My 5th grader really wanted to stop by McDonald’s for a Frozen Lemonade. She had asked a couple of times over a couple of days if we could get one, so when we were out running errands I said, “Hey, let’s get a treat!” and in we went to McDonald’s.

The server asked her what she wanted and she told him, “Strawberry Lemonade, please.”  His next question was, “What size would you like?”

She looked at me for approval of possibly the biggest size they had, and I simply asked her if she understood that this was a treat…she replied, “Yes!” So my next question was, what size belly do you want from your treats?  The McD server said, “Wow, that’s good,” and so I thought I’d share it with you…

She ordered a small and was thrilled…even the smalls are pretty big.  It was more than enough for her, in fact she didn’t even finish it because it was so sweet!  I ask myself, my children and my clients questions based in reality because that is where we need to focus our restraint when it comes to “treats”. I want my children to understand not only what they’re eating, but why.  Seize the teachable moment, teach enjoyment over quantity. I don’t constantly throw it out there like that, but the moment presented itself well.

So the next time a server asks you about portion size, think: How do I like my belly…small, medium or large?

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