6 Tips to Raise an Intuitive Eater
WHAT IS INTUITIVE EATING
Intuitive eating is allowing yourself to listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues. It is also honoring those cues by eating when hungry and stopping when full. As adults, this seems much easier said than done. Many of us have spent years dieting and ignoring those cues.
How then, as parents, are we supposed to raise intuitive eaters who have a better relationship with food?
FOLLOW THEIR LEAD
Young children are the best intuitive eaters. You may notice that one day your little one can't get enough to eat, while the next day they don't seem interested in food. They may eat more in the morning and be less interested in the evening. This is because they are listening to their bodies!
Let your children lead in their eating habits. As parents, this can be increasingly difficult because we believe we know best. We want to be able to control and do the very best for our children. In this case, the very best thing you can do is let your child decide!
If your looking for more, here are 6 tips to help your child have a healthy relationship with food.
6 TIPS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Encourage your children to try a large variety of foods. Trying new foods is important to do at a young age. Studies show that the more variety of foods kids have access to early on correlates to a better, healthier relationship with food later in life.
Don't refer to food as 'good' or 'bad'. All food in moderation is acceptable. Take the morality out of food. This includes talking about yourself and your own food. You are not good or bad based off what you eat, and neither is your child. Food is food, not a moral debate.
Never force your kids to 'clean their plate'. This puts all the weight in visual eating and none in allowing your child to listen to their bodies. Kids are so talented in knowing when they’re full and hungry. When we start demanding that they ‘clean their plate’ we are placing outside constraints on eating, when they should be focus inwardly.
Now, this doesn’t mean to not teach your child manners. Teach your child to take a smaller portion to begin with and always allow them to take more if they still feel hungry. We often hear “only take what you can eat”. Kids make mistakes. Their bodies are new and so are their memories. Let them make mistakes at home when it comes to experimenting when how much food they put on their plate
Let your children have a voice in their eating. If they say they're hungry, don't question it. Often parents will wonder how on earth their kids can eat so much. Kids are growing, they’re running around, and need to fuel their energies. Allow your child to ask for a snack or have open access to snacks so they can listen and respond to hunger cues.
Introduce new foods slowly and allow your child to say no. Giving a child independence and the ability to say no to new foods is so important. It allows the child to know they can be in charge of their own body and food intake. This in-turn allows them to trust themselves and listen closely to their body’s needs.
Try the “No Thank You Bite” method. The No Thank You Bite means that when you prepare some food that your child says they are not interested in trying or don’t think they like, they take at least one bite. After that one bite, if they still feel they don’t want the food, they don’t have to eat it. The great thing about this rule is you can also use it. It is wonderful and sweet when your little ones try to make you food, but when you end up with orange juice and fruitloops, a No Thank You Bite is all you need to take.
Need help with family nutrition and really knowing what your child needs? Meet with one of our dietitians that specializes in family nutrition here.