5.Provide a Good Breakfast"Everyone knows that eating a good breakfast is important, but it bears repeating. Make sure kids start the day with a quality meal. While standard breakfast fare - whole grain cereals, milk and fruit - provide a good start, try to include some extra protein as well - a hard-boiled egg, yogurt or cheese. Carbohydrates are a great way to jump-start your kid's day, but protein helps sustain their energy level well into the afternoon."

6.Restrict Their Funds"This may not occur to many parents, but kids with money to burn in their pockets often spend it on junk food. Restricting the amount of cash they take to school allows you to limit the amount of "walking around" money they'll spend on junk food during or after school."

7.Set a Good Example at Home - But Pick Your Battles "The best way to encourage your kids to establish good eating habits is to "walk the talk". It's important to offer rounded meals and keep healthy snacks in the house - and to eat them yourself."

"That being said, kids are going to want foods that you don't think are best for them and making some compromises is perfectly acceptable. For little kids, if they eat chicken nuggets instead of a baked, skinless chicken breast, balance it by having fresh fruit and milk with the meal. If your teenage daughter will drink low-fat chocolate milk, acknowledge that it's a way for her to get the calcium, protein and vitamins she needs - benefits she won't get from drinking a soda or sports drink."

Dr. Ayoob points out that many of these tips revolve around a theme: communicating with your child about food. It's not about controlling your child's diet so much as helping to foster a healthy relationship with food.

SOURCE Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University