Healthy Ways to Reward Kids

Our friends at Alliance for a Healthier Generation have created a useful resource on healthy ways to reward children. This resource states that using food as a reward or punishment not only encourages children to eat outside of meal and snack times or when they’re not hungry, but also may create a lifelong habit of rewarding or comforting themselves with food. This practice can undermine healthy eating messages and reinforce unhealthy eating habits. Food, even healthy options, should never be used as a reward or punishment.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation suggests rewarding children in a healthy way at your school or site.

Some ways to implement healthier rewards include:

• Writing or updating your district or site wellness policy to prohibit the use of food as a reward or punishment.
• Surveying staff, students, and families to identify successful non-food reward options and share the results with your school community.
• Sending a letter to staff explaining the school’s new policy and including examples of alternative practices.
• Promoting the new policy through the school’s website, social media accounts, newsletters, and/or bulletin boards.
• Sharing what is working at staff meetings to encourage your peers.