Providing children with nutritious meals is the first part of creating a healthy eating environment, while the second part is related to how we talk about food.
We often hear people saying things like, ‘Please finish your meal and then you can have pudding’, or ‘You can’t have chocolate as it’s bad for you’.
Offering food as a reward
We often promise children a treat if they are ‘good’, but these treats are frequently the foods that we label ‘bad’, such as chocolate or ice cream. So, imagine a child’s confusion when you reward a positive behaviour with something that usually has negative associations.
Children need consistent messages and guidance from adults to intrinsically guide their own behaviour through self-reflection and control.
Finishing your meal before having dessert
Asking children to finish all their meal in order to have dessert can impact them in a negative way. They should not be pushed to eat more than they want, and we shouldn’t ask them to finish the ‘hard task’ of eating their normal meal in order to get to their goal! Instead, it is better to ask children whether they are full or not and provide gentle encouragement.
You shouldn’t talk when we are eating
Telling children that they should eat in silence can be damaging. Mealtimes are an important place for social interactions. We eat together to celebrate, to spend time as family and even to close business deals. Mealtimes are also a great way to encourage learning. Discussing with children where food comes from and how it tastes can also help children familiarise with different foods and increase their dietary range.
Overall, being positive and curious about food helps children build good and healthy relationships with it, helping them make better choices. When they nourish their minds and bodies, they learn more effectively.
References
- Fedewa A and Davis M (2015) ‘How Food as a Reward Is Detrimental to Children’s Health, Learning, and Behavior’, Journal of School Health, 85 (9), 648-658
- Roberts L, Marx J and Musher-Eizenman D (2018) ‘Using food as a reward: An examination of parental reward practices’, Appetite, 120 (1), 318-326
If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this column, please contact Jonathan Lucas at hello@eynpartnership.org. For more information, go to www.eyn partnership.org
