You don't need us to tell you how important healthy eating is for a child's health and development. Chances are you have good intentions but don't always have the necessary energy to get a child to allow anything vaguely leafy via their unwilling mouths. However, with a little harmless deception, you can be well on your way to introducing more fruit and veg to their diet.

Don't give in. Unless Jamie Oliver has popped into your school lately chances are your school's lunch menu really is the high-salt, low nutrition, highly processed "food" they warn you about. Sure they may have a healthy option, but how many kids do you know, given the choice, will opt for the falafel and pitta over a turkey burger and chips? And no. Deep-fried chips don't really count as potatoes. Leaving it up to the dinner ladies is a bit of a cop-out, it's up to you. Let the battle commence If you've been serving up a plate of veg to some vertically inclined noses you need to change your strategy not only for your own sanity but for the health of your child. Here are some realistic solutions... Pie and mash Pies are one way of "hiding" nutrients into a meal. Try baking your own and including lots of veg into the filling. Who's worrying about the carrot - sweetcorn ratio when it's surrounded in delicious pastry? Mash is another way of squeezing in some extra goodness. Mash potato is fun to make and easy to eat. Why not mash some swede, carrots and garlic to the mix? Take a dip... You can exploit the fact that your kids are fans of chips and dip by making your own healthy option. Making your own salsa is simple with a few plum tomatoes, chillies, herbs and a blender. Bake some potato wedges (notice we said bake) with a dusting of paprika and olive oil and you've succeeded in two portions of the required five a day.