Five Keys to Raising Healthy Eaters – Part I – Take a Look in the Mirror

Many parents take interest in feeding their kids well and strive to raise healthy eaters. There are often bumps along the road as we sort through scores of nutrition advice and information. We’ve heard all sorts of questions from parents, so in our new series, we’ll dive deeper into five key elements that pave the way for successful feeding. This series is adapted from talks Samantha conducts as a registered dietitian.

Part I – Take a Look in the Mirror

In order to feed our kids well, we have to start with evaluating our own eating. Investigating our beliefs, attitudes and values surrounding food is the critical first key. As with other values, we seek to pass along positive messages to our kids. To do so, we must know more about our own values, and this requires digging into our personal history. This step is often challenging and may also prove to be rather emotional. The values with which we were raised are likely to be the ones we pass along…unless we make the effort to change.

Consider the following questions:

–       What were the food values when I was growing up? (i.e. regular family meals, family member(s) on weight loss diets, forbidden foods)

–       What are my attitudes related to food and eating?

–       Do I have a history of dieting?

–       What was my eating like prior to becoming a parent?

–       In my home, is there focus on weight loss, or “good” and “bad” foods?

–       Are there aspects of my own eating that need attention?

In answering these questions, you may find values lurking under the surface. There may be aspects you are proud of and others that require further evaluation. This isn’t about good or bad, but acknowledging that our own eating has influence over our children’s through the decisions we make. In the next step we’ll identify how to prioritize our food and eating values for our family.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Are there behaviors about food that you seek to change?