Motivating a Food-Motivated Child

My littlest one loves to eat.

She loves to eat and isn't too picky either.

She is highly motivated by food.

She will pick candy over any other treat or prize. When we go to chuck-e-cheese, she could have 300 tickets and she will spend them all on candy, not a single other thing.

But, the "experts" all say not to use food as a reward. Now, I am not one to follow what the "experts" say on everything, but I am one who struggles with her weight, so my kids are going to be prone to that too, and I will do what I can to help them not have those struggles. We limit candy in this house (they get one piece per day as their dessert, and occasional treats when given by others like at school or the doctor), mostly because my oldest gets sick if she eats too much.

But here is the dilemma. The little one will do just about anything for a candy. Sometimes, when discipline does not work with her, offering her a reward of an M&M for good behavior does. Nothing but candy treats worked for potty training. She could have cared less about stickers, trinket toys, praise, etc. She just wanted the treat.

My hubby spends less time reading "experts" than I do, and he has offered her rewards (food rewards) for some things. And the thing is, often it works. She is very sad if she looses her candy treat.

So what's a mom to do? I don't want my kid to struggle with being overweight, but there are some things, like the naptime battle, where we are really struggling to find what works with her! Treats work. But offering treats as a reward is a parenting no-no. This mommy is torn!