Parents have been saying "Eat your vegetables" to reluctant kids since Adam and Eve.

Times haven't changed. The scene is the same around today's dinner table, and the new Dietary Guidelines requiring 5 to 13 servings (one-half cup is considered a serving) of vegetables and fruit every day has only increased the anxiety.

Most kids are ambivalent about vegetables, though they usually grow out of it.

To learn more about vegetable eating habits, Green Giant hired Harris Interactive to do a survey. Sampled were 573 men and women who are the parent or legal guardian of a child under 18.

The results included:

One out of four parents surveyed said they had no idea what the recommended number of vegetable servings was for a child 2 to 6 years.

Nearly 70 percent said they do not fit the recommended number of vegetable servings into their daily diets.

Close to half (41 percent) said they enjoy their veggies cooked, 23 percent prefer them cooked and topped with cheese, butter or a sauce and 17 percent like them in a dish, such as a stir-fry or casserole.

While 43 percent of moms say corn is their child's favorite veggie (green beans, 16 percent), 20 percent of dads argued that their child simply didn't have a favorite veggie.

Everyone agrees that veggies are important, but working in 5, much less 13, servings a day is tough.

In today's recipe, Green Giant has added broccoli to a kid-favorite meal -- macaroni and cheese. It just might work in your house.

Creamy and appealing, The Giant's Macaroni and Cheese goes down easy on a cold winter night. Serve applesauce on the side and you have 2 of the 5 required fruit/veggie servings.

If meat is desired, try one of Hormel's Fully Cooked Entrees. The Meatloaf, for instance, would go well with mac and cheese.

We tested four of Hormel's cooked entrees (chicken with gravy, chicken teriyaki, pork roast, meatloaf) and found them to be top-quality entrees -- tender, juicy, flavorful with a fresh homemade taste -- in short, delicious as well as convenient. At our store, they were sold near the meat counter.

THE GIANT'S MACARONI AND CHEESE

• 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
  
• 10-ounce package frozen broc- coli & cheese-flavored sauce
  
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
  
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat broth to boiling. Add macaroni and heat to boiling again. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender and a slight amount of broth remains. Do not drain.

Meanwhile, make broccoli and sauce as directed on package. Add to cooked macaroni, along with shredded cheddar, and toss gently to mix. Sprinkle with parmesan. Serves 4.

Each 1 1/2-cup serving has 310 calories, 11 grams of fat and 730 milligrams of sodium.

Green Giant