They hide their peas under the mashed potatoes, pass the carrots to a baby brother and drop brussels sprouts to the dog. For generations, children have gone to great lengths to avoid eating their vegetables. But UC Davis nutritionists are finding that school vegetable gardens may just be doing what countless parental sermons on starving children couldn't do -- make vegetables appealing to kids. In a recent study involving nine fourth-grade classes, nutrition graduate student Jennifer Morris and Cooperative Extension nutrition science specialist Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr found that those fourth-graders who received hands-on experience in a school garden -- in addition to classroom nutrition lessons -- were more likely to say they would eat vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas and zucchini. "Results from our study indicate that planting and harvesting activities provided through school gardens complement nutrition education programs and actually increase children's appreciation for vegetables," Morris said. "Further studies are needed to determine if children's dietary patterns actually change significantly over an extended period as a result of their gardening experience." Nutritionists are increasingly concerned that children are not eating the recommended two to three servings of fruit and three to four servings of vegetables each day. Fiber and several plant-related chemicals in fruits and vegetables are thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer, in addition to promoting healthy growth and development.