healthykids
Out of the Mouths of Babes A Dozen Ways Children Teach Us to Eat Mindfully
by Dr. Michelle May
Children are born with the ability to eat instinctively, fully tuned in to internal cues of hunger and fullness.
P
arents are usually the main facilitators of life lessons for their children, but in some arenas it’s best to let the kids do the teaching. Their
natural eating behaviors, for example, exemplify smart choices for us all. Here are some surprising rules of thumb:
Eat when you are hungry. From birth,
babies know when and how much they need to eat and cry to let us know. As youngsters grow this vital instinct can be unlearned, so that by the time they are adults, most have learned to eat for other reasons besides hunger. By recognizing the differ- ence between needing to eat and wanting to eat, adults can also relearn when and how much to eat.
Stop eating when you are full. In-
fants turn their head away when they have had enough to eat and toddlers throw food on the floor when they’re done. But as adults, we clean our plates because we were admonished as youngsters about starving children, feel a social obligation or something just tastes good.
Being hungry makes you
grouchy. Being hungry, tired or frustrated makes a child crabby and affects adults in the same way. Take care of your mealtime needs instead of taking out your crankiness on those around you.
Snacks are good. Kids naturally prefer to
eat smaller meals with snacks in-between when- ever they get hungry. That pattern of eating keeps
24 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com
their metabolism stoked all day; adults’ too. All foods fit. Children are born with a natural prefer-
ence for sweet foods and quickly learn to enjoy fatty foods. Such fun comfort foods can be part of a healthy diet. In fact, studies show that overly restrictive food rules can cause children to feel guilty or ashamed and lead to rebellious eating. Everyone eats healthier when they learn to enjoy less nutri- tious foods in moderation without deprivation.
Be a picky eater.
Kids won’t easily eat some- thing they don’t like. Consider how much less you’d eat if you didn’t settle for food that only tastes so-so.
You can learn to
like new foods. Healthy eating is an acquired taste, so provide a variety of appealing, healthful foods at the family table. If children observe us eat- ing a variety of healthful foods, then they will learn to as well. It can take up to 10 differ- ent occasions of two-bite exposures to
a new food, but kids often surprise themselves by lik- ing something they
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64