CNN
—
Subscribe to CNN’s “Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style.” Our 8-part guide introduces you to an expert-backed, delicious eating lifestyle that will improve your health for a lifetime..
Tara Marklin’s three sons all have very different approaches to food. My eldest eats the widest variety, my middle child likes vegetables but has a strong stance on other foods, and my 3-year-old wants to live on oxygen and macaroni and cheese. she said.
Marklin, who lives in Chamblee, Georgia, adds the added complexity of coordinating after-school activities and work schedules to ensure her family gathers around the table and shares nutritious meals that everyone can enjoy. He said it was a huge effort.
She makes one meal for everyone, but many people deal with dinnertime stress in other ways. According to new research.
If they don’t like what someone else is eating, three in five parents will make them something else, according to data from the National Poll on Child Health from the University of Michigan Health Center CS Mott Children’s Hospital. is.
Mott Paul co-director Dr Susan Woolford said: “This is concerning as alternative options are usually not as healthy as what is served as a family meal.”
The study reported on more than 1,000 parents of children ages 3 to 10, a critical stage for establishing healthy eating patterns, said Mott, a pediatrician and researcher at Preventing Childhood Obesity. said Woolford, who is also an associate professor specializing in therapeutics.
While it may be tempting to feed your kids chicken nuggets or pizza replacements to keep them from going hungry, she says there are better ways to feed your kids while still providing them with more nutrients.
It’s natural for young children to be resistant to new or unfamiliar foods, but that doesn’t mean they should give up, Woolford says.
“Just because your child doesn’t seem to like vegetables very much, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t include them in their diet,” she added. “This usually improves over time. It’s a phase that will eventually change.”
Experts estimate that it takes about 20 exposures before a child becomes comfortable with a new food, Woolford added. This habituation process means that you should continue to encourage your children to try different foods and not be discouraged if they show an aversion to them.
Natalie Mocari, a nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, says to help children get used to new foods by stimulating their senses. What does it smell like? What does it feel like? what color is that?
That way, you can talk about the vitamins and minerals found in foods and the amazing benefits they have for the body, she added.
While you may not want to make a completely different meal, Mokali recommends having healthy backup options that your kids will like after they try something new.
Putting some control in children’s hands can also make more nutritious options more appealing, Woolford says.
“It’s encouraged that parents provide it and then let the child decide,” she says.
Maybe your child has tried Brussels sprouts and wasn’t a fan, but since they love salads, Woolford suggested they could choose to have a salad instead.
It may also be helpful to have your kids pick out vegetables at the grocery store or help prepare meals, she says. That way they can get excited about the food.
If, as a child, you had to stare at a cold vegetable at dinner that you refused to eat and couldn’t leave the table until you ate it, you probably wouldn’t want to eat that vegetable any more. I understand.
While it’s important for children to try new foods, Woolford says it’s also important not to force them to eat lots of things they don’t like. This approach can really backfire.
Pushing food too hard can create a relationship with food where vegetables are a punishment and the more taboo the food, the more valued it becomes, Mokali says.
Asking for an empty plate may also force children to ignore hunger and fullness cues, Woolford says.
“One of the important things about nutrition is listening to your body’s cues and knowing when to eat and when to stop,” she says.
Just like vegetables shouldn’t be a punishment, dessert shouldn’t be a reward either. Woolford says such incentives often backfire.
“We’re setting up a sort of negative cycle where the child starts to like the desert food and doesn’t like the broccoli or vegetables that they were supposed to eat for a reward,” she says. added.
And if kids know there’s always dessert after dinner, they might learn to eat the few bites they need at dinner to fill up on sweet treats instead, Mokali says.
She recommends dessert as an occasional offering, rather than eating it every night or tying it to an action. And instead of always having something sweet after dinner, you can also give your kids a random dessert like a popsicle during the day, she adds.
There are a lot of strategies when it comes to eating, but there’s a lot to stress about when it comes to raising three boys, so don’t get too attached and try to find the best way to keep your kids happy, nourished, and fed. Marklin said she learned to give her all.
“For me, at the end of the day, it’s about teaching kids to listen to their bodies and making sure they’re feeding their bodies things that give them good energy,” she said. They are happy and I know they are healthy. Pediatricians consider them healthy. I’m trying to pick my battles. ”
