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The Clean Plate Club

Why Your Family Shouldn't Join

By Kelly Burgess

were exposed to an unfamiliar fruit. One group was told that they would get a reward for sampling the fruit. With the second group, the food was merely placed in their vicinity without anyone drawing attention to it. In a follow-up session, the second group was more likely to eat the fruit when they were exposed to it again.

"Children will always do more and dare more if they feel they have an out, and food is no exception," says Satter.

Satter recommends family-style meals where everyone is free to take what they want. In cases where the parent fixes a plate for the child, she says the parent should assure the child that they don't have to eat anything they don't want and can have more of something if they'd like.

Matthews agrees. More important, Matthews says we need to change our focus on food to make it fun, rather than a chore. "Cook a variety of nutritious foods, let kids eat what they want to eat and try to make it a fun process so it's a bonding experience," says Matthews. "When I was young I ate sardines and crackers with my father and grandfather. For me it was a treat and an adventure. I can't imagine any other reason a kid would eat sardines! If we can just keep meals in perspective, our kids will grow up with a healthy relationship to all foods."