Home cooks should not put their children under too much pressure to eat vegetables they do not like, a health expert has said.

With many families including sprouts in their Christmas recipes, Rachel Cooke, senior public health dietician with the British Dietetic Association (BDA), said forcing kids to eat them is not a good idea.

"If they don't eat sprouts but do eat carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, concentrate on what they do like," she explained.

Ms Cooke emphasised that the five a day message is the most important one to convey to youngsters, as there is often a misconception that they need to eat masses of fresh produce.

The average person in the UK will consume around 6,000 calories on Christmas day alone, BDA figures show, which compares to the guideline amount of 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 calories for men.

It warned that the average person could potentially gain 5lb before the start of 2011.