An eating trap that ensnares many parents is rewarding children with food - especially junk food. Lorna Pascal, a registered dietitian at the Hackensack University Medical Center, urges parents to give their children a positive attitude about healthy eating, rather than simply policing their children's diet. She also suggests parents let their young children decide on how mush or little to eat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture like the idea of snacks for small children because their digestive system cannot handle big meats. But the snack must be healthy - fruits and vegetables, not candy and potato chips.
Teenagers require more calories because of their growth and hectic schedules.
Snacking helps augment their diets. The U.S.D.A. also recommends that parents serve at least one food that the child likes and is familiar with. Parents should understand that a child's diet doesn't depend on one meal. There's no silver bullet as far as kids are concerned. Lauerman runs Joie d Vie, a personal chef service, which prepares meals for clients to eat in their own home.