Here is a comment recently posted on the blog:

I think teaching children to clean their plates in hopes of earning a food "reward" is a problem. We have long taught our child - eat until you're full - then stop; don't clean you plate so you can get a candy bar. I think it sends a terrible message to our children. As an adult with a weight issue, I do not want to pass this behavior on to my child. I can still hear my mom saying "clean your plate".

Response:

I think the question here is why we are offering prizes for "trying new foods." That's what we are doing. The fact is, there are some children who aren't just eating until they are full; they are just passing by a plateful of food in order to wait till snack because they know snack is cookies. These kids can wait all day because they have made a habit out of it.

Every child at the GS is capable of trying new foods and each one has shown us that they can, but lately, there have been a few children who have decided that they don't even want their milk, and that's sad because we are building bodies now, not ten years from now.

I suppose it's a matter of a point of view about food, and this point of view comes from home.

Is a meal made with affection, as food often is, something someone can simply regard as garbage?

Do we want to tell our children that food is disposible, unimportant and that all food is the same? Is a candy bar the same as a salad or an apple?

Do we want to teach them that it's OK to pass by the good stuff because dessert is coming?

The message at school is: If you try new things and put in an effort, there will be a reward down the lane. It's not a matter of over eating; it's a matter of being open to new things. It doesn't matter what the reward is, it's a matter of learning that new things won't hurt.

The State requires that each child be served the same thing and that the amount is the same. It seems rote to me, and I hate it. I'd much rather have children choose their food, but I'm bound by the State to put a 1/4 cup of this and that or a 1/2 cup of this or that on every plate.

Establishing likes and dislikes with the State order is more difficult and at the same time even more important. These likes and dislikes need to be real and not imagined. Good eating habits begin now - not later. "I don't like that because it doesn't look like the boxed kind" or "I don't like that because it didn't come from a fast food restaurant" is not a real response; it's an imagined response.

Establishing good eating habits does mean to eat until we are nearly full. It's probably a good idea to leave the table just a little hungry, but that's not what we are talking about. We are talking about establishing an openness to variety which leads to good health. The best diet is a broad spectrum of foods.

We will continue to offer new things at school so children have a real appreciation of the world's choices. The choice to eat or not to eat will always remain with a child, and rewards will be lovingly given at appropriate times.