Add vegetables and fruit to a child's diet right away

Q. How old should children be when I start making vegetables a regular part of their meals?

A. Don't wait.

When children give up baby food, they should not stop eating vegetables and fruits. In fact, research suggests that new foods are often better accepted when kids are 2- to 4-years old than at 4- to 8-years old. Experts say that the low level of fruit and vegetable consumption in the diets of teens and adolescents is probably related to habits and tastes that developed when they were very young.

To improve the nutrition of your children and help establish good health habits for life, include one or two vegetables or fruits at each meal. These foods make great snacks, too.

Obviously, portion sizes for children must be suited to their size. About a quarter of a cup is a suitable serving for preschoolers. Toddlers should have less. Don't be disappointed if your children reject foods. Most children need to see a food between eight and 15 times before they begin to accept it.

Q. How many standard servings of alcohol are in one bottle of wine?

A. One standard bottle of wine (750 milliliters or just over 25 ounces) provides about five standard 5-ounce drinks. Recommendations for lower cancer risk and better overall health suggest no more than one standard alcoholic drink per day for women and no more than two per day for men. But it can be hard to keep track of how much you're drinking with so many sizes of wineglasses available.

If you tend to drink beyond that amount, try one of the vacuum devices that pumps air out of the half-emptied bottle so the wine maintains its quality for several days, or buy wine in "half-bottles" or "splits."

Q. How easy is it to eat healthy at a Middle Eastern restaurant?

A. You can usually find plenty of great choices, as well as a few mega-calorie meals and some huge sodium loads (from the olives and cheese). Too much of even a healthy fat like olive oil causes calories to add up quickly, so ask for any extra dips or salad dressings on the side.

Middle Eastern restaurants offer many ways to enjoy beans, from mixed dishes with rice or bulgur to soups and stews. You can enjoy stuffed grape leaves (dolma), yogurt-based tzatziki, tabbouleh, vegetable stews and salads, including fatoush (pita bread and vegetable salad). If you want meat or seafood, try kebabs or souvlaki rather than the rich-sauced moussaka.

With all those healthy options, pass on the falafel (fried chickpea cakes), tahini (sesame seed paste), baba ghanoush (eggplants and tahini), and spanikopita (spinach pie), all high in fat and calories.

• This column was provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Learn more about the group and its New American Plate program at aicr.org.