Which health condition is associated with using food as a reward for good behavior in toddlers

Avoiding sweets as rewards keep children happy and healthy.

Why is it important to avoid rewarding children with food?

Using sugary or calorie-dense foods (ex. candy, cookies, or ice cream) as “special treats” for good behavior can actually increase your child’s desire to eat these types foods in the future. Research  has shown that children, boys in particular, are more likely to eat diets that are high in fat and carbohydrates when food is used as a reward for good behavior because these foods become associated with positive feelings and experiences.

Food rewards can also teach children to ignore their natural hunger and fullness cues, encouraging them to eat when they are not hungry. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “when children are rewarded with sweets or snack food, they may decide that these foods are better or more valuable than healthier foods.” As a result, providing sweets and snacks as “special treats” can cause children to view them as highly valuable (and therefore, more desirable).

Research shows that the eating patterns and food preferences children develop in their early years remain long into their teen and adult years. What you teach them about food and healthy eating right now will stick with them for life — make sure to encourage healthy eating habits from the start!

How to promote healthy eating habits and introduce nutritious foods

It’s best to try to introduce healthy foods (such as a new fruit or vegetable) when your child is in a positive environment, or while doing an activity your child enjoys. If your child tries a new healthy food when he/she is happy, it increases the chances of him/her liking the food you serve.

Frequently offer, but never force new foods on your children.  Offering new food choices is associated with less fear of trying new foods. Forcing, on the other hand, is linked to increased fear of new foods and lower food acceptance.

Share responsibility with your child. According to Ellyn Satter’s “Division of Responsibility in Feeding,” it is your job as a parent to decide which foods to offer and when to offer them. However, it is up to your child to decide whether or not to eat and how much to eat at a time. If your child refuses to eat, do not offer to make them something else or substitute a snack food (such as chips or Pop Tarts). Save the meal for later, or allow them to wait until the next meal or snack you offer to eat.

Remember: sweets can still be included in a balanced diet! Try introducing these foods to your children as “sometimes foods,” but don’t emphasize them as special or fun foods. Include them in moderation and use fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins as your everyday foods.

Alternative rewards

Instead of offering your child sweets, try an alternative reward like a family bike ride or trip to the pool. Another alternative reward would be to allow your child to pick out a new fruit or vegetable at the local farmers’ market. When your child gets to pick out something new to try, they’re more likely to be accepting of new foods.

One of the best alternatives is positive words of encouragement and praise for your child. Phrases like, “I’m so proud of you” or “You did a great job” not only strengthens parent-child relationships, but also increases your child’s self-esteem.

Michigan State University Extension offers a variety of programs for youth and adults that can help your family develop healthy eat and living habits.

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Using food as a reward can be very effective but it can have some unexpected longer term impacts so it is best avoided.

Many parents use food as a reward for good behaviour, either at the table or elsewhere. At the table, rewards are often offered in exchange for eating. Away from the table, food rewards may be offered to elicit a desired behaviour, or to avoid an undesired one. Ultimately, this is using food as a bribe.

Food is also often used to make a child 'feel better', for example, after they hurt themselves. However, using food in these ways can have a negative effect on developing preferences and future eating behaviour.

Examples of using food to control or change behaviour are:

At the table:

•  "Finish your dinner and then you can have a cookie"
  
•  "If you eat all of your peas, then you can have your pudding"
  
•  "If you sit nicely and wait for your sister to finish eating, you can have ice cream for pudding"
  

Away from the table:

• "If you are good while we are at the shops, Daddy will buy you a lollipop"
  
• "We have to leave the park now. If you come now without crying, we can get an ice cream on the way out"
  

To regulate emotions:

• "Oh, that was a nasty bump. Come on, let's have a biscuit to make it all better".
  
• "I know you're sad. Would you like a piece of chocolate to cheer you up?"

Why is food as a reward bad?

Liking for sweet foods is present from birth and as children grow they continue to show a preference for sweet foods. This presents parents with a very easy bargaining tool which can be used in order to get their child to behave in a particular way. Many parents feel that by giving treats they are bringing happiness to their child through the pleasure of enjoying something yummy.

What can I do instead?

Eating is undoubtedly an enjoyable experience. Sensory pleasure is experienced in response to liked tastes, textures, and smells, while the physiological relief from hunger brought about by eating is similarly rewarding.

If food is used as a bribe or reward, or to induce happiness, eating can become pleasurable for other reasons. This may be because of the positive feelings of achievement gained when the reward is achieved, or with the alleviation of a negative emotion. In understanding that these associations can be problematic and can lead to heightened desire for high-fat, high-sugar foods, parents should focus on learning alternative strategies for rewarding their children and dealing with negative emotions.

• Decreased liking for non-reward foods
  When used to reward eating, liking for the food-to-be-eaten decreases. Therefore, offering a child a reward in exchange for eating their peas will not help them to like peas. Rather, they could begin to dislike them.
• Development of an emotional crutch
  When treat foods are used to make a child feel better, children can become reliant on them to help them to regulate their emotions. This has been associated with emotion-induced overeating in later life, and can contribute to overweight and obesity.
• Increased liking for reward foods
  Foods that are used as rewards often become extremely liked and desired more. This is because they tend to be treat foods that may be restricted at other times. As such, they become 'prized'. This can be unhealthy as research suggests that such foods tend to be overeaten when freely available. See the restriction pitfall section for more information.
• Contribution to a poor diet
  The foods that are most often used as rewards tend to be unhealthy, sugary treats and salty snacks that can contribute to overweight, obesity, and an unhealthy diet. Regularly using these foods as rewards or bribes means that these foods become part of your child's everyday diet, which is something to be avoided.

How do you reward a toddler for good behavior?

What consequences can a food reward have on a child?

Can food affect toddlers behaviour?

Is it acceptable to use food as a reward for good behavior as long as it is not associated with meal times?