Fostering a Healthy Relationship with Food

We are excited to share a guest blog with you, written by Dr Romi Ran, who is an author and Clinical Psychologist specialising in working with people with food, eating and body image issues. Here she shares her 8 essential tips for parents to nurture lifelong positive eating habits.

Creating a positive relationship with food for children is crucial for their overall development and long-term health. However, this is often easier said than done. With challenges like eating disorders, childhood obesity, and picky eating, it’s essential to teach our kids how to nourish themselves in a supportive, healthy, and kind manner.

Here are eight essential tips to help you foster a healthy relationship with food for your children:

1. Trust Their Bodies Early On

The foundation for a healthy relationship with food is laid in infancy. Respect your baby’s natural cues for hunger and fullness, unless a specific medical condition is known to affect these signals. Building this trust is essential for lifelong healthy eating habits. Parents can encourage this by offering food when the child is hungry and allowing them to stop eating when they indicate they are full. Over time, this respect for their body’s signals helps children develop confidence in their ability to regulate their own eating, laying the groundwork for a positive relationship with food.

2. Be a Role Model

Parents are the first and most influential nutritionists their children will know. Demonstrate healthy eating habits by enjoying a variety of foods and avoiding negative talk about body image and dieting. Addressing your own food issues openly and taking responsibility for them by getting the support you need can set a positive example for your children. When children see their parents making balanced food choices and speaking positively about food and their bodies, they are more likely to adopt these attitudes themselves. Additionally, sharing meals together as a family where healthy foods are enjoyed can reinforce these behaviors.

3. Create a Positive Food Environment

Make mealtimes a time of joy and connection, not conflict. Encourage a positive atmosphere where food is not just nourishment but also an opportunity for family bonding. This can significantly influence a child’s relationship with food. Avoid pressuring children to eat certain foods or finish everything on their plate, as this can create a negative association with mealtime. Instead, focus on making mealtimes relaxed and enjoyable, with a variety of healthy options available. This helps children associate food with positive experiences and reduces anxiety around eating.

4. Teach Mindfulness and Intuitive Eating

Encourage children to eat mindfully and understand their body’s cues. Teach them to listen to their hunger and fullness signals, eat slowly, and enjoy the sensory experience of eating. This approach can help prevent overeating and foster a healthy relationship with food. Explain to children how to recognize when they are truly hungry versus eating out of boredom or emotion. Activities such as paying attention to the taste, texture, and smell of food can enhance their eating experience and promote a more thoughtful approach to food.

5. Promote Diversity and Exploration

Expose children to a wide variety of foods from an early age. Foster curiosity and appreciation for different cultures and tastes by expanding their palates and minds. Introducing children to diverse foods can prevent picky eating and encourage a lifelong love of varied and nutritious foods. Make trying new foods fun and exciting by involving children in the selection and preparation of unfamiliar dishes. Celebrating different cuisines and making food exploration an adventure can help broaden their tastes and reduce resistance to new foods.

6. Address the Emotional Connection to Food

Recognize and respect the emotional aspects of eating. Teach children healthy ways to cope with emotions without relying on food for comfort. Show them that food can sometimes soothe, as long as it’s done with awareness and understanding. Help children identify their emotions and find alternative coping mechanisms, such as talking about their feelings, engaging in physical activity, or practicing relaxation techniques. By acknowledging the emotional side of eating, parents can guide children toward healthier emotional responses and reduce the risk of emotional eating.

7. Engage Them in Meal Preparation

Involve children in meal planning and preparation. This hands-on experience promotes responsibility, creativity, and independence. Engaging them in the process makes them more likely to feel invested in their food choices and excited about trying new things. Allow children to help with age-appropriate tasks in the kitchen, such as washing vegetables, stirring ingredients, or setting the table. This involvement can increase their interest in food and provide a sense of accomplishment. It also offers opportunities to teach them about nutrition and the importance of balanced meals.

8. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

Celebrate small victories at the table. Recognize and praise efforts to try new foods or the willingness to taste something they previously disliked. Encouraging a positive outlook on food exploration can be very beneficial. Focus on the effort rather than the outcome and avoid using food as a reward or punishment. This approach helps build a healthy, non-judgmental relationship with food and encourages children to continue exploring and enjoying new foods without fear of criticism or pressure.

Helping children develop a healthy relationship with food is a multifaceted task that starts early and requires continuous effort. By implementing these tips, you can foster a positive food environment, teach mindfulness, and model healthy eating habits. Addressing these issues early can help prevent the development of food and eating-related difficulties and ensure children grow up with a balanced and healthy approach to food. Parents play a critical role in shaping their children’s attitudes toward food, and by creating a supportive and positive food environment, they can set the stage for lifelong healthy eating habits.

​​About the expert   

Dr Romi Ran is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in working with people with food, eating and body image issues. She is the author of Bite Sized Peace – Change How You Eat, Accept Your Body, Transform Your Life. To find out more about Romi and her work and book visit: www.drromiran.com