DEAR ABBY: I have an 8-year-old son who has shown me the power of television.
Recently on a "Simpsons" cartoon, there was a segment about eating meat. In this segment, Lisa had a dream about a lamb who said to her, "Don't eat me, Lisa." Since that day, my son has not touched meat. I have tried everything I can think of. He tried to eat a lunchmeat sandwich one day, but he gagged on it. He said he keeps thinking about that show.
My son is a picky eater anyway and it's hard to please him. He eats lots of veggies, but it's hard to get him to eat enough fruit and proteins to be well nourished. (He loved meat before that show.)
Abby, what can I do to ensure that my son eats properly under these circumstances? -- LINDA IN HOWELL, MICH.
DEAR LINDA: Where there's a will, there's a way. Talk to your pediatrician about a vegetarian diet that will supply all of your son's nutritional needs, and then visit your bookstore. There are many vegetarian cookbooks on the market, many written with children's tastes in mind.