This is a very mixed opinionated area as many parents think it is polite to finish your dinner and clean your plate however could this be the cause of us over eating later on in life. I believe that you should replace what you have burnt during the day and eat to replenish the nutrients you have lost. This should be until you are satisfied not until your plate is clean. It gets even worse as children are even being bribed to finish their plates with sugary, fattening deserts!! And we wonder why the population is constantly increasing in weight!!