Rewarding is good in
nutrition if we keep the high reward foods (sweets, fatty food etc.) away from
the person. When it comes to rewarding on nutrition we teach child and everyone
that we will give them candies, ice-cream, pizza if they follow the
instruction. But if I talk from the beginning we teach every child to drink
milk or finish the meal then we will give them candies. This makes picture in
everyone’s mind from childhood that sweets and fast food is the rewarding
foods. And they always try to get the rewarding food who don’t want to get the
rewards. This is the root of developing the bad food habits.
Using food as a reward can damage the healthy
eating habits that we are trying to teach the children. Giving chips, candies,
or soda as a reward often leads to children overeating foods that are high in
sugar, fat, and empty calories. This will increase the risks of obesity and
other chronic diseases. Also, it affects kid’s natural ability to control
their eating. It also develops the habit to eat when they're not hungry to
reward themselves which is contrary to the healthy habit of eating only when
hungry and stopping when full. It will lead young children to associate
emotions with certain food items they may develop a habit of eating snacks for
comfort or happiness. Using food as a reward doesn’t follow the principle of
healthy eating. Also, affects health in the long term.
For the benefits of the children’s health; Don’t use food as a reward. There are some alternatives to give rewards:
- Give verbal encouragement or praise
- Friendly attitude (e.g. give a hug or a pat on the shoulder)
- Play games, or give out gifts (e.g. stickers, stamps, or stationery items)
- Play a favorite game
- Give extra time for a break
- Schools can setup guidelines on not to use food as a reward
Think out of the box and
gives reward to the children that will be helpful for them forever.
Eat Healthy, Stay
Healthy!
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