Government food surveys find children are getting enough nutrition because of all the fortified foods they eat, but they consistently fall short on fruit and vegetable intake, missing the substances that prevent disease, and eating way too many of the foods that promote obesity and illness.

Continue cooking any of your child's favorite recipes that include fruit and vegetables -- there's nothing wrong with zucchini bread and applesauce cake -- but be honest about what's in the food. I recommend every meal be served with a recognizable piece of fruit or vegetable on the plate. Don't make a big deal about it. Just serve it and make sure everyone else at the table has a serving on their plate too -- including you.

If you do this, you're fulfilling your job as a parent and providing your child with the best opportunity to be healthy. He may not like every food you serve, but if he never gets to try them, you're the one who has limited his menu -- not him.