One in five children never eats fruit. Here's how to make sure yours isn't one of them

It's hard enough ensuring that you get your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day without having to worry about your sprout-hating child.

But a recent government survey on the diet and nutritional habits of children between ages four and 18 found that on average, children ate less than half the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day and that one in five children didn't eat any fruit at all.

Given that fruit and vegetables are an important source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, the government has now recognised the need to encourage children to increase their intake of this food group.

That's why it recently set up a National Health Service Plan, which includes funding and promoting activities, such as the National School Fruit Scheme (currently in its pilot stage), which aims to provide every child in nursery school, and infants up to the age of six, with a piece of fruit a day. In addition, it has also pledged to collaborate with industry and food producers to increase the provision of, and access to, fruit and vegetables.

Some primary schools, which have already replaced traditional crisp and sweet tuck shops with fruit tuck shops, have even reported an improvement in the results of their standard assessment test (SATs) scores.

Whether fruit and vegetables can have this direct effect on concentration and indeed IQ, is still to be proven. But we do know that fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins C, A and E and other phytochemicals such as flavonoids, which work together to protect against heart disease - the origins of which can be early on in life.

So how can we get our kids to enjoy more fruit and vegetables? Here are my top tips:

Start them young
Introduce your children to a wide variety of tastes as soon as you begin weaning. Humans are born with an innate liking for sweetness and many fruits and vegetables are naturally sweet which helps the process.

Don't push it
Don't worry if your child hates broccoli or sprouts, it's not the end of the world. If they refuse to eat it, take their plate away and try again in a week's time, perhaps serving it in a different way. For example, mash broccoli with potatoes and pat into large burger shapes. Next dip them in beaten egg and breadcrumbs then grill or fry them in a small amount of oil.

Another idea is to add a can of creamed sweetcorn to a pancake batter and fry in a little oil. If your child or children still refuse to eat it, just accept it - there are plenty of other veggies that are just as nutritious.

Be adventurous
If you can afford it buy more exotic fruits such as lychees, guavas, papaya, kumquats and starfruit, as they are all visually attractive. Kids are attracted to colour and presentation.

Withhold the truth
Don't bother telling your kids that fruit and vegetables are good for them, it will put them off immediately. Children can't understand the concept about eating for their long-term health.

Give fruit as treats
Get into the habit of offering fruit as treats; use the more exotic ones if you can afford them. Offer fruit or chopped up raw vegetables to your children when they come home from school or when you pick them up from school.

Get them involved
Encourage your children to prepare food with you and make it fun. Jazz up ordinary fruit by whizzing it together with cold milk to make a smoothie. Prepare a fruit salad for a doll's tea party, if your child is young, or make crumble with fruits such as peaches, raspberries, and apples and serve it with custard - all kids love that.

Another great idea is to make jelly and add bits of fruit to it before it sets. Puries are also a great idea and make wonderful fruit sludges. Whizz a whole batch of seasonal fruits together and freeze portions until they are semi-solid. Puries are brilliant for serving over ice cream. Similarly, vegetable puries work well served with baked potatoes or pasta.

Be sneaky
Add finely chopped vegetables to a stew, bolognese sauce, meatballs or cottage pie - that way they can't pick out the veggies. Cauliflower cheese is usually a hit - remember that if you have a vegetable dish, that counts as two portions.

Get dipping
Try old favourites with new tastes. Tomato ketchup and Dairylea cheese spread are always popular; why not introduce new vegetables with these as dips. You may baulk at that idea but believe it or not tomato ketchup is a very good source of a cancer fighting chemical called lycopene. Similarly Dairylea is an excellent source of calcium.

Beans means...
Remember that baked beans can also count as one portion so that's one under the belt without even trying.

Get creative
Fruit sandwiches are not only nutritious but an exciting way to jazz up ordinary white bread. My favourite is peanut butter and banana. Other combos include cream cheese and canned pineapple, mango and strawberries, or you can use up leftover fruit puries.

Lead by example
Remember that children learn by example, so make an effort to eat with your kids and make encouraging noises when you get onto the vegetables.

Finally, a word about portions. Dried, canned, frozen, fresh, juices all count towards the five portions a day.

One portion of fruit equals
1 slice of a very large fruit such as a melon or pineapple
1/2 avocado or grapefruit
1 medium fruit e.g. banana, pear, apple or orange
2 small fruits e.g. clementine, apricot, kiwi or plum
1 cup small fruit e.g. grapes or strawberries
2-3 tbsp canned fruit, fruit salad
1/2-1 tbsp dried fruit e.g. raisins, dates
1 glass (150ml) juice

One portion of vegetable equals
2 tbsp broccoli, courgettes, spinach, cabbage, carrots, turnips, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms or onion
1 bowl salad

5 portions can be easily achieved as
1 glass fruit juice
1 banana and a cupful of grapes
2 servings of vegetables for dinner