Children's dietary patterns can be influenced by those they are surrounded by most often. That means, the way we talk about food can impact children's dietary habits and how they view their relationship with food and their bodies. So, how can we talk about food in a way that promotes a healthy relationship with food throughout a lifetime?
The language we use to describe foods can influence how children view and make their own food decisions. To start, we must understand that there are no good and bad foods. Instead, we frame it as there being foods to include more often, where these foods can provide us with many important nutrients. Explaining this to children, we can say that the foods to choose more often can help us feel energized and be ready to play. When we label foods as bad and focus on foods that we should not eat as often, it can induce guilt when a child eats, which can contribute to developing unhealthy relationships with foods. On top of this, pressuring children to eat the "good" foods so they can get "bad" ones after, ends up making them like the "bad" foods more instead. For example, “if you eat your broccoli, then you can have dessert”. This will only encourage children to see dessert as this taboo and special food that they will want even more, and broccoli as this disgusting food they have to get through first.
So how can we best model healthy eating habits to younger ones around us? Again, it is important to consider that all foods can fit into our meals throughout the day. Including foods such as cookies and muffins alongside our meals is okay! This can help in taking away power from these foods and encourage self moderation.
Furthermore, children often look to older individuals for guidance in how they approach and eat different foods.Thus, parents, educators, and even nutrition students can play important roles in providing safe spaces for children to explore food.
Lastly, when possible, providing exposure and availability to a variety of food options can be helpful in meeting a child's diverse growth needs. For example, you can try to have seasonal fruits like peaches and blueberries available in your home. Availability of foods is necessary for exposure to occur, which can lead a child to want to consume that food more often!
Overall, the key to always emphasize is balance. That means, it's up to caregivers to provide a variety of foods and give children the chance to explore foods without them being labeled as " good" or "bad". This can help build them into confident eaters and promote healthy relationships with food for life!
References:
Añez, E., Remington, A., Wardle, J., & Cooke, L. (2013). The impact of instrumental feeding on children's responses to taste exposure. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 26(5), 415-420. doi:10.1111/jhn.12028