Table 1.

Sample questions from the focus group guide

Domain	Sample questions
Eating occasions	When I say the word “snack,” what do you think of? What does that word mean to you? How is that different than a meal?
	When I say the word “sweets,” what do you think of? What does that word mean to you? How about the word “dessert?”
	When you are with your child, how much control do you feel like you have over what and how much your child eats? When you are not with your child, how much control do you feel like you have?
	When do you give your child a snack? Who decides when your child has a snack? If you decide, how do you decide?
Foods and beverages in the home	Name some drinks that your child really likes and drinks often. What kind of milk does your child usually drink? Whole milk, 2%, 1%, skim?
	Name for me your child’s favorite things to have for a snack.
	Is there a favorite snack [sweet/ dessert/ drink] that you think your child should eat less often? What happens if you try to limit or cut down?
	What would happen if you try to change the type of milk your child drinks? Let’s say from 2% to skim?
Portion sizes	Who decides how much food is put on your child’s plate? Does your child have any say about this? Let’s take something like a pasta dish or spaghetti, as an example. How do you decide how much to give your child? Who serves the portion? You or your child? Do you think preschool-aged children should be allowed to serve themselves?
	What do you do if your child refuses to have certain foods even put on his or her plate, like a vegetable you have prepared? What do you do if a child wants more food than you put on his or her plate?
	Who decides how much of a drink your child has? If you decide, how do you decide? Let’s use juice as an example. If you are pouring juice from a larger container, who does the pouring? How do you decide how much juice your child gets to drink?
	Who decides how much your child eats for a snack [or how much of a sweet/dessert your child gets]? If you decide, how do you decide? If a snack comes in a package that is usually meant for one person, like a piece of candy or a bag of chips, how do you decide how much to give your child? What if your child wants more? Can your children get snack food without asking you?