrots and broccoli, stirring occasionally for five minutes. Add the mangetout, mushrooms, beansprouts and courgette and cook for four minutes. Add the spinach and continue to cook for two minutes. Add the stock cube together with the soy sauce, oyster sauce and a little freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring for two minutes more. Mix the vegetables with the pasta and serve.

Annabel Karmel's cookbooks, 'Baby and Toddler Meal Planner' (BBC, pounds 10.99), 'Baby and Toddler Cookbook' (pounds 10.99), 'Small Helpings' (pounds 7.99) and 'Quick Children's Meals' (pounds 10.99) can all be ordered directly on 0171 355 4555.