Kids often turn up their cute little noses at the foods that are best for them, claiming veggies like broccoli or beets “look funny” or “smell funny.” But don’t worry. Many kids’ tastes can be fine-tuned and even changed.

Ask them to try veggies one bite at a time. Allowing them to stop at one bite takes the fear factor out of the process. If your kids try a new veggie two or three times and still don’t like it, don’t force the issue. Move on to another veggie. Here are some other ideas:

• Model the behavior you want: Eat lots of vegetables yourself.
• Offer kids two or three choices. For instance, let them choose between baby carrots or celery sticks so they know their opinions matter.
• Give young kids the chance to “play” with their veggies — making funny faces or animal shapes on their plates. As they play, they’ll snack on their healthy “toys.”
• Make veggies convenient as snacks. For example, create “grab and go” snacks by placing cut-up raw veggies in small plastic bags in the fridge.
• Give kids what they like — crunchy foods. If they don’t like steamed cauliflower, try raw cauliflower florets (clusters) to dip in hummus.
• Let the kids help with dinner. Give them cookbooks, magazines or newspapers or help them search online for recipes to try. They’re more likely to try what they’ve helped prepare.

If your best efforts fail to persuade your kids to eat vegetables, it’s time to get creative. You can “camouflage” veggies in their favorite foods so they’ll hardly know they’re eating something nutritious! Try these tricks of the trade:

• Add shredded carrots and lettuce to a turkey sandwich
• Chop up and mix veggies into pasta sauce, lasagna, casseroles, soups, chili and omelets
• Top pizza with chopped vegetables like red and green bell peppers, mushrooms and broccoli