In their efforts to help their children eat right, parents often set rigid rules at home. When the parents have a policy of rewarding healthy eating with treats, it teaches children that certain foods are more desirable than others. It is also a common for parents to offer dessert on the condition that a child eat their veggies. This sends a clear message to the child: Dessert is better than wholesome foods. It’s a prize.
Nutritionists suggest that while meals that provide wholesome nourishing foods are a key ingredient in creating a healthy-weight home, forcing children or adolescents to eat a specific food or to completely reject a certain group of foods is neither practical nor helpful. Moreover, forcing a child to eat something or withholding what they truly enjoy is not good for the parent-child relationship, and turns the dining table into a battleground. A good strategy to follow is that the parents are responsible for deciding which foods to serve and let young children choose to eat only one or two foods at each meal out of three or four different healthy foods. When parents offer treats, they should help children mind the portions. Research also shows that when parents themselves eat super-sized meals and large portions it encourages children to eat more calories too. Modest treat portions make children understand that they are not deprived of the fun foods and even a small portion is perfectly enjoyable along with a healthy meal.