CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (NBC) -- Do you serve peas with dinner, only to have your pre-schooler pick at the pasta?
A new study into the eating behaviors of kids might give parents some insight on how to get kids to eat more fruits and veggies.
The theory is simple. If they're hungry, they'll eat it.
In a series of tests, researchers said kids were more likely to eat fruit and vegetables if they were served as a sort of appetizer, before mealtime.
And when kids were offered more broccoli, tomato soup, carrot sticks and applesauce, they ate more.
One other key finding, kids tended to eat what their parents ate. So if you want your kids to eat their veggies, you'll have to, as well.
The research was presented recently at a meeting of the obesity society in Washington, DC.
