DR. BOB: I am worried about my child’s nutrition. She is a good eater, but she does not seem to be getting a well-rounded diet. Should I supplement it with vitamins? Will they provide the nutrients that her diet is lacking?

ANSWER: Before I answer the vitamin question, let me first address the issue of childhood nutrition. In previous columns I have strongly urged families not to engage in food wars where parental insistence on eating certain foods and child resistance to those foods meet an impasse and harsh words are spoken or punishments threatened. This latter scenario leads to counterproductive interactions and often rips at the fabric of the family. It is important to be calm, to suggest reasonable alternatives or reasonable inducements, and to maintain civility. But most important of all, one must anticipate issues and be proactive in terms of avoiding conflict.