03/11/2026
It’s the most common advice we hear: "Two more bites of broccoli, and then you can have a cookie." 🦛
We say it out of a desperate love, just wanting to see something green disappear. But for a child who already struggles with food, this "If/Then" deal can actually make the mountain feel even taller.
When we use dessert as a bribe, we accidentally create a "Value Gap" that hurts their progress:
📉 The "Chore" Effect: By making the veggie the "price" for the treat, we tell their brain that the vegetable is a chore to be endured. It reinforces the idea that healthy food is "bad" and dessert is the "prize."
🏆 Putting Sugar on a Pedestal: This elevates the reward food to a status it doesn't need. It makes that cookie feel like a trophy, which only increases their obsession with it.
⚡ The Dopamine Trap: The brain starts craving that high-intensity dopamine hit from the sugar, making the subtle, natural flavors of whole foods—like a pea or a carrot—feel even more unappealing by comparison.
We want to move toward a world where all food is just food, and the table isn't a place for negotiations. 🥄
🦛 See you at the table.
