How does encouraging a child to “clean” his or her plate influence eating behavior away from home? Parents who insist that their child clean his or her plate may be asserting excess control that could backfire if it inhibits the development of their child's self-control around food.1-3 If this is true, children who have been conditioned to clean their plate may end up requesting more food when excess controls do not exist, such as when they are away from home.