Today I
would like to discuss how we are relating to food with our children. What do I mean by this? For instance, if in the morning you are
telling your child, “Eat this- you need more fiber” or “ You never eat enough
fruits and vegetables…”. Sound
familiar?
What I am
concerned about is that we are making meals into somewhat laborious tasks that
must be completed. By telling children
what they HAVE to do or what they are missing is taking away the enjoyment of
eating. Start
making breakfast time enjoyable now so that when they are teenagers maybe they
will get up a few minutes early to eat.
How? Just make sure to offer everything (protein,
carb, fruit, dairy). And don’t nag about
what they are not eating (as a parent I know, not easy). But we can all try.
Not happy
with a cereal your child wants for breakfast?
Maybe not a “whole grain” or not enough fiber? Mix it with another cereal. Or let them have the treat cereal once in a
while and serve it with some whole wheat toast and some fruit. My advice
for all meals is that it is up to the parents to offer balanced meals. It is up to the child to choose or not choose
to eat those things. Your job is done
once you have cooked and presented the food.
Family style eating (where your child gets to pick what they will eat-
food gets passed around) gives children more control over eating.
The point
that I would like to end with is that kids don’t need to get caught up in all
the mixed messages about food. They
should concentrate on activities they like, playing with friends, homework-
instead of the added worry of not enough vitamin C, too many carbs, not enough
fiber, etc. Let’s just treat food like
food!
Enjoy!!!
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