Any parent of a fussy eater will know how frustrating it can be trying to get your child to consume the nutrition they need each day, and we can all do with a little bit of advice from the professionals. But when is this advice more of a hindrance than a help?
Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone has set tongues wagging this week, after suggesting that parents should leave their children to go hungry in order to help them get over their fussy-eating phase.
In an interview with the Herald Sun, Stone – who trained under Marco Pierre White, said: “I think the problem is too many parents worry about their kids being hungry that they let their children dictate what they eat. I don’t see the big deal in letting kids go hungry a few times. They’ll eat when they’re hungry.”
Stone, who is a familiar face on Australian TV from his appearances on Surfing the Menu and Saturday Kitchen, also warned parents off giving their kids snacks in between meals.
Married to Lindsay Price, Stone is father to two sons; four-year-old Hudson and one-year-old Emerson.
As you can probably imagine, Stone came in for some criticism over his comments, with a number of experts calling him out for encouraging parents to ‘starve’ their kids.
Interesting debate around #fussyeaters today- I think I started something!! I have 2 boys under 4 I get it, the struggle is real
— Chef Curtis Stone (@CurtisStone) March 14, 2016
@CurtisStone I think you are spot on! I like your approach. Still haven't heard of a child dying from voluntary starvation.
— Tania Dunn (@DunnTania) March 15, 2016
Others, meanwhile, gave Stone their vote of confidence, telling him he is ‘spot on’ with his comments.
“I like your approach. Still haven’t heard of a child dying from voluntary starvation,” wrote one Twitter user.
What are your thoughts?
