Sanity Snatcher: Your child won't eat breakfast because she says she's not hungry.

A.M. Advice: Make up for it at snack time. If your child isn't hungry when she wakes up but gets a morning snack at school like my 7-year-old does, it's perfectly fine to call it breakfast. "Anything kids eat before noon counts," Ward says. But fruit roll-ups just don't make the cut. Instead, make sure your child's breakfast/snack provides a lot of nutrients. A whole-grain bagel, string cheese, and a Clementine fit the bill, because this breakfast offers grains, protein, and fruit. Another great breakfast option is a hard-boiled egg with a small whole-wheat roll and an apple. (Tip: Boil the eggs the night before to save time in the morning.)

Expand your definition of breakfast. Some kids just aren't wowed by traditional breakfast foods like whole-grain cereal, whole-grain waffles, or eggs, but there's no rule against having leftover pizza from last night's dinner with a some 100 percent juice to drink, or even half of a turkey or tuna sandwich with a glass of non- or low-fat milk. "One of my kids eats homemade chicken soup for breakfast," says Laura A. Jana, MD, who is a pediatrician, a mom of three kids, and the author of Food Fights (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2007). But keep the general breakfast formula in mind: protein, whole grains, and a fruit or vegetable, so your kids still get a balanced meal. And remember to talk to them about what a balanced breakfast is so they can eventually make it for themselves when they're older.

Don't get soft on sweets. If your child will only eat sugary cereal, cookies, or sticky buns for breakfast, she has been trained to know these treats (read: junk food) are coming, says Ward. To make breakfast healthier, she says, start cutting her sugary cereal with one that doesn't have too much sugar (less than 12 grams of sugar per serving, says Dr. Jana) and contains a decent amount of fiber (4 or more grams of fiber per serving, says Ward), and introduce better options, such as dried fruit, an apple, a banana, or instant oatmeal made with skim or low-fat milk instead of water. Also, stop buying treats or designate a specific time when your kids can have them. "I buy very few sugary cereals but when I do, it's served for dessert," Dr. Jana says.