Could television chefs make my 5-year-old a better eater?

After too many meals watching my son skirt the vegetables on his plate -- or, during more pouty dinners, simply shove them off -- I decided to see if Alton Brown, Rachael Ray and company could succeed where I -- like a lot of parents -- seemed to be failing.

I called the Food Network and laid it out. I'd give them a profile of my son's eating habits; their chefs would come up with vegetable-based recipes geared to his sometimes-finicky tastes. He'd try them all and decide a winner.

THE KID

In most ways, Parker is an adventurous eater who scarfs up eel and shrimp tempura sushi and devours Ethiopian doro wat. Yet mashed potatoes are the only vegetable he'll eat.

As with so many kids, it hasn't always been this way. From 6 months to 2 years, he ate everything. His favorite greens were palak paneer, a sort of curried spinach. Today, the sight of something green on the dinner table, let alone his plate, prompts a ``That's disgusting!''

Supposedly, this is normal. Supposedly, children's tastes -- especially if they've been exposed to a broad range of foods early on -- expand as they mature. I hoped my Food Network challenge would jump-start the process.

THE RULES

No hidden vegetables were allowed. Trickery doesn't teach kids to make or enjoy good food choices. If they only eat lima beans because they don't know they've been ground up and mashed into a brownie, where's the progress?

The only other rule was that Parker had to take at least one bite of every dish. No matter what.

THE CONTENDERS

• Alton Brown, host of The Next Iron Chef, took the easy road and offered parsnip muffins. I almost disqualified him because the veggies are grated and tucked inside a baked good, but let it slide because it didn't seem as devious as putting puree in a brownie. Also, the recipe is jammed with 2 cups of parsnips, so there's no mistaking what you're eating.

The verdict: Parker eyed the sliced almonds on top of the muffin suspiciously, then plucked them off. ``Better than I thought it was going to be,'' he said. ``I'd take it for lunch tomorrow. Without the almonds.''

• Rachael Ray, of 30 Minute Meals fame, offered up a bechamel-soaked white lasagna baked in a cast-iron skillet. It also was heavy on green stuff -- nearly 3 pounds of chopped spinach and chard. The dish was savory, cheesy and totally delicious.

The verdict: ``Yummy, but not the greatest,'' Parker said after popping a chard- and spinach-free forkful into his mouth. ``I'd like it without the green. Sort of.''

• Alexandra Guarnaschelli, host of Alex's Day Off, suggested roasted butternut squash soup with popcorn croutons. I considered this a pretty inspired idea. So did Parker.

The verdict: ``Yum! Dad, your recipes are the best!'' he said as he slurped it up. (Not only did Guarnaschelli get him to eat squash, but I got the credit.)

• Holly Smith, a contestant on The Next Iron Chef, offered a recipe that was doomed before it was even made -- pappa al pomodoro, a tomato and bread soup. Parker would rather eat wilted greens than touch a tomato.

The verdict: ``This is not my favorite. No more of this!'' he declared after a minuscule bite. ``The muffins should be the winner.''

• Melissa d'Arabian, host of Ten Dollar Dinners, bravely offered a cheese-coated creamed spinach.

The verdict: ``I knew this was the baddest recipe,'' Parker said as he dunked the tip of one fork tine in the cheese sauce. ``I'm not eating the green.''

THE LESSONS

Is anyone surprised that Parker's favorite was the one recipe that least resembled a vegetable? That felt like a shallow victory. But I was pleased he so warmly embraced the butternut squash soup. That was genuine progress.

Our experiment showed that if children truly dislike something, they aren't likely to be won over by cheese sauces or condiments. Parents need to pick their battles and consider other healthy choices.

That means searching for new ingredients and ways of preparing them. Supermarkets are jammed with unusual produce choices, making it easy to think beyond the usual suspects.

And don't assume the oft-repeated advice of offering children the same food many times means preparing it the same way over and over. Parker demonstrated this with the squash soup. I've offered him roasted squash plenty of times. I'd never bothered to offer it as a soup because, well, he didn't like squash. Clearly, he and I were both wrong.

J.M. Hirsch is the Associated Press' food editor.

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