Fighting the food wars

Encourage label reading. Discovering that her chewy fruit snacks contain 'maltodextrin, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, and artificial colours red 40, blue 1 and yellow 5' may encourage your adolescent to eat a handful of raisins instead.

Visit the local farmers' market. Adolescents are keenly interested in the environment and, with a little background information, can begin to understand the benefits of supporting local farmers.

Pack lunch foods that carry well. One mother reports: 'I cleaned out my 12-year-old son's rucksack and found several mouldy packed lunches. When I confronted him, he said he just isn't hungry at lunchtime.'

Also, sandwiches can go dry or soggy by lunchtime. Buy inexpensive plastic containers and use cold packs to keep foods fresher. Another idea is to pack the sandwich filling (tuna fish, for example) in a plastic container, wrap the bread, and have your child put them together himself.

Keep cut-up vegetables in the refrigerator. Also look for ways to make them appealing. Fresh vegetables may be dipped in yoghurt, for example.

Make fruit smoothies. Kids love to create their own by tossing bananas, strawberries and juice in a blender. Just make sure not to negate the drink's health benefits with chocolate syrup, whole milk or sugar.

Make sure your vegetarian child gets enough protein. 'My 13-year-old daughter has decided she is a vegetarian, and I am concerned that she will not get enough protein and other nutrients for her still growing body,' one father says. Try the iVillage Food Channel for recipe ideas.