I'm going to cause some major hoo-ha over this - but a quick smack use to work wonders for some tantrums.
Now that's a fun can of worms to open up

We don't smack our kids as a rule but I think it is the same as this issue ... each to their own. Everybody manages their kids differently and there is no one right way to do it. You have to do what you think it best. I don't generally do either - smacking or opening food but that is what I think is best for my family (also related to my own issues). You gotta do what you feel is right and manage each situation. I don't walk in your shoes and you don't walk in mine so we can't judge each other. All we can do is offer support and try and understand someone else's perspective understanding that everyone values different things for different reasons. Not because one person has 'better' morals than another, but because we all have different experiences that have shaped our thinking and each of those experiences is valid.

Okay, I'm going to hop off my philosophical high horse now