Time to Eat!

Strategies to Create Fun and Healthy Eating Habits for Children

Camille DeYoungNovember 2, 2013

Loving Food from an Early Age

Liam (almost 3 years old)

Mikal (7 months old)

The Secret to Feeding a Healthy Family is . . .

. . . to love good food, trust yourself, and share that love and trust with your child. When joy goes out of eating, nutrition suffers. Ellyn Satter

Self-Regulation

• We are born knowing how to self-regulate

• Focus on how your child feeds, and how she or he behaves at mealtime, and try not to focus on what he or she eats

Joy with Food &Quality Mealtime

• Give her experience with a variety of food.

• Let her eat as little or as much as she wants (within reason).

• Show her how to behave at the table - and how not to.

Your child is a “competent” eater when he or she. . .

• Feels good about eating.

• Enjoys meals and behaves nicely at mealtime.

• Picks and chooses from food you make available.

• Eats as much or as little as he or she needs.

Dividing the Responsibilities

Parents Decide (Control)

• WHAT • WHERE• WHEN

Dividing the Responsibilities

Children Decide (Control)

• IF THEY WILL EAT • HOW MUCH

Parents as Role Models

• Food-related activities together–Everyone tries new foods—parents model how–Farmers markets and grocery store adventures!–Pumpkin patch and seasonal excursions

Eating as a Family Activity

• Family Meals–Involvement in preparation of the meal–Setting the table together–Theme nights

Mealtime as an Experience

• Planning ahead• Sitting down together• Focusing on one another • Exploring & describing how food

tastes

Some Thoughts on Snacks &Sweets . . .

• Food is never a reward or a punishment

• Sitting to snack• Snack, especially for the older

child, is his or her time to have control

• “Forbidden Foods” and “Dessert”

Groups/Breakout & Roundtable Discussion

• Ideas of what works well for your family

• What challenges do you face?

• What solutions do you have for the struggles that arise with food & your child or children?

Handouts & Further Exploration

• Healthy Snack Suggestions (handout)

• Breakfast & Snack Ideas (handout)

• Recipes (handout)– Popeye’s Secret NW Smoothie– Easy Tzatziki–White Bean Ranch Dip or Dressing

• Ellyn Satter website: www.ellynsatterinstitute.org