Trying to raise good and healthy eaters
How come some children are good, healthy eaters, and some are super picky and have a difficult relationship with food? Is it a matter of nature, or of nurture?
I was recently chatting with my girls' ballet teacher, a lovely lady of sixty-something, and she was telling me about her baby granddaughter, who basically refused to eat anything from the day she was born. She's been in and out of hospitals, being fed with drips, feeding tubes in her nose, and all sorts of astronaut kinds of food. There doesn't seem to be a physical reason that the baby is refusing to eat -- the little girl simply has no interest, probably even an aversion, to food. (I can only imagine how difficult this must be for the baby's parents.)
So we can't say that difficult or picky eaters are always a product of their upbringing. I do however think that very often, our own attitude to and relationship with food is of an enormous influence on our children.My own four children happen to be very good eaters. They are interested in food, they try new things, and are not overly picky or fussy. Probably my husband and I have partly been lucky, and we've partly been doing some things right.
Eating is a much debated and quite sensitive topic amongst parents. This weekend I was talking with some girlfriends after we just had lunch with our families. We were discussing how we raise our children, and what parenting choices we have made to help our children become the good eaters they are today. I thought this would be an interesting (but difficult) topic for a post, so I have made a list of tips that in my experience can help make eating a positive and fun part of the day. Here goes.
Trying to raise good and healthy eaters
- Involve the children in the dinner preparation. They can start helping at quite an early age. Tell them what you are doing, let them try the ingredients. Trust them with a knife -- Ava has been making a really good Caprese Salad from the age of 4. Even Casper (2) chips in with cutting the mozzarella! Also: grow your own veggies if possible (even on the windowsill). Take your children shopping (f.e. to the (farmers) market), let them choose some food and prepare that food that evening. When your children have been actively involved in the dinner preparation, they will be more open to try and enjoy the food.
- Eat with the children as often as you can. Sit at the table, and have a proper family dinner experience. Don't turn the tv on (you could even argue to turn the music off). Dinner is a social experience, it's about connecting with each other and sharing the pleasure of each other's company and good food. Set the scene, make a nice table, use little bowls, napkins, light candles, etc
- Don't allow negativity about food, instead be positive and adventurous about food. Set the right example; don't 'dislike' food yourself. If you love food, your children will love food. I've had children at my table who started to be negative as soon as I served the food on the table. 'Oh, tomatoes! I hate those! Eeeks, I don't eat brussels sprouts, they are disgusting!' I personally don't allow my children to use those kind of strong associations in connection with food. In general, I want my children to understand that the food that I buy, prepare and serve on our table, is good, healthy and delicious food. I don't allow my children to be disrespectful to this food, or to the cook (me!) who has done her best to prepare a yummy meal.
- Be relaxed about food. When introducing a new food -- don't overhype or over-react, be casual about it, make it a part of the regular eating experience. I also have experienced that some foods, which I expected my children not to like (sauerkraut, for instance, or olives), have been received with great enthusiasm. So instead of being doubtful ('you can try, but you probably won't like it'), be casual. You might be surprised!
- Always encourage your child to try everything on the table. Don't let them get away with 'not liking' something too easily. If my children, after positively trying the food, don't like it, I ask them why they have difficulty with it -- for instance, the food can be too spicy, too bitter, too salty, etc. I then try to get where they are coming from, and most often understand, but maybe we talk about how 'too salty' can also be good in combination with other things. Overall, this has made eating and trying food a more positive experience and a fun interaction.
- If a certain food is disliked, just let it pass, but don't ban it from your kitchen. Positively offer it to them again at other times. Encourage them to keep trying; their taste might change and chances are that at some point, they will (learn to) like it. Especially if they see other people enjoying that food!
- When your kids don't want to eat their dinner, that's ok, but don't offer a substitute.
- Expose your children to different varieties of food from a young age. Don't generally cook 'child-friendly' dishes for your children, serve them regular adult dishes with regular herbs and spices. (I personally believe that even during pregnancy it's important to eat a variety of dishes!) Take your children to restaurants, and choose from the main menu (most restaurants will be happy to serve half of a main dish to a child, or split one main dish on two plates).
My friend Emilie told me that she encourages her children to be flexible in their eating so she can take them to friends places and she can travel with them and experience different cultures. She told me that she refuses to be a guest in someone's house and have her child turn their nose up at a meal, so if her girls want to come, they will have to eat without making a fuss!
That's it! I realise this is a tricky subject, so please remember that these are tips that stem from my own experience. I'm curious to find out what your family's relationship with food is. What's your attitude? What are your tips and routines?
xxx Esther