Imagine this: your child is in college, and the fridge in their new apartment is stocked with fresh produce, meat and eggs—and they’re always fixing healthy meals.
It’s a reassuring thought, but for some parents it might feel daunting to get there. However, there’s no better time to instill good eating habits than early in life, when kids’ taste buds are still developing.
Keep on reading for two experts’ tips on how to set your kids up with good eating habits that will follow them into adulthood.
Heather Liddell
Courtesy photo
Model the habits you want to see
Heather Liddell, a registered dietician with Boise-based Idaho Nutrition Associates, said one good first step in improving your child’s diet is looking at your own eating habits and bringing your relationship with food to a healthier place.
“Very few people have a perfect relationship with food,” she said.
Tina McGrew, a registered dietician nutritionist and owner of Elevation Nutrition in Hailey, said that parents can encourage the mind-body connection by asking their kids if they’re full, “and if they say yes, then they can be excused.”
She said she also asks kids to pick “whole foods that we can imagine growing.”
Liddell recommended serving your child what you are eating in age-appropriate, safe portions, rather than cooking from a separate kids menu.
“It’s not necessary to make them a whole separate mac and cheese on the side,” she said.
Focus on whole foods, but don’t demonize sweets
Both McGrew and Liddell acknowledged that completely eliminating sugary and processed food from the cupboard isn’t realistic.
McGrew said that parents might limit processed snacks to “road trips, special occasions and parties,” so their kids don’t feel deprived or left out from their peers. They can also include a small “sweet treat” in their child’s lunchbox.
“Remind them that if the fruit or veggie or main protein comes home, then the sweet treat won’t be there the next day,” McGrew said. “Encourage them to eat their whole foods first, then they get their special treat.”
Liddell said it’s OK to present desserts “with the meal, instead of putting them up on a pedestal where they don’t need to be.”
Keep a consistent meal routine
Both McGrew and Liddell underscored the importance of eating at the same place in the home—“preferably at a table or at a bar counter and definitely without any sort of electronic distraction,” Liddell said.
“It creates associations that are tied in with fullness and hunger cues, sort of like sleeping in the bed helps establish healthy sleep habits and the body associates the bed with sleep,” McGrew said.
Both said a regular mealtime schedule is key in maintaining a child’s blood sugar and energy levels. Liddell suggested three scheduled meals per day with 2-3 snacks in between, and “2-3 hours between” any snack or mealtime.
“Setting up a schedule will help your kiddos know when their next meal is coming, and eliminate constant grazing or coming back for snacks,” she said. “It can get you into a bad cycle if they won’t eat at lunch, and they’re hungry so you give them a snack, but the next meal comes and they aren’t hungry.”
If your child comes to you between snack time and meal time, “reassure them that we’ll eat at X p.m., or we’re going to go to the library and we’ll eat a snack when we get done,” Liddell said.
Aim for a balanced, filling breakfast
McGrew suggested aiming for “ideally a complex carbohydrate, protein and healthy fat” at breakfast. Busier parents can plan ahead on the weekends: “egg cups or bites, or pancakes or waffles can be made and frozen,” she said.
Liddell suggested serving oatmeal with fruit, whole-fat Greek yogurt with low-sugar granola and berries, or high-protein pancakes or muffins from a Kodiak mix.
“Eggs are always great in whatever form, and so versatile,” she said.
For snacks on the go, “choose foods that are going to provide protein and fiber together, so we’re not just giving crackers, but also cheese and green grapes, or apples with peanut butter,” she added.
Include your child in meal prep
Kids can be more open to trying a new food if they are active participants in its creation, McGrew and Liddell said.
The right time to start involving them? “Honestly, when they can hold a spoon and stir,” McGrew said. “They can start with play, and then move into helping to stir or put away groceries.”
“Maybe you ask them to help you pick out a new red vegetable today,” Liddell said.
At the end of the day, shopping and meal preparation should be as fun and as low-pressure as possible, Liddell said.
“Littles can help mix, peel fruit, and even cut things with kid-safe knives,” she said. “Along those lines, kids can use cookie cutters to cut bread, fruit or veggies into flowers or specific shapes.”
Tina McGrew
Courtesy photo
Don’t stress too much
McGrew said part of parenthood is accepting that some food will go to waste.
“I personally do not believe in the ‘clean plate club.’ When trying something new, it’s OK to have a ‘go-to’ or favorite food as a side or backup,” she said. “Encourage and offer the family meal first or the new food first, and if the reaction is absolute disgust after one or two bites, you can offer the backup go-to food.”
The best thing parents can do is avoid discipline at the dinner table, Liddell said. Instead, “go around and ask the best part of their day.”
“The more pressure parents or caregivers put on a child, the more they will bristle or rebel,” she said.
