Today, nutrition is the mission...in today's newsletter, we'll take a slightly different format and devote our time to multiple issues related to eating.
Our Mealtime Philosophy
As adults, it's widely understood that sitting down and sharing a delicious and thoughtfully prepared meal is one of life's real joys. Breaking bread together is a way humans have connected with one another for thousands of years. In short, while meals nourish the body, they in many ways nourish the spirit as well.
Our belief is that we should teach children to have the same type of appreciation for mealtimes, and hold them in high regard. Here are just a few of the important aspects of snack and lunch time here at school:
Mealtimes are a very important part of our day with the children, and we hope they are equally important to you as well. While a person's cultural background contributes to their thoughts and feelings surrounding meals, we do know that eating can be an emotional process, and a time where children form attachments with adults (Gonzalez-Mena, Eyer 50). Valuing this time helps children to draw a healthy picture when it comes to eating, one that can benefit their dietary decisions as adults.
Picky Eaters and Trying New Foods
"Just try it! You might like it!" As parents or caregivers, it's likely we've uttered these words to children, or perhaps recall them being spoken to us in our own collective childhoods. Your author can vividly remember an evening at the dinner table as 6-7 year old, where his father told him he would not be leaving the table until he tried asparagus...it did not go well. Sad to say I still don't really like asparagus...
So what's behind the concept of a "picky eater?" What are some of the ideas around the common misconception that children only like mac and cheese and applesauce?
First off, there is what is called, "food neophobia" simply, the actual fear of new foods. Researchers at the University of Idaho indicate this is different from finicky eaters (those who only want their sandwich cut in triangles) and picky eaters (those who don't eat a variety of foods).1 In theory, "Food neophobia might actually be a relic of an evolutionary survival tactic: Animals old enough to forage for food alone but too inexperienced to know what’s safe are less likely to accidentally poison themselves if they are cautious about trying new foods."2
However, there is a lot of research to counter the notions of picky and finicky eating that point to our own perceptions of how and what children should be eating. For instance, in our food marketing saturated culture, it's easy to imagine all of the foods that are directly targeted for "kid consumption." The cereal aisle is a great example of this: bright colors and fun shapes permeate the selections which sit on low shelves within kid reach. Quick! Think of 3 "kid foods." Did you come up with Goldfish crackers, "Go-gurt" and chicken nuggets? Or something along those lines? This could be part of the problem. As a culture, we seem to have pegged just what it is kids like. But, there needn't be kid food vs. adult food. If we expose children to a variety of healthy options from a young age, we are more likely to take "pickyness" out of the equation.
Karen Billion, author of French Children Eat Everything, believes that pickyness is more of a learned trait rather than an innate one. Her experience of moving her family to her husband's small hometown in France was an eye opening experience into how her own children ate, and how living in a culture with vastly different attitudes towards food, changed her perspective. One of the main differences Billion observed was "how long children sat at the table, how well behaved the children were at the table, how easily and cheerfully they tried new foods, and how long they could wait between meals—without complaint. Basically, they ate like French adults – even the preschoolers." 3
Additionally, Billion asserts that "the French have decided that teaching healthy eating routines to children is a priority." 3
With that in mind, it is our job as adults to not default to serving what our culture defines as "kid foods" then scratch our heads when a child express reticence upon trying something new. Introducing new foods to children is an important part of developing their palate. Here are some tips to try out:
Take a look, feel and smell of new foods before and during the preparation process. It can help kids better understand what they are eating. "I don't like it" might actually mean, "I don't know what that is." 3
Provide repeated exposure to new foods. Just because a child said no to a food once, does not mean it's banished forever. In fact, "It often takes between 8-20 offerings of a new food for children to accept it." 4 So try and try again with patience.
Again, let your children see you eating the same healthy foods you're asking them to try. If you have prepared grilled salmon, couscous and a spinach salad, offer the same to your child. Talk about the tastes and flavors with them.
Above all, know that it is never too late to change eating habits. Today's "picky" eater, with a the right encouragement could be tomorrow's adventurous eater.
References:
1. Overcoming Picky Eating Laurel Branen, PhD, RD, LD and Samantha Ramsay, PhD, RD, LD, University of Idaho.2. Why is my Kid Such a Picky Eater? Melinda Wener Moyer for Slate.com
3. Do French Children Eat Everything? Lily Barclay, Interview w/Karen Billion for bbcgoodfood.com
4. "Strategies to Help Preschoolers Develop Healthy Eating Habits," Brent A. McBride and Dipti A. Dev Young Children NAEYC, November 2014.
Developing Healthy Eating Habits: Our Language Matters
Are you a card carrying member of the "clean plate club?" The way that we talk about food leaves a big impression on young children. For instance, take the example of the clean plate club. When we praise children for cleaning their plates, what message is being imparted? That it's always best to eat past fullness? Or, maybe that it isn't good to waste food. On the idea of the latter, we could probably agree that Tupperware comes in handy for that conundrum! Here's a quick look at some of the language we can use to foster the development of healthy eating habits.
Say this: Are you full? Instead of: Are you done? Asking a child if their tummy is full helps them to pay attention to the cues from their body. Understanding the feeling of satiation can help prevent overeating.
Say this: If you are still hungry you can have some more. Instead of: Do you want some more? This phrase gets to the heart of why we are eating. If you're still hungry, eat more, if not, don't. Sure, we may want another helping, but perhaps our body might not need it.
Try this: Give children choices. Ask them to pick between two healthy options: "Would you like your veggies, or your apple slices? Instead of: You have not touched the salad, you need to try some. This kind of gentle encouragement removes some of the pressure to try something new. It also allows for repeated exposure to new foods.
Reference: "Strategies to Help Preschoolers Develop Healthy Eating Habits," Brent A. McBride and Dipti A. Dev Young Children NAEYC, November 2014.
Ouch! Can Crunchy Foods Quell Biting?
In short, sort of. Children bite for many reasons: to communicate frustration or other emotions, because of social challenges, to explore social boundaries, because of teething, or even because they need oral stimulation.
According to the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations at Vanderbilt University, in the case of oral stimulation, it's true that some children enjoy and seek out the physical sensation of biting and chewing.
If you think your child might be biting for oral stimulation, a good preventative would be to offer crunchy healthy foods such as crackers, carrots, rice cakes, or pretzels at snack intervals throughout the day.
Thanks for Reading!
-Sam
Our Mealtime Philosophy
As adults, it's widely understood that sitting down and sharing a delicious and thoughtfully prepared meal is one of life's real joys. Breaking bread together is a way humans have connected with one another for thousands of years. In short, while meals nourish the body, they in many ways nourish the spirit as well.
Our belief is that we should teach children to have the same type of appreciation for mealtimes, and hold them in high regard. Here are just a few of the important aspects of snack and lunch time here at school:
- We treat food respectfully. We avoid throwing food or intentionally dropping/spilling our meals.
- We do however, understand that messes are a natural part of eating as toddlers and young children learn to use cups and utensils properly. If we spill, we clean up after ourselves.
- Adults model healthy habits by eating well balanced meals and trying new foods when eating with the children.
- There is a polite way to sit at the table. Legs go under the table and we sit facing our food and table-mates; we do not eat while standing.
- Meals are a time to enjoy one another's company. We can talk to each other, tell a story, or laugh together.
- When we are done eating, we clear dishes and utensils away and ensure compost and trash goes into the correct receptacles.
Mealtimes are a very important part of our day with the children, and we hope they are equally important to you as well. While a person's cultural background contributes to their thoughts and feelings surrounding meals, we do know that eating can be an emotional process, and a time where children form attachments with adults (Gonzalez-Mena, Eyer 50). Valuing this time helps children to draw a healthy picture when it comes to eating, one that can benefit their dietary decisions as adults.
Picky Eaters and Trying New Foods
"Just try it! You might like it!" As parents or caregivers, it's likely we've uttered these words to children, or perhaps recall them being spoken to us in our own collective childhoods. Your author can vividly remember an evening at the dinner table as 6-7 year old, where his father told him he would not be leaving the table until he tried asparagus...it did not go well. Sad to say I still don't really like asparagus...
So what's behind the concept of a "picky eater?" What are some of the ideas around the common misconception that children only like mac and cheese and applesauce?
First off, there is what is called, "food neophobia" simply, the actual fear of new foods. Researchers at the University of Idaho indicate this is different from finicky eaters (those who only want their sandwich cut in triangles) and picky eaters (those who don't eat a variety of foods).1 In theory, "Food neophobia might actually be a relic of an evolutionary survival tactic: Animals old enough to forage for food alone but too inexperienced to know what’s safe are less likely to accidentally poison themselves if they are cautious about trying new foods."2
However, there is a lot of research to counter the notions of picky and finicky eating that point to our own perceptions of how and what children should be eating. For instance, in our food marketing saturated culture, it's easy to imagine all of the foods that are directly targeted for "kid consumption." The cereal aisle is a great example of this: bright colors and fun shapes permeate the selections which sit on low shelves within kid reach. Quick! Think of 3 "kid foods." Did you come up with Goldfish crackers, "Go-gurt" and chicken nuggets? Or something along those lines? This could be part of the problem. As a culture, we seem to have pegged just what it is kids like. But, there needn't be kid food vs. adult food. If we expose children to a variety of healthy options from a young age, we are more likely to take "pickyness" out of the equation.
Karen Billion, author of French Children Eat Everything, believes that pickyness is more of a learned trait rather than an innate one. Her experience of moving her family to her husband's small hometown in France was an eye opening experience into how her own children ate, and how living in a culture with vastly different attitudes towards food, changed her perspective. One of the main differences Billion observed was "how long children sat at the table, how well behaved the children were at the table, how easily and cheerfully they tried new foods, and how long they could wait between meals—without complaint. Basically, they ate like French adults – even the preschoolers." 3
Additionally, Billion asserts that "the French have decided that teaching healthy eating routines to children is a priority." 3
With that in mind, it is our job as adults to not default to serving what our culture defines as "kid foods" then scratch our heads when a child express reticence upon trying something new. Introducing new foods to children is an important part of developing their palate. Here are some tips to try out:
Take a look, feel and smell of new foods before and during the preparation process. It can help kids better understand what they are eating. "I don't like it" might actually mean, "I don't know what that is." 3
Provide repeated exposure to new foods. Just because a child said no to a food once, does not mean it's banished forever. In fact, "It often takes between 8-20 offerings of a new food for children to accept it." 4 So try and try again with patience.
Again, let your children see you eating the same healthy foods you're asking them to try. If you have prepared grilled salmon, couscous and a spinach salad, offer the same to your child. Talk about the tastes and flavors with them.
Above all, know that it is never too late to change eating habits. Today's "picky" eater, with a the right encouragement could be tomorrow's adventurous eater.
References:
1. Overcoming Picky Eating Laurel Branen, PhD, RD, LD and Samantha Ramsay, PhD, RD, LD, University of Idaho.2. Why is my Kid Such a Picky Eater? Melinda Wener Moyer for Slate.com
3. Do French Children Eat Everything? Lily Barclay, Interview w/Karen Billion for bbcgoodfood.com
4. "Strategies to Help Preschoolers Develop Healthy Eating Habits," Brent A. McBride and Dipti A. Dev Young Children NAEYC, November 2014.
Developing Healthy Eating Habits: Our Language Matters
Are you a card carrying member of the "clean plate club?" The way that we talk about food leaves a big impression on young children. For instance, take the example of the clean plate club. When we praise children for cleaning their plates, what message is being imparted? That it's always best to eat past fullness? Or, maybe that it isn't good to waste food. On the idea of the latter, we could probably agree that Tupperware comes in handy for that conundrum! Here's a quick look at some of the language we can use to foster the development of healthy eating habits.
Say this: Are you full? Instead of: Are you done? Asking a child if their tummy is full helps them to pay attention to the cues from their body. Understanding the feeling of satiation can help prevent overeating.
Say this: If you are still hungry you can have some more. Instead of: Do you want some more? This phrase gets to the heart of why we are eating. If you're still hungry, eat more, if not, don't. Sure, we may want another helping, but perhaps our body might not need it.
Try this: Give children choices. Ask them to pick between two healthy options: "Would you like your veggies, or your apple slices? Instead of: You have not touched the salad, you need to try some. This kind of gentle encouragement removes some of the pressure to try something new. It also allows for repeated exposure to new foods.
Reference: "Strategies to Help Preschoolers Develop Healthy Eating Habits," Brent A. McBride and Dipti A. Dev Young Children NAEYC, November 2014.
Ouch! Can Crunchy Foods Quell Biting?
In short, sort of. Children bite for many reasons: to communicate frustration or other emotions, because of social challenges, to explore social boundaries, because of teething, or even because they need oral stimulation.
According to the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations at Vanderbilt University, in the case of oral stimulation, it's true that some children enjoy and seek out the physical sensation of biting and chewing.
If you think your child might be biting for oral stimulation, a good preventative would be to offer crunchy healthy foods such as crackers, carrots, rice cakes, or pretzels at snack intervals throughout the day.
Biting can be a complex issue, but integrating crunchy foods into a the diet of a child who is biting might be a helpful solution.
As Seen at MVS
Instead of our usual As Seen at MVS photos...here are photos of some yummy lunches and snacks seen at MVS. We hope these healthy lunches might provide some inspiration for your next meal prep. And, if you have some great photos of healthy meals that have been a hit with your child, please feel free to share with us!
Thanks for Reading!
-Sam
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