How to Help Your Kids Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food

I’m speaking at a church this week about nutrition and kids! These are the topics I’ll be touching on — thought I’d share what I’ll be sharing with you! Enjoy!

1. “Clean plate club” or no? Some kids are picky and won’t eat so encouragement is needed.  Dessert?  How often?  DO they need to eat “healthy” before they have a reward?  Or is this discouraged as a whole using food against one another? 

Clean plate club: This is a no because it encourages children to eat past the point of fullness, and we want to encourage our kids to listen to their bodies and our hunger and fullness cues.
Picky eating: this is a big one, because you don’t want to set the precedent that you’re going to cook a special meal just for your picky eater.a) Eat meals as a family — this will allow for you to be able to model healthy eating habits for your child to emulate.b) Involve your child in the cooking process. When a child feels “ownership” in helping cook the broccoli, or help cut up the cucumber, he or she will be more willing to try. What’s even more is if they’re involved in the growing process – but if a backyard garden isn’t a possibility, take them shopping with you for the groceries, and help them pick what color pepper to try, or a new type of fruit they’d like to try!c) Cook a new food with familiar ones. When trying to expand their palate, don’t overwhelm them with an entirely brand new meal, but instead, try a new vegetable with foods you know they enjoy.d) Avoid a stand off — if they don’t eat it, don’t make something special, different than the family is eating, but give them more of the other side dishes at the meal.e) Picky eating starts early: the more processed foods that your child is accustomed to, the more they will crave that and turn their nose up to the “real food” at the dinner table. So start early and just eliminate as many processed snacks from your shopping list. Great snack ideas: apple with peanut butter and cinnamon; “ants on a log” with peanut or almond butter, raisins and honey on either celery or a banana; fruit smoothies; veggies with hummus; air-popped popcorn sprinkled with parmesan cheese; dried mangos; etc. Greek yogurt with honey and homemade granola, string cheese or cheese slices with cut up fruit. If you “train” your child’s palate to enjoy those real foods instead of being amped up on the sugar and sodium of processed foods, their palate will reflect this come dinner time.

f) If you really need to get “on-the-go” snacks, look for ones with as little added sugar and mainly whole food ingredients. If you can’t pronounce the ingredient on the back, you probably shouldn’t be eating it!Dessert: A trip to Graeters or a cookie from the bakery occasionally is part of a healthy lifestyle. This way it doesn’t demonize these treats or make it so they feel any negative emotions about eating what some people refer to as a “splurge” — a term that shouldn’t be used with children. Having an appropriate relationship with sweets from the fump is important for their lifelong relationship with food and weight. Some of my favorite memories were going on a “daddy/daughter date” to UDF for a scoop of rainbow sherbert growing up. That being said, “dessert” doesn’t just have to be cake and ice cream, and I would actually encourage parents to reframe what “dessert” means and can be. In our house, our favorite dessert is freshly sliced, super sweet pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon with a big scoop of natural almond butter, and then heated in the microwave for about 20 seconds. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! We also make the most delicious banana ice cream in the food processor — which is made from blending frozen banana coins with any other type of your favorite frozen fruit with a drizzle of honey and a splash of almond milk!Or perhaps strawberries with fresh whipped cream! Or a fresh-fruit popsicle. A sweet ending to dinner is actually a great way to get another serving of fruit into your child’s diet.g) I would never have food be put into the category of a “reward” because that will play negatively into their relationship with food. For example: get an “A” on a test: get two scoops of ice cream. Lose a soccer game: stop by Buskin for an “it’s going to be okay” cookie. Those are tying emotion to food, which is a dangerous path to embark on. Similarly, you never want to use food as a bribe: if you clean your room, you can have a chocolate sundae: again – food should not be used as a barter system. Instead, perhaps a sticker chart, where you can encourage them with a sticker, and when they get to a certain number of stickers, they can get a $10 toy at target.h) Dessert without dinner? No. But again, you don’t want to make dessert seem like a reward. Dinner nourishes their bodies and helps them grow strong and develop their brains — and that should be the focus of why dinner is important — not as a requirement for dessert.

1. Some families have children with different dietary needs.  How do you pull that off? (Ex: one child is losing weight due to medication and the other is gaining weight eating the food we need to provide for the other)

In my house, I have a “normal eating” husband, and me, who is on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and we’ve found a really wonderful way to make it work without depriving either one of us. At the beginning of the week, I will make a big batch of rice or quinoa or roasted potatoes — some grain/starch that I cannot eat, but Steven enjoys, and can then have for the week. And then I make a protein and vegetable that we both can enjoy together. It involves creativity and yes – a bit more time and planning – but it is not impossible!
I would say that in terms of two children have different weight changes due to medication or whatnot — I would actually not use food to address the issue for the child needing to gain weight, and instead I would add a weight gaining supplement. Ensure or boost make delicious milkshake-type beverages that are meant for that exact purpose — easily digestible, nutritious, and you can supplement your child’s caloric needs that way, instead of using food. Because that also can skew their relationship with food — thinking, oh gosh: if I eat this I will gain weight. And additionally, it will keep them practicing proper portions for both your children: no matter if they need to gain or lose weight.

1. Vocab… how do we talk about nutrition in a way that’s healthy and educational but not harmful?  What phrases should we not say that can cause damage?

A healthy relationship with food and body image starts at home. The way that we – as parents – demonstrate our relationship with food and exercise and body image is the number one indicator to how your child’s relationship will be with these things. Yes — diet culture is flung at us from all angles from a young age, but if there is a safe space at home where mom and dad love their bodies because God made them unique and beautiful — and have given us strength to run and jump and climb trees and think and do amazing things — and then appropriately nourish our bodies and stay active to do those things — that will be what your child hears louder than the diet culture noise.
It is important to never demonize food — making cookies “bad” or broccoli “good.” It’s important not to characterize something as a “splurge” or say something like, “Oh I’m being good and having a salad” — or conversely “I’m being so bad” — as you grab for a second helping. But rather, approach food with how it benefits your body: protein to help their bodies grow strong so they can play sports; vegetables so their brains can grow and they can be smart and change the world; A food’s nourishment factor is a great way to talk about these things.

1. When do we need to say no to sugar? How do we do that during the holidays?

Sugar is nearly unavoidable in today’s processed food culture. But we can keep it in check, again by offering our children whole-food snacks, or baked goods that we make, sweetened with honey.
But during the holidays, this can be super difficult, going to grandma’s house, or to parties where christmas cookies and hot chocolate are a mainstay on every party spread. This is a great opportunity to help your child make choices to regulate their consumption. If they had a christmas cookie at lunch, talk through with them how their body would feel if they had another one after dinner, and help guide them to a more nourishing choice. Having your child be involved in the thought process and decision making is a lot easier than just a “no.” However, sometimes, when they’re on the brink of a meltdown, sometimes a firm no is what they need to hear.

1. When we were growing up we learned about the “food pyramid”.  What is today’s version of that?  How do we know that our kids are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need daily?  

Today’s version of the “food pyramid” is called My Plate. Where a nutritionally sound plate consists of 1/2 fruits and vegetables, then a quarter as grains — focusing on whole grains, a quarter as protein: focusing on lean meats, fish and plant-based proteins. With low-fat dairy, yogurt or dairy-alternatives being off to the side, of lesser focus. You can make sure your kids are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need daily — a) by taking a multivitamin. They have delicious chewables just for kids. But also to serve balanced, nutritious meals that you eat together as a family. Instead of looking in – daily – increments, look instead of your child’s needs as a whole week. Because there will be days when kids have a “fruit-heavy” day, and then the next day won’t touch it. So look at it cohesively as a whole. And then add nutritious foods into foods they already love — add spinach to their smoothies. Add zucchini noodles in with the pasta. Make a delicious pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, garlic and onions. Make fresh orange juice — and add a carrot in there too. You’re not “sneaking” these foods in, but rather — boosting the nutrition of the foods they’re already eating!

1. What are fast easy last minute meal options that are healthy? 

We love fast meals in our home. And having things meal prepped makes this easy. So at the beginning of the week, make a big batch of wild rice or quinoa, and make a big sheet pan of roasted veggies: broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, etc. Make a big batch of ground turkey and season half with Italian seasoning and half with mexican seasoning. That way, you can just assemble meals together.We love taco night — and we get almond-flour tortillas. So that means ground turkey, rice, and then I make some peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes to have inside with some fresh guacamole and lettuce. SO GOOD.We also have pasta night a lot with either chickpea or lentil pasta — high in protein and nutrious — and then serve it with some premade roasted vegetable and a wholesome pasta sauce (with a short ingredient list!)Breakfast for dinner is another favorite: we make banana pancakes — banana, dates, eggs, almond flour, honey, almond butter, olive oil — and serve those with scrambled eggs and turkey bacon.

1. How do we get the kids to have ownership in meals or snacks?

Have them help cook or shop for the food! Even better if they can help grow the food! But helping you prepare it gives them a feeling of pride serving the food and eating it, knowing that their hands were involved in its creation!

1. Air fryer?  Thoughts?  Easy Recipes?

I don’t have an air fryer but would certainly love one! In my opinion, it is more of a countertop convection oven — your oven can do everything this can, it just takes slightly longer. and there really isn’t an advantage to cooking without any olive oil. A healthy diet consists of healthy fats from avocado oil, olive oil, avocados, nut butters, etc.
Roasted chick peas — roast dry chick peas and then spritz with olive oil and season with a variety of seasonsings or parmesan cheese. 380 for 12-15 minutes
Asparagus fries: Dip asparagus spears in egg wash, roll in panko and bake for 15 minutes at 380, flipping once halfway through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.