Say Goodbye to the ‘Clean Plate Club’

How the Clean Plate Club started:

The Clean Plate Club was established in 1917 in response to the world food shortage due to World War I. The goal of this club was to reduce food waste in a time when food supply was low because people did not know if they would have enough food to survive. 

How the Clean Plate Club has evolved:

Fortunately, we no longer live in that time period and have an abundance of food or can find sources that provide us with food such as food banks. So why is the Clean Plate Club still around? Parents use this idea of joining the Clean Plate Club as a tactic to get children to eat more. Or they’ve said things like “eat all your food so you can have dessert.” Parents think they are helping their children grow big and strong by making them eat more food. But this does more harm than good.

Think about it. Did your parents use the Clean Plate Club when you were a child? Has this influenced the way you eat as an adult? Do you feel guilty for wasting food so you finish eating your food and end up feeling awful because you overate?

Children are very in-tune with their bodies. They know that when they are hungry, they eat. When they are full, they stop eating. Forcing a child to finish all their food teaches them to ignore their body signals. 

The majority of the time, parents force their children to finish their food because they want to make sure they are eating fruits and vegetables. Not thinking about the long-term consequences of this, doing this can actually cause children to dislike vegetables. 

“Eat your broccoli so you can have a cookie!” Not only does this teach children to eat when they are not hungry, it also teaches them that food is earned. Food should not be used as a reward or a punishment. This makes mealtimes stressful for both the child and the parent. Mealtimes are supposed to be positive and relaxed environments, and they can be!

Strategies to make mealtimes fun and relaxing:

1. Provide a variety of foods on your child’s plate. 

It’s your job to provide the food. It’s your child’s job to choose what to eat. It’s okay if they don't eat everything.

2. Let your child help prepare the food.

Children are more likely to eat the food that THEY prepared. But it’s still okay if they don’t eat it. 

3. Lead by example.

You want your child to eat broccoli but you refuse to eat any vegetable. You may not be very successful at getting your child to eat that broccoli. Your child is watching you and sees that you don’t eat vegetables, so why should they? Eating the same foods can help your child to at least try the food. It doesn’t mean they will like it, but an attempt in trying a new food is a huge step in the right direction.

4. Don’t force your child to taste everything.

Encourage your child to try a food, but don’t force them. Don’t stress about it either. If they are persistent in not wanting to eat something, let it go. You can talk about the food, play around with it a little bit, make it fun.

For more tips on nutrition with children, visit these Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/feedinglittles/ (This account is run by a Registered Dietitian and an Occupational Feeding Therapist)

https://www.instagram.com/mamaknowsnutrition/ (This account is run by a Registered Dietitian)

https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/eating-as-a-family/keep-kids-out-of-the-clean-plate-club

http://inquisitiveeater.com/2015/04/01/the-clean-plate-club-historic-and-contemporary-food-waste/

SE