1.Eat when they eat, and eat what they eat. Better said – your kids should be eating the same thing as you. They don’t need to eat more often than you and they don’t need bland foods designed for kids. It’s not to say you can’t eat mac and cheese or peanut butter and jelly as a family, or sit down to a snack of ants on a log together, but the key word is together. Kids learn so much about eating through observation and imitation, so it is critical that you give them the chance every day.
2.On the flip side, the whole family needs to avoid mindless eating. Snacks in the car, the stroller, on the couch, while walking around, while shopping…nope, nope and nope. Yes, these snacks make kids quiet and compliant, but at what cost? Do we really want to teach kids to eat out of boredom, or worse, to help them cope with strong emotions? Eating should be a formal, intentional occasion every time. I don’t mean cloth napkins and china, but I do mean a table and a defined beginning and end.
3. Use food-positive language. We hear a lot about body-positive language, but this is just as important. I like to say that all food should taste good, and some of it also makes our body strong. When you’re eating a great, balanced meal, be sure to compliment your cooking and talk about how delicious everything tastes. And when you’re eating less-nutritious snack food or sweets refrain from using words like “bad” or “unhealthy.” Instead put them on a pedestal and refer to them as special. Explain that if we eat them too often, they won’t be special anymore!