A: Your decision to stay clear of fast foods and pre-packaged convenience foods is wonderful, Rossy. The evidence of lifelong problems with convenience-based diets gets stronger every day.

At 22 months, your child should be able to eat anything you want to make him as long as he is able to chew well and swallow without gagging. All toddlers have favorite foods, and he will probably be unhappy if you take them away. I recommend alternating these with something new the next day. It will allow him to try new recipes without feeling his likes aren’t being considered.

A great way to start introducing healthy foods into any meal plan is to begin with whole grains, such as cereals and toast. Have your child sit down with you and a cookbook with photographs, and let him pick out a few recipes he thinks he might like. He’ll be more willing to try it if it was “his idea,” and you get some quality learning time with him as well.