Q: My 10 years old son is healthy and eats well but eats only a small variety of foods. He often refuses his evening meal saying he does not like it. Should I force him to eat all kinds of food cooked at home?

A:It is important that he should learn to eat different foods. At any meal there should be some food of his liking but he must be encouraged to eat everything cooked at that meal. It is often useful to withhold a dessert if he has not eaten all the different foods as a punishment.