Yes, we all know children need to eat their vegetables, but the news from the latest NSW Government report, What NSW Children Eat and Drink, shows only one in 20 children eats enough vegetables each day.

It’s serious enough that Health Minister Brad Hazzard and the state’s Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant have put families on notice that this can’t go on.

Half of all kids are eating an unhealthy snack daily.

Dr Chant said too many households regard treat foods as staples.

“Snacks such as cakes, biscuits and chips are no longer occasional treats – they make up almost 40 per cent of kids’ total daily energy intake,” Dr Chant said.

“Children should eat about five serves of vegetables a day. We know that diets that are low in vegetables are a risk factor for disease later in life.”

Austinmer mum Sam Soster has brought up her children Will, 9, and Olivia, 8, to vegetables with every dinner, and simply refuses to give them chocolates or lollies with school lunch.

The result is they enjoy vegetables and eat them as a snack – from cucumber to capsicum and even fennel and beetroot – and don’t complain about sweets. Well not often, at least.

Mrs Soster, 46, said getting the kids involved with food gathering and preparation also helped. “They come shopping with me so they ask what things are,” she said. “And cooking, we get them involved – their dad’s really good with that.”

And for a different kind of snack? “We get pretzels and popcorn,” Will said.

And they’re not alone – the good news from the report is three in five children eat the recommended amount of fruit and nearly two-thirds drink enough water.

“One in five children in NSW is overweight or obese so we all need to take a good look at what makes it onto the dinner plate,” Mr Hazzard said. “A healthy diet sets children up for life – if we support parents to get it right early then they have the best chance possible of heading off potential health, and mental health, illnesses for their children.”