[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/07\/healthy-eating-habits\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/07\/healthy-eating-habits\/","headline":"How to Talk to Your Child About Food: A Healthy Eating Guide","name":"How to Talk to Your Child About Food: A Healthy Eating Guide","description":"

Learn how to talk to kids about food, promote healthy eating habits, address picky eating, and foster a positive relationship with food.<\/p>","datePublished":"2024-07-17","dateModified":"2024-10-16","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/nutrition","name":"UPMC Nutrition Services","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/nutrition","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-nutrition-services\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-1544263985.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-1544263985.jpg","height":867,"width":1999},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/07\/healthy-eating-habits\/","about":["Living and Wellness","Nutrition"],"wordCount":1479,"articleBody":"A healthy diet is essential for children\u2019s brains and bodies to grow and develop. Parents play a significant role in teaching children how to eat, but you may wonder how to talk to kids about food.Keep reading for tips to help your child establish healthy eating habits and a positive relationship with food.How to Talk to Kids About Food: Create a Positive DialogueAs early as possible, create a positive, open dialogue about food. This helps establish healthy eating habits when they\u2019re young. It also makes your child more likely to maintain a healthy relationship with food throughout their lives.Whenever possible:Educate your kids about the good things food can do for their bodies. Tell your kids how food helps them to jump higher, run faster, and grow big and strong. Encourage them to ask questions and learn about nutrition and where their food comes from.Model healthy eating behaviors and keep conversations about food positive. Children are more likely to try new foods if they see you eating them and hear you talking about them.Respect their opinions about food, understanding that their views will likely change over time.Understand Your Child’s Perspective on FoodTrying new foods can be intimidating to young children. Learning to like or accept them often takes time.If your child expresses strong opinions about a food, encourage them to discuss why they like or dislike it. Try to dispel any myths around food, like that green vegetables taste \u201cicky\u201d or carbs are bad for you. But also respect their thoughts and opinions.Letting kids listen to their bodies’ hunger signals is also important. Let them eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full.Young children naturally do this. But when forced to finish everything on their plate or eat when not hungry, they learn to override their hunger signals.When it comes to meal and snack times, children and parents or caregivers have different responsibilities.Parents are responsible for:Choosing and preparing healthy foods.Offering meals and snacks at regular intervals during the day.Making mealtimes pleasant without stress or distractions like phones or televisions.Showing their child by example how to behave at family mealtime.Respecting their child\u2019s lack of food experience without catering to likes and dislikes.Not giving their child food or beverages (except for water) between meal and snack times.Allowing their child to grow into the body that is right for them.A child\u2019s job is to:Eat the amount of food they want or need. (Note that this may vary from day to day.)Learn to eat the food you and your family enjoy.Grow predictably in the way that is right for them.Learn to behave well at mealtime.Respecting this division of responsibility is an important part of raising a healthy eater.Teach Kids About Healthy EatingEarly conversations about food help children understand the basics of nutrition. Depending on your child\u2019s age, you can teach them that:Food groups include grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein foods, and sweets or desserts. Talk about where different foods come from and help them categorize the foods on their plate.Each group provides different key nutrients that are important for a healthy body. For example, protein foods like fish or beans keep your muscles strong, and calcium in dairy foods builds strong bones.Eating a variety of food groups with each meal and snack helps you get the most nutrition possible. Challenge them to eat one food from each group at meals.Colorful fruits and vegetables keep their bodies healthy. Have a color chart handy and see who can eat the most colors each day or week.All foods, even desserts, have a place in a balanced diet.It\u2019s also important to avoid referring to foods as \u201cgood or bad.\u201d When foods are labeled as “bad”, a person may feel guilty for consuming that food. There’s no reason to feel guilty for eating some foods. Reassure your child that all foods provide energy that is needed for all the amazing things their bodies do like running, dancing, laughing, dreaming, and more.Let your child help with meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking to reinforce these messages. Kids are more likely to eat healthy foods if they actively choose and prepare them. You can:Allow them to plan some of their meals and snacks.\u00a0For example, give a couple of options that they are easily able to provide and let the child choose.Choose a new fruit, vegetable, or other food from the grocery store\u00a0to try each week.Involve them in age-appropriate kitchen tasks like measuring or mixing. Young children can also help set the table.Tips for Picky EatersAll children experience periods of picky eating when they\u2019re toddlers. Most kids outgrow these behaviors by age 5.But sometimes, they stick around for longer. Reasoning with a toddler is often difficult, but these tips may help:Avoid bribes. This makes certain foods, like dessert, look like a prize, while eating other foods is an unpleasant chore. Consider a sticker chart or other reward systems.Avoid making a separate meal for them and have one meal for the whole family. It only reinforces picky eating behaviors. Remember, your job is to provide nutritious meals, and your child\u2019s job is to choose what, how much, or whether to eat.Eat meals as a family. Children are more likely to model your behavior if they see you eating the same foods.Make food fun and let kids touch, play, and experiment. Try making pictures or faces out of fruits and vegetables or serving hummus, dips, or dressings for a more interactive meal. Encourage them to look at, taste, smell, touch, and even listen to their food to engage them with their meal.Serve meals and snacks at designated times and don\u2019t let them graze throughout the day. Kids are more likely to eat their meals if they\u2019re hungry. Serving food about every 4 hours is a good rule of thumb. If your child asks for food between designated meal and snack times, say “no” and let them know when the next time food will be offered.Take a break from the food they dislike but offer it again in a few days or a week. Toddlers may need to taste a food several times before they accept it. It can take up to 30 times of offering a new food before they start liking it, so don’t give up after a few failed attempts!Weight, Body Image, and Eating DisordersAs they grow, kids become sensitive about their weight or body image, so approach conversations about them with sensitivity. Ensure them that healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. You have the power to choose the words you say and the expectations you uphold in your home. Focus on making positive behavioral changes and inner beauty instead of dieting or restricting certain foods.These might include:Eating more fruits and vegetables each day.Getting at least one hour of physical activity each day, ideally outside.Limiting screen time.Prioritizing sleep by winding down and getting to bed earlier each night.Trading juice or sugary beverages for water.With these positive behaviors, most kids grow to a healthy weight as they get older. Still, if they’re significantly overweight, talk to your pediatrician. They can refer you to a dietician who can educate your child about healthy swaps and help them stay on track.It\u2019s also crucial to talk to your pediatrician if you suspect your child may have an eating disorder. Childhood eating disorders can include:Anorexia. With this condition, people see themselves as overweight no matter how thin they are. They severely restrict food to avoid gaining weight.Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Children with this condition aren\u2019t worried about weight, but they restrict their diet to only a few foods and reject the rest. Many children with ARFID don’t eat enough calories to grow and develop properly.Bulimia. With this condition, a person feels a lack of control over food. They may binge-eat, followed by periods of fasting, vomiting, or taking laxatives.Signs of an eating disorder might include:An extremely limited diet.Noticeable weight loss.A preoccupation with body weight, food, or calories.Swollen glands in their neck or jaw area.Taking laxatives or vomiting after meals.Eating disorders are serious and sometimes life-threatening mental health disorders. Recovering from them without professional treatment is hard.Conversations around food and eating can get complicated, but they don\u2019t have to. Talking openly about food and nutrition and encouraging adventurous eating sets a foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits.SourcesEllyn Satter Institute. The Division of Responsibility in Feeding. LINKNational Institute of Mental Health. Eating Disorders. 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