1. You can make better food choices when you aren't starving hungry. You may be more likely to stay out of the fast food lane or junk food aisle at the supermarket when your hunger is under control.

2. If you are the cook for the family trying using more creative words to describe a new recipe. Try these - macaroni and cheese or savory three cheese pasta. Which sounds more appetizing.

3. Try to improve the atmosphere of the dining experience. Try turning off the television or radio. Perhaps maybe you may learn to taste your food rather than gulping it and communicate better with your family.

4. Trying adding more vegetables to recipes. This will increase the volume of food that you can eat without increasing categories.

5. Try making comfort foods much more comforting. Serve them family style instead of dishing foods onto the individual plates in the kitchen.

6. Try to clear up disagreements with other family members before you eat. People tend to eat more food when they are sad or angry than when they are happy.

7. Keep in mind the gender differences when making comfort foods. Men tend to prefer a main dish comfort food; whereas women prefer their comfort food as snacks that are quick to prepare and have little mess in cleanup.

8. Keep in mind birth order. Children with numerous siblings tend to eat their favorite food first; while only children eat their favorite foods last.

9. Encourage your family to make their favorite foods fruit and vegetables. These could decrease their weight.

10. Slow down! Try chewing, tasting, and savoring each and every bite. Play soothing music (classical). Think about each and every flavor in each bite.

Consider yourself the gatekeeper for your family. The gatekeeper has a great responsibility because their job is to influence the food intake of all family members. And as the gatekeeper of the household you control nearly 75% of all food choices of your spouse and children.

As gatekeeper you can choose what food is purchased and prepared. You get to choose what is cooked and how it is cooked. You influence the eating habits of your entire family.

One of the main jobs of the gatekeeper is to expand the menu by adding new recipes. You can try new spices and add new vegetables or fruits that you family has never eaten before. You can have your children help you prepare the meals and by doing so even the more finicky eater will usually become less choosy.

As gatekeeper you should always avoid using food as either as a reward or as a punishment.

As a gatekeeper, one of the best tips to encourage healthy snacking is to keep them available and ready. Wash and cut vegetables and keep them in front of the refrigerator. Encourage your family to eat small snacks at times, rather than wait and gorge at dinner.

Eating five or six small meals throughout the day seems to produce greater weight loss as it tends to keep hunger at bay.

Remember that low fat or low sugar often does not equal low calorie. Educate your family on label reading for caloric and carbohydrate content.

Also low fat and low sugar are often higher in salt or other unhealthy elements.

Portion sizes may be unreasonable. How many people think that a 20 ounce soda is 2.5 servings? Keep portion sizes in mind when taking in empty calories such as a soda. I know I would rather have water and a small chocolate bar than a 20 ounce soda.

Try to make changes to your families' diet in small increments. It much less jarring and they will be much more likely to stick to the healthier changes.

Learn more about this author, Lu Young.
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