MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Like most lessons in life, children develop their eating habits by what they experience at home.

"When children are exposed to certain foods (healthy or not) in the home, they are much more likely to accept the same foods later," said Melissa Mixon, human nutrition specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Exposure may need to be as many as 18 to 20 times before a child accepts the food."

The nutritionist said parents should patiently make healthy foods available to their children. If a child refuses an item, a healthy substitute is much better than a less nutritious food. Mixon said children should not be placed on a low-fat diet before the age of 2. Fat is needed for brain development during the first couple of years of life. After age 2, children need the same considerations for a low-fat diet as adults.

Although the long-term health impact of a low-fat diet for children is not certain, researchers positively report that low-fat diets are healthier for adults.

"There is a national campaign to get Americans of all ages to eat five servings of vegetables and fruit per day, which is about double the current trend," Mixon said. "Studies have indicated children like one or fewer vegetables -- with corn being the favorite."

Mixon said in addition to increased exposure in the early years, cooking vegetables in a variety of ways is another method to increase consumption. Often if children are involved in the growing and preparation of vegetables, they are more likely to eat them.

As adults become more health conscious, children also can get involved in reading and understanding labels on different products.

"Children are ready to learn about nutrition and health much earlier than once thought -- even in their preschool years," Mixon said. "Children can be taught to recognize health or nutritional claims on labels. Older children can learn how to compare similar products by reading the labels."

Under the labeling regulations, two different types of claims are allowed. One includes nutrient content descriptors, such as no cholesterol, high fiber or low fat. The second is health claims, which relate directly to seven well-documented relationships with a nutrient or food to a particular disease, such as calcium's relationship to osteoporosis.

"One of the main things for people to watch for is the amount of fat in their diets. A healthy low-fat diet for people more than 2 years of age is one that has no more than 30 percent of the total calories from fat," Mixon said. "The nutrition labels make it easier to monitor the amount of fat you could be consuming in a particular product."

If children eat a variety of foods in small amounts each day, they are more likely to have a balanced diet.

"Our responsibility as adults is to make nutritious foods available for children. After that, it is best to look at the big picture -- what the child eats over a week's time rather than one day," Mixon said.

"Many children have days when their diets are far from ideal, so observing what your child eats over a longer period will give you a better idea of whether they are well nourished," she said. "Generally, if the child looks healthy and well nourished, he or she probably is."