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Food

03rd Feb 2019

We shouldn’t make kids finish the food on their plate, claims dietician

Do you reckon she's right?

Anna O'Rourke

One dietician on why you shouldn't make your child finish the food on their plate

Mealtimes can be stressful for any family, let alone one where someone won’t finish their food or is fussy with what they’ll eat.

Trying to get your little one to both eat up and eat well can cause worry but rather than force the issue, it might be better to let them off.

That’s according to one dietician, who believes parents shouldn’t insist on their kids finishing everything in front of them.

Linda Cohen, also known as the Nude Nutritionsist on Instagram, reckons that this can set them up for a pattern of emotional eating later in life.

A post shared by LYNDI COHEN (@nude_nutritionist) on

“You want them to stop eating when they feel full – regardless (of) whether the food is finished or not,” she wrote on her blog.

“Being told to ‘finish everything on your plate’ often encourages overeating and eventually, emotional eating when they get older.”

She reckons that a better approach is to instead ask your child to rate their hunger out of ten and then serve up an appropriate amount or, if they’re a little older, let them serve themselves.

Among Lyndi’s other tips is to avoid labelling foods ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or ‘junk’ and instead dividing  them into ‘everyday’ and ‘sometimes’ foods so your children don’t feel bad or guilty about eating certain things.

Cultivating good eating habits with your children isn’t always easy.

Check out our tips on tackling your toddler’s fussy eating here, our guide on getting the right nutrients into your child’s diet here and three ways to promote good eating habits here.