Nutritional Gatekeeper

The home food environment typically has one nutritional gatekeeper, often the mother, who controls a majority of the food eaten. A home’s nutritional gatekeeper is 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, they have a huge day-to-day influence on their family’s nutrition.

For better or for worse, a great deal—an average of 72%—of what and how much their children eat is estimated to be either directly or indirectly determined by these nutritional gatekeepers.

Unfortunately, some nutritional gatekeepers give up their duties out of frustration that they can’t control 100% of the food decisions made by their children. They, however, have a big influence in most of the food decisions their children make. Nutritional gatekeepers buy most of what is eaten at home, but they also have a direct and an indirect impact on what their 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.

Those who prepare the food, not just individuals who consume it, have an impact on the whole family. Most past efforts to study nutrition education have focused those who eat foods. Based on gatekeeper research from the 1940s, this research suggests that the cooks are also responsible for nutrition. Cooking family dinners can expand the nutritional gatekeeper's influence. Eating family dinner has been associated with healthful dietary patterns, better fruit and vegetable intake, lower intake of fried food and soda. Thus, it is imperative that the nutritional gatekeepers have the proper nutritional information. Cooks are not only gatekeepers, but opinion leaders as well.

Nutritional gatekeepers have a profound impact on the health of their families. They control around 2/3 of the food consumed by the family. Consequently, It is important that they buy nutritious foods for their families to consume, practice healthy eating habits, and be a positive influence.

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