We are so pleased to have this contribution from Allison Tallman, MS RD, of Nourished Routes, a local nutritionist consulting company. They are teaming up with Taste Quest to help provide more guided content for parenting toward Taste Quest’s nutrition goals: increased exposure, increased balance, and increased joy.
Getting your kids to eat well can be a difficult challenge, especially as kids have different eating habits, preferences, and styles. Although parents may understand which foods are healthiest for their children, we know it is a completely different task to actually get your kid to eat those foods at all, let alone regularly. Therefore, here are seven suggested habits parents can adopt that encourage kids toward a healthier relationship to food.
- Eat low pressure meals together as a family: Mealtime should be a pleasant experience including conversation and laughter, not arguing and scolding. It’s important to not associate eating with stressful situations.
- Encourage your children to eat slowly: This helps kids to register the feeling of fullness vs. hunger.
- Involve your kids in food shopping: Including your kids in shopping for food can give them agency in choosing balance as well as grow their interest in different foods.
- Cook with your kids: Your children may be more willing to try new foods that they help prepare. This can also help build a positive and fun relationship involving food.
- Limit screen time while eating: Try eating in designated areas of the house such as the kitchen or dining room. Eating in front of the TV may lead to overeating or a lack of interest in eating together as a family in the future.
- Don’t use food to punish or reward your kids: Punishing or rewarding your kids with food may form negative thoughts and relationships surrounding food as well as build assumptions that some foods are “good” and “bad.”
- Guide family choices: Make a variety of healthy foods available in the house and limit less healthy choices.
Nourished Routes, a nutrition consulting company, aims to enrich your lifestyle with interactive experiences and education. When it comes to providing nutrition therapy, their Registered Dietitians believe in a whole foods approach, 100% transparency with clients, and applying evidenced-based information. Some of the nutrition services of Nourished Routes includes nutrition counseling, meal plans, workshops, and much more! Check out their website at www.nourishedroutes.com for more information and to schedule a free consultation.
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