4 Tips to Help Your Kids Build Healthy Relationships with Food
Eating is just about the most important thing that humans do each day. Whether you’re a gourmand who loves toiling over a steaming pot, an avid meal-prepper searching for the hack to healthy eating or a tired parent just looking to put something healthy on your kids’ plate, you can’t get far without food.
Food’s importance, though, means it’s a common source of both mental and physical health issues. Even at an early age, encouraging your kids to interact with food in a healthy way is a great way to set them up for success throughout their lives. Here are four tips to get you and your family started.
1. Cook with your kids.
Looking for a chance to use an unavoidable activity as an educational opportunity? Set aside a little extra time for meal prep and cook with your kids. In addition to being a memorable, fun experience for your family, cooking together can teach several important lessons.
Cooking gives children an opportunity to see how food is made and better understand where the foods they love come from. It can also empower them to make their own decisions and develop preferences in the kitchen and at the table.
2. Don’t force kids to eat.
Growing up, your parents might have told you to “clean your plate” no matter how hungry or full you were. While this instruction often comes from a place of care, it can have counterintuitive effects.
Newer research cited by the American Academy of Pediatrics has shown that strict rules around eating may hinder kids from developing healthy eating habits.
Rather than forcing kids to finish their food, let them listen to themselves and make independent decisions. Your kids were born knowing how to tell when they’re hungry or not, so try your best to trust their intuition and teach them to listen to their own bodies.
3. Don’t use food as a reward or punishment.
Another common but misguided tactic when it comes to feeding kids is giving or taking food away based on behavior. When food is restricted, it can make the forbidden food seem even more alluring, leading to a child secretively eating or binging.
In general, food serving as a reward or punishment can warp perceptions around food. It can transform it into something to be earned, rather than a gift of the earth and a basic necessity that all people—no matter their behavior—deserve.
4. Use mealtime as a learning opportunity.
In a certain lens, a family meal is a bit like a science experiment. You and your kids ingest foods made of tiny chemicals that impact your bodies in various ways. Eating can be a great opportunity to educate your kids about the science behind food and encourage curiosity.
Researching can aid you in these conversations. Keep in mind, though, that sources on food can sometimes contradict each other. If you feel at a loss about what’s true and what’s not, you’re not alone. Returning to trusted sources, like the American Academy of Pediatrics’ nutrition blog, and having regular conversations with your child’s pediatrician will keep you on the right path.
Teaching your kids early on to balance the principles of enjoyment and moderation will serve them well no matter their age. These small decisions now will help them develop a healthy relationship with food as they grow up.
