Healthy Eating and Kids

Once upon a time my, now 6 year old, daughter would eat anything I put in front of her. With the exception of peanut butter. I should have known that it was too good to be true. Sometime in the last year she has decided she hates almost everything. Things that she loved in the past are now strictly verboten. Not only that but things she likes one day she will suddenly detest a few days later.
Packing a lunch for her is harder than trigonomotry. Note: I never got through geometry. Every day I scavenge for something she'll eat. Breakfast isn't much better. I have a short list of go to things. Mostly fruit, vegatables and some kind of non crunchy starch. Those are her main stays.
I'm lucky she still likes raw fruit and vegatables. Beyond that it's rice or pasta. I worry about her getting enough protein. With only meat as a source and very little of that. My best defense for worrying is to think of the day cumulatively. If she gets some protein at any meal I'm happy, if she gets even one bite at every meal I'm very happy, any more than that and I'm exstatic.
Several times in the grocery store aisles I stop in front of the sugary cereals and the candy disguised as granola bars. I consider buying them, sometimes I even pick them up. I know she would eat them. But I always put them back. It would be easier to give her these in the morning and for lunch, but I would not be doing her any favors.
If I want to teach her healthy eating habits than I have to do the work. The only way is to continue to give her healthy options. Some days that means she doesn't eat very much, but she won't starve.
I also take every opportunity to tell her, her body needs food to work properly. If she complains of being tired, I remind her that if she ate a better breakfast she would have more energy. I get varying results, but it's all I can do.
I'm hoping that just as spontaneously she will come back around to a more inclusive diet, until than I'll just keep up the faith.

Elise Crane Derby writes about entertainment at Elise's Ramblings