Hi,

My 9 year-old niece is visiting us for the summer. She has always been
an active and skinny kid, but this year I noticed that she gained a
lot of weight-- not obese, but definately a big belly for her age.

Anyways, we are into cooking and like to make a large variety of
dishes, as well as go out to eat at interesting restaurants.

The problem is that this girl is literally repulsed by even the most
innocuous foods-- any amount of spice or even any new flavor will
cause her to reject the food immediately and refuse loudly and
stubbornly to eat the food again. Bland foods like steamed carrots are
eaten in slow and counted nibbles. Ethnic foods are out of the
question.

On the other hand, she eats adult-size portions of junk food,
mcdonalds, and heaps of mayonaise.

That side of the family has a lot of obesity and now I am afraid that
I am going to lose the active little girl I once knew as she enters
her pre-teen years and becomes obese and unhealthy. We try hard to
avoid making every meal a confrontation. In order to keep from
alienating here completely, we do periodically give in to her cravings
for what she calls "regular food" (chicken nuggets, one salad leaf
submerged in ranch dressing, etc).

We have her for a few weeks every summer. What strategies can we try
to at least get her to try some good foods? Recipes, perparation
ideas, etc..?

I have been thinking about making her go "cold turkey" while she
visits us by preparing only healthy foods whether she approves or not.
Eventually, I am thinking that hunger will get the best of her and she
will simply start eating the healthy foods and perhaps develop a taste
for them.