MY FOUR- year-old daughter has become "meat-curious." "Mommy, if you eat meat once a year, are you still a vegetarian?" she asks me. "Why does everyone eat meat except for us?" –I tell her that there are lots of ways to define oneself as a vegetarian, and that, yes, some people eat meat occasionally and are still identified as vegetarians, and I remind her of all our friends who don't eat meat.

In a way, I can't blame her for being curious: forbidden fruit is always the sweetest, they say. And vegetarian cooking can be kind of un-kid friendly. Children like their foods to be discrete, not mélanged. There are so many classic vegetarian dishes that mix things up. Dishes like stir-fries, casseroles, and vegetarian stews tend to contain too many flavors all together for a kid's developing palate. No wonder she craves the straightforwardness of a plate of meat, potatoes, and a green vegetable; the dreaded spinach and other "leafs" (as in, "I don't like eating leafs") have no place to hide on that plate.

But happily, I don't have to shoulder the entire burden of her vegetarian indoctrination. A glance through children's literature, movies, and television turns up plenty of veg-friendly characters. There are, of course, the many ungulates, fowl, and fish that stroll and swim through kids' books. Who wants to eat such beloved characters as Ferdinand the bull? The Rainbow Fish? Olivia the pig? Henny Penny? (Well, OK, even I'd eat Henny Penny; she's so annoying with all that "Oooh, the sky is falling" crap. Luckily, in the pre-P.C., older versions of the story, Foxy-Woxy eats her up.)

The movie Babe was a pivotal piece of culture. All around the globe, children spontaneously gave up bacon after seeing Babe's mother sent to the slaughterhouse, and the film's star, James Cromwell, has become a vegetarian activist.

Kids in the 1960s had a more ambivalent vegetarian icon: Dr. Dolittle. In the eponymous film, Rex Harrison sings, "When my host at diner offers / Succulent roast beef / Proudly I refuse it / People stare in disbelief / Lost in admiration as I nibble on a leaf / A very noted vegetarian." So far so good, but as the song gets going, he becomes a little more bloodthirsty, singing, "I'm a cheat! / I love meat!... I love red-blooded juicy chunks of meat!" But he redeems himself at the end when he hears his pet pig squeal and realizes that if he wants to be a friend to animals, he has to stay "a reluctant but sincere vegetarian."

But my favorite veggie propagandist is the Tawny Scrawny Lion. A character in the Little Golden Books series, Tawny Scrawny is apparently on the Atkins diet when we first meet him; he "chases monkeys on Monday, kangaroos on Tuesday, zebras on Wednesday, bears on Thursday," et cetera. Despite a diet high in meat, he's very scrawny and always hungry. The other animals, understandably upset about being pursued for food every day of the week, nominate a small bunny to "have a talk" with Tawny Scrawny. Tawny wants to eat the little emissary up right away, but when the bunny suggests they go home for a meal and to meet his 10 fat brothers and sisters, Tawny Scrawny goes along, visions of saddle of rabbit dancing in his head. The rabbits feed him a steaming bowl of carrot stew (we'll ignore the string of fish they put in it), and suddenly Tawny Scrawny feels "fat as butter" and has no desire to chase monkeys, kangaroos, zebras, or even bears. He stays at the rabbit family's house the whole evening, singing songs and eating berries for dessert. Doesn't eat a single rabbit. It's a heartwarming tale of the power of friendship and vegetarianism. It also makes a vice of thinness while taking away some of the negative power of the word "fat."

But at the end of the day, it won't be Tawny Scrawny or Dr. Dolittle or even Lisa Simpson who keeps young vegetarians from chowing on pepperoni pizza as soon as their parents' backs are turned. It will be whatever is in their own minds, hearts, and even tummies, so my policy is to keep my daughter's tummy filled with tasty kid-friendly vegetarian delights.

Not all kids will eat carrot stew, but I don't know a child alive who doesn't like macaroni and cheese. Here's a vegan version that uses Annie's Non-Dairy Spread, a tasty blend of cashews, sesame seeds, and pimentos. It's made in Santa Cruz, so you know it's righteous. You can generally find it at Rainbow Grocery and other natural food stores in the refrigerated food section.

Vegetarian macaroni and cheese

4 veggie hot dogs (Yves tofu dogs are especially good)

3/4 pound elbow-shaped pasta

1 7-oz container Annie's Non-Dairy Spread

2 Tbs soy milk

1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)

1/4 tsp ground dried chilis (optional)

1 tsp dried basil (optional)

Slice the hot dogs in rounds or 3/4-inch "sticks." If desired, fry in a tiny bit of canola oil until slightly crispy on the outside.

Boil the pasta. Drain. Mix with Annie's spread. Add soy milk slowly until the correct consistency is reached. Add spices and hot-dog bits. Serves four to six.