Nutritional Gatekeeper - Home Nutritional Gatekeeper

Home Nutritional Gatekeeper

A home’s nutritional gatekeeper usually has the biggest food influence in the nutrition life of most people. They are the biggest food influence in the lives of their children as well as in the life of their spouse or partner. Regardless of the gatekeeper’s sex or age and regardless of whether they are a great cook or whether they are "culinarily challenged", the gatekeeper has a huge day-to-day influence on his or her family’s nutrition.

An average of 72% of what and how much children eat is estimated to be either directly or indirectly determined by these nutritional gatekeepers. In addition, the gatekeeper has a direct and an indirect impact on what the children eat outside the home. This happens every time they make their children’s lunches and every time they give them enough money to afford whatever lunch or snack they want. They also influence the restaurant orders of their family by what they recommend or order themselves.

It has been demonstrated that children without regular family dinners ate sweets and fast foods more often, and had more behavioral problems than those having regular family dinners.