While having too many rules at the dinner table can negatively affect children, it’s still essential to have a routine and structure so kids are raised as competent eaters, health professionals say.
Research shows structured family meals are important since children are more likely to have higher intakes of healthy food, stronger family relationships and functioning relationships, healthier body weights, better mental health, and less risky behaviours around drugs and alcohol, explained Melanie Warken, a public health nutritionist.
Warken and social worker Amy Cruz spoke to several parents about managing children’s eating habits during a presentation about raising healthy and happy eaters on Jan. 16 at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Hospital.
Warken explained her son has attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and takes medication in the morning, which affects his desire to eat for the rest of the day. When he does eat, he cannot eat foods with combined textures.
This is why eating is a multi-sensory and learned experience, she said. Children use their five senses when interacting with their food, whether visually, aurally, through smell, by touch or even the sound food makes when chewing it.
Division of responsibility
There is a division of responsibility for when adults feed their children and the children eat what is presented to them, Warken explained.
At the infant stage, parents are responsible for what they feed their child while the infant is responsible for how much to eat and when to eat. Most infants will be either breastfed or fed with formula, while feeding will be on demand.
From toddler to adolescence, parents are responsible for what, when and where of their child’s eating, while the child is responsible for whether to eat and how much to eat.
“It’s about letting go of control … ,” Warken said. “They can say no. Even if they do, keep them at the table as part of the structure.”
It’s important to create structure for the whole family and not single out one child as different. The research shows early eating habits can influence such habits into adulthood, she added.
What
Parents’ responsibility in what they feed their child includes offering everyone the same meal, offering a variety of healthy foods and drinks, and pairing familiar foods with new foods. Warken noted parents create expectations when they give their children exactly what they want when they won’t eat anything else.
“Think about what that message is sending that child about how you and they behave,” said Cruz. “If I wait long enough, I get what I want,” which can also affect other issues such as screen time and bedtime.
It’s important to have a safe food kids will eat and a new food item during meals, since this creates an opportunity for children, said Warken. For example, parents could set up a taco or burger bar and let their children put on whatever toppings they want.
Meanwhile, parents should put food on the table so children can accept it through sight and smell. With beverages, water and milk should only be given, while milk should be limited to two to three cups a day.
Where and when
Parents should ensure their family eats together — anywhere, but together — for meals; distractions such as technology are removed from the table; and children have comfortable seating so they don’t become antsy, Warken said.
Food should be offered only at regular meals and during snacks, while water should only be offered between those times. However, this might mean feeding children every two to three hours since they have small stomachs. Letting children graze on food in between will affect their actual meals.
Including children with food prep
There are several ways to include children with food preparation, she added, including menu planning, the creation of a grocery list, gardening, shopping, cooking, food storage, setting the table, washing hands, cleaning up, and putting leftovers into a container and into the fridge.
For more information call the Moose Jaw Public Health Office at 306-691-2300.
