It's All About the Food
The Must-Have Start to Every Dinner
You've heard it before: Eat your vegetables! But are you and your family doing it? Are you having vegetables at mealtimes and as part of some snacks? If not, then it's time to veg out and pile them high on your plate.

Joy Bauer, R.D., the nutrition expert on Shaq's Big Challenge, says you should always start dinner with a vegetable — then include more with the entrée! Vegetables, especially nonstarchy ones (everything other than potatoes, corn, peas, and lima beans), are basically considered a free food — something you can have without limit, without worrying about the calories, fat, and sugar that are found in a lot of other foods. (Just don't smother those veggies with butter, cheese, or sauce!) Bauer says it's important to remember that if your kids are still hungry after dinner, you should let them have more vegetables first — only then, if they are still unsatisfied, can they move on to having more protein (seconds of carbs are off-limits).
So make sure you always have a fridge stocked with veggies — if they're there, they'll be eaten." Get more expert advice for kids on how to enjoy sweet treats without going overboard.