CHOCOLATE flavoured carrots may sound too wacky to be true but they're just part of a campaign to get kids to 'eat their greens'.

Frozen food giants - Iceland - responded to a plea from Professor Gordon McVie, of the Cancer Research Campaign, for a solution to a diet crisis among Britain's children. So what do kids think?

He said: "There is a clear link between a diet high in vegetables and cancer prevention."

Baked bean flavoured peas, cheese and onion cauliflower florets, pizza sweetcorn and chocolate carrots, have all been developed by Iceland to appeal to the taste-buds of children.

Iceland Chairman Malcolm Walker, said: "I admit when Professor McVie suggested the idea of the strange flavoured veg I was very sceptical, but he convinced me that vegetables need to appeal more to kids. "Our own research has revealed that Wacky Veg could help to put greens back on the menu."

All the flavoured veg are free from artificial preservatives and artificial colours.

We sent EMMA COPELAND to St James' School in Oozebooth Terrace, Blackburn, to ask a few of the children to taste some of the Wacky Veg and give their verdict. Here is what they said: Robert James Smith, 10, said: "The chocolate carrots are okay - but I wouldn't want my mum to buy them. I really like the sweetcorn though and would eat it again."

Emma Riddehough, 10, said: "The chocolate carrots are horrible and smell revolting. I like the taste of real carrots - the chocolate ruins them!"

Essa Bawa, 10, and Usman Ahmed, eight, had a difference of opinion over the pizza sweetcorn. Essa said: "It's okay but I wouldn't ask my mum to buy it."

Usman added: "I really like the sweetcorn, it tastes nice and I would eat it again."

Aneesa Patel, 10, tried the baked bean peas along with Arslan Khan, eight, they said: "They taste just like peas but with a funny flavour - not like baked beans at all!"

All of the testers agreed that the different flavours made the vegetables more interesting but the smell of them was very off-putting.

The general feeling was that vegetables should taste like vegetables.

Deputy Head Ruth Bessant, added: "I can understand the idea behind the campaign but I think that children should be taught to appreciate the true taste of what they're are eating - otherwise they will grow up believing that carrots really do taste like chocolate!"

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