As parents and adults we constantly question how we should tackle those foods that we feel ourselves and others should not eat–do we include them in small portions? stay away from them altogether? this past month the new york times examined a few of the more recent studies on how we react when exposed to forbidden foods. i have provided the link to the article and also offer some personal and professional thoughts:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/21/the-lure-of-forbidden-food/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

• expose yourself and your children to all types of foods–if seen as not a big deal, everyone is less likely to overeat them
• apply the same guidelines to everyone in the family independent of weight goals
• there is a time for fruits and vegetables, and a time for cookies and ice cream
• the less of a big deal we make about food, the less of a big deal others will make about food
• be mindful of portion sizes–the majority of those in our environment are too big