It's the parent's job to put wholesome, appealing foods on the table. But don't panic if a child doesn't choose from every food group at every meal. Over time, children will vary their selections. They are capable of regulating their food intake. They generally react negatively to new foods but will usually accept them with time and experience.
Parents can either support or disrupt children's food acceptance and food regulation.
Satter is vehemently opposed to depriving fat children of food to control their weight. Some will fight to the death rather than eat one more morsel than they really want. Other children like eating and will eat beyond satiety and not experience discomfort. They ignore and overrule their appetites. Restrained eaters' anxiety about their ability to manage their own eating leads them to overmanage their children's eating, imposing their own expectations on their children.