Page 32 - North State Parent July 2020

Raising Adventurous Eaters
Make regularly scheduled meals a family prior- ity and turn down the noise of the day. All children need the reassurance of structured meal and snack times. Toddlers and preschoolers are easily distract- ed by almost anything, especially screens, including TV and tablets. School-age children are heavily in- fluenced by their peers and environment and often look to their parents to be good role models. Your attitude about food and eating behaviors affects theirs. As you gather for mealtime, serve children the same foods as the rest of the family, taking into consideration appropriate portion sizes for their ages. Lead the dinner table talk about fun and hap- py things and give everyone a chance to join in
Take away the pressure on you and your child. Give up on having every eater eat every food at ev- ery meal. Try not to nag, yell, make deals or force a child to eat. Forcing children to eat teaches them to rely on others to tell them how to eat and what they are feeling rather than allowing them to listen to their internal hunger and satiety cues. Allowing your child to choose what and how much they eat embraces their ability to self-regulate their food intake. Trusting your child to listen to their body promotes a healthy relationship with food and typ- ically results in children enjoying a wider variety of food. It also can lead to fewer power struggles be-
tween parent and child around food. If you become concerned with your child's eating habits, be sure to talk it over with your child's health care provider or a dietitian.
Picky or selective eating is generally just a phase, but it is a phase that can seem long and challenging. Try not to look at foods as good or bad. Food is how we nourish ourselves and can be a way to bring people together. As parents, we should re- member to eat a range of healthy foods and make sure that our food choices are in line with the foods we want our children to eat and enjoy. Take time to make those heart-shaped whole-wheat pancakes with your children, get messy with apple art, and get dirty in the garden. Let food be a happy, adven- turous experience! Ó
Michelle Harris, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian and owner of California Heritage Farms in Fort Jones, CA. She has worked at the CSU Chico Center for Healthy Commu- nities and with First 5 Siskiyou for more than ten years. Michelle is passionate about creating happy, healthy families in
the North State. She loves spending time on the ranch and being outdoors with her husband and children.
32 North State Parent •
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