I was also never forced to clean my plate (although I was encouraged to pay attention to how much I’d eaten, so that next time when serving myself I’d take less and go back for seconds if necessary, rather than wasting food.)

As a result I was pretty tuned into my body, and would eat a huge variety of things, and I kept myself fairly well ‘balanced’ in terms of food intake. You could pretty much be certain that my intake would match my recent activity levels (more if I’d just been playing soccer, less if it’d been an average school day) and also what else I’d been eating recently (pizza one night? I’d probably be asking for a nice salad or some fresh vegetables with dinner the next.)

So I think handled well, kids CAN learn to eat well and pay attention to their bodies. I think part of the trick is giving them the freedom to do so. That doesn’t necessarily mean cooking every kid in the house something different for dinner – but if you’re serving something and the kid really wants some fresh fruit, or more protein, or whatever, you have to let them have it. Otherwise you’re just starting the cycle of ignoring what your body is saying. (Which I unfortunately learned to do at some point and now need to un-learn.)

That said, the one food I probably WOULD limit are the ones that can be kind of addictive in terms of sugar/flavorings. Like, when I was a kid and I wanted a chocolate bar, I got A chocolate bar. I didn’t get a whole box full of them. ’cause some stuff it is easy to keep eating just because it tastes good, and kids don’t necessarily have the self control to stop when the original urge is satisfied.