Help! My daughter has decided to become a vegetarian and I'm afraid that she won't eat a balanced diet.

Usually, when a school-age child goes vegetarian, it is because friends are doing it or because the child wants to have more control. If you don't overreact, she probably will change back in a short while. If that doesn't happen, it is important to offer healthy vegetarian choices alongside non-vegetarian ones for proper kids' nutrition.

Start by reducing the quantity of unhealthy foods in the house. Vegetarian foods can be very healthy, but not when a large amount of them are soda, juice drinks, cookies and chips—all of which can be considered vegetarian. Along with removing the junk, make an extra effort to cook healthy meals with legumes, cheese and milk as ingredients.