A child's diet is a work in progress. Just when you think you've figured out what he'll eat  -- and won't  -- his preferences change all over again.

So you wonder whether he's eating well enough. As a mother of three, I wonder the same thing. But as a registered dietitian, I know that even if a kid turns up his nose at vegetables, refuses to drink milk, or won't touch any meat except chicken nuggets, it rarely spells dietary doom. Chances are, your child's eating habits are healthier than you think, even if they could use some improvement.

That's what three families found when they participated in our diet makeovers. We asked the parents to write down everything their kids ate for three days. Then we compared each child's average daily nutritional intake against what's recommended by age and found kid-approved ways for him or her to eat better.

Registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward's latest book is Healthy Foods, Healthy Kids.