Food for Thought

We all have childhood habits, some good and some not so good. We also know that most habits are hard to break, so my Mom used to say, don't start a bad habit if you can avoid it...so how to do so when it comes to eating habits? Luckily, I was never asked to clean my plate as a child, so it was easy for me to avoid the "clean plate syndrome" or habit because my Mom used to remind me to fill my dinner plate with only what I thought I could finish. She did not want food to be scraped and wasted into the garbage. (She preferred leftovers that she could use for lunch the next day.) As a grown up, I realized that my Mom taught me portion control. And now, I practice my version of this rule at home. Before I fill plates or have my kids fill their plates at dinner, I always ask them "How hungry are you? Please take only what you can eat, you can always have more if you are still hungry afterwards." I do not worry about my kids eating variable amounts at dinner because I realize that they are not always hungry. I am helping my children develop healthy eating habits by asking them to recognize their feelings of hunger and to practice portion control in response. I ask them to stop and think about their hunger before they fill their plates. I hope that this gives you food for thought :)

If you would like to learn more tips on healthy eating, contact our office! www.drcarsonliu.com