Raising Happy Healthy Eaters   By Dr Sarah Lantz

By the time a child is between the ages of two and four years old, their eating habits have largely been shaped. Parents are the single greatest influence on their children’s eating habits, from the variety of foods they eat, to their ideas about to how to keep their bodies (and minds) feeling good. But many parents tell me at my workshops: ‘My kids won’t eat healthy foods’, ‘My kids are fussy eaters’, ‘My kids would only eat junk foods if I let them’. Why is this so? This is what I have learnt as a practitioner and mother…

As parents, we use food to negotiate, reward and control our children. Think about it.. we control times of eating (‘No, you can’t have that, dinner is in an hour’) how much is eaten (‘Finish what’s on your plate’) food as rewards (‘If you eat X you can have a desert’) and how food can be eaten (‘Don’t just eat the icing, you have to eat the whole cupcake’). And then we wonder why children have a range of confused eating habits and health problems. It’s ironic, who made us the food police?

Consider that knowing when he/she is hungry comes as naturally as breathing to a child, as does seeking out a balance of foods. It’s not possible for parents to always know whether their child is hungry or not. Only the child knows.Remember your newborn? Most newborns find their own way to the breast. It’s instinctive. They cry when they need food, feed when they are hungry, and stop when they are satisfied. And this doesn’t have to end as your children get older. Allowing your child to listen to their body leads to healthy eating habits.

When parents interfere, they cause confusion about what hunger feels like, and cause certain foods to have more of an allure than they would otherwise have. As parents, we forget what it was once like to instinctively trust our bodies. So for these school holidays, consider changing your habits and let your children guide you. Here are a few activities to get you started:

Grab a basket and head to your local farmers market. Talk to your children about the produce - the freshness, textures, colours, what’s locally grown (and what’s not), what’s seasonal, conventional, organic and certified organic. And if you don’t know, ask the farmer.

Fill up your basket together (and resist controlling what your child put in the basket). Taste the food. Cook the food. Explore the food with your children.

Talk with your children about what foods they like (and don’t like) and why; how different types of food makes their bodies feel - their energy levels, moods, and behaviors.

Talk with them about your own food preferences – where they come from; what impact thy have on your own body, health, moods and behaviours.

Limit (or eliminate) processed/additive-laden foods for the holidays and see what difference this makes to your family relationships.

Prepare meals from scratch.

Grow your own food. Watch it grow, harvest the produce, and prepare meals with it.

Dry fruit; share a picnic; sprout sprouts; start a worm farm or compost.

Spend time on an organic farm and discover the delights of growing organic produce.

Create spaces in your home where your children can always access nutritious food and drink. Why should your children always have to ask for food?

Don’t judge and assess ‘I told you so’ when your children have food reactions (minor meltdowns) to some of the sugar/processed/additive foods they may consume (with or without you knowing). Support them making links between food choices and their bodies/moods.

Be a model for eating a variety of foods and living in wellness—children respond best to modelling, not control. Trust… learn from your children and enjoy your holiday together!

Dr Sarah Lantz (PhD) is a researcher, mother and author of the bestseller Chemical Free Kids: Raising Healthy Children in a Toxic World. Go to: www.chemicalfreeparenting.com for more information.