Getting Your Children to Eat Right

By By Dr. Pam Popper

(Originally published on  www.parentsaction.org)

I get a steady stream of calls and emails from parents who are having difficulty getting their children to eat healthier foods. I know from personal experience that this is not easy, but it can be done. It does, however, take determination and effort.

Changing the family's diet begins with two realizations. The first is that teaching your children about good nutrition is as important as making sure they learn good manners, get good grades in school, get to bed on time, etc. Poorly fed children are sick more often, have increased risk of developing degenerative diseases at earlier ages, and tend to have weight problems sooner or later.  Many children find it difficult to concentrate and learn as a result of poor nutrient status, too. I don't know a responsible parent that wants any of these things to happen, but the reality is that ignoring the importance of good nutrition will almost guarantee that one of these outcomes will occur sooner or later.

The second realization is that children can be very resistant to change and many times would rather do something other than what you want them to do. You must remember that you are the parent and that you make the decisions. There is a good reason why we don't send children out to get a job and to establish their own households at the age of seven! They need direction and structure, and your job is to provide it!

So, the first secret to getting your children to accept new foods is to make sure that they know that not eating healthy foods will not result in your recapitulating and allowing them to eat macaroni and cheese again. This takes time, and if you have tried to make changes before and ended up caving and letting them eat junk, it will take even longer. 

Your plan of action should be to serve a healthy meal and if your child chooses not to eat it, don't make a scene, or replace it with another dinner. You're not running a cafeteria. If your child does not eat, however, do save the meal. If the child asks for food later, you can say, "No problem. I saved your dinner and we can warm it up right now!" In other words, skipping dinner can't result in getting hot dogs later in the evening.

Your child may go to bed hungry a few times, and that is fine. It may take a few hungry nights for him or her to figure out that this is a permanent change.

Another tip - get the bad food out of the house. It is hard for adults, let alone children, to resist eating chocolate cookies and opt for grapes or carrots instead, when the cookies are readily available. At snack time, offer two healthy choices - for example, an apple or a veggie wrap. If your child does not choose either one, that's fine, but candy can't be offered as an alternative. Over time, your child will learn that the only choices are healthy ones, and begin to eat them.

While you are making these changes, begin having a dialog about what you are doing and why. This does not mean turning every meal into a lecture, but rather involving your children. Take your child to a health food store and let him help you pick out some new things to try. Teach your child to read labels and ask her to select foods that do not contain certain ingredients. Let your child assist in choosing recipes and preparing foods.  Kids are more likely to go along with your new program if they feel they have some input and participation. 

Over time, your child will begin to understand that part of your family's culture involves eating healthy foods and making healthy lifestyle choices. They will reach this realization from continuous reinforcement from you, which is the way they have learned everything else. For example, if your child is polite, it is because you have constantly reinforced polite behavior. 

I do not ever recommend that parents try to restrict all candy, sweets and junk food. First, it doesn't work. And, it sends the wrong message. Healthful eating is not about deprivation.  The better alternative is to teach children the difference between food and a treat, and to help them learn when it is appropriate to have treats. Treats are excellent for special occasions, holidays, birthdays, or for a celebration. They are not appropriate for lunch or after-school snacks. You can, however, restrict how much and how often they get these foods by talking with teachers, school personnel, daycare workers and parents of their friends. You may need to provide snacks, rewards and other foods for your child to consume in these places in order to reduce the amount of junk food in his diet. 

I often get feedback from parents telling me that this is difficult, time consuming, etc. It is.  But sick children are time consuming. Children who are tired, cranky, and have difficulty concentrating are time consuming as well. 

Parents also express concern that this is difficult in view of the fact that other children don't eat this way. This is true. But, and again I speak from personal experience, good parenting involves making choices that are right for your children, regardless of the choices other parents are making for theirs. As your children get older, you may find out that your rules are much stricter about lots of things, such as curfews, than other parents' may be.  Learning to have the courage of your convictions is important.

There is an added bonus to improving your child's diet - yours will get better too!  Your energy will increase, you'll need less sleep, and, if you are overweight, you'll reduce. If you are suffering from a chronic condition, it will most likely improve. If not, you'll reduce your risk of developing one. And, you'll be a great example for your kids - they tend to observe and imitate what you do.

Our children are our most precious resource. And, they are going to be running our businesses and our government in a few short years. Let's make sure that they have a long, healthy life, and that our country's future can be bright under their leadership.
________________________________________________

Parents’ Action for Children, a nonprofit organization founded by actor/director Rob Reiner, is mobilizing parents to advocate for issues of importance to children and families. Parents’ Action recently launched “Stir It Up,” a national parents’ campaign to ensure that children eat food that is good for them and get the physical activity they need.  For more information, visit www.stiritupamerica.com.

Getting Your Children to Eat Right

By By Dr. Pam Popper

(Originally published on  www.parentsaction.org)

I get a steady stream of calls and emails from parents who are having difficulty getting their children to eat healthier foods. I know from personal experience that this is not easy, but it can be done. It does, however, take determination and effort.

Changing the family's diet begins with two realizations. The first is that teaching your children about good nutrition is as important as making sure they learn good manners, get good grades in school, get to bed on time, etc. Poorly fed children are sick more often, have increased risk of developing degenerative diseases at earlier ages, and tend to have weight problems sooner or later.  Many children find it difficult to concentrate and learn as a result of poor nutrient status, too. I don't know a responsible parent that wants any of these things to happen, but the reality is that ignoring the importance of good nutrition will almost guarantee that one of these outcomes will occur sooner or later.

The second realization is that children can be very resistant to change and many times would rather do something other than what you want them to do. You must remember that you are the parent and that you make the decisions. There is a good reason why we don't send children out to get a job and to establish their own households at the age of seven! They need direction and structure, and your job is to provide it!

So, the first secret to getting your children to accept new foods is to make sure that they know that not eating healthy foods will not result in your recapitulating and allowing them to eat macaroni and cheese again. This takes time, and if you have tried to make changes before and ended up caving and letting them eat junk, it will take even longer. 

Your plan of action should be to serve a healthy meal and if your child chooses not to eat it, don't make a scene, or replace it with another dinner. You're not running a cafeteria. If your child does not eat, however, do save the meal. If the child asks for food later, you can say, "No problem. I saved your dinner and we can warm it up right now!" In other words, skipping dinner can't result in getting hot dogs later in the evening.

Your child may go to bed hungry a few times, and that is fine. It may take a few hungry nights for him or her to figure out that this is a permanent change.

Another tip - get the bad food out of the house. It is hard for adults, let alone children, to resist eating chocolate cookies and opt for grapes or carrots instead, when the cookies are readily available. At snack time, offer two healthy choices - for example, an apple or a veggie wrap. If your child does not choose either one, that's fine, but candy can't be offered as an alternative. Over time, your child will learn that the only choices are healthy ones, and begin to eat them.

While you are making these changes, begin having a dialog about what you are doing and why. This does not mean turning every meal into a lecture, but rather involving your children. Take your child to a health food store and let him help you pick out some new things to try. Teach your child to read labels and ask her to select foods that do not contain certain ingredients. Let your child assist in choosing recipes and preparing foods.  Kids are more likely to go along with your new program if they feel they have some input and participation. 

Over time, your child will begin to understand that part of your family's culture involves eating healthy foods and making healthy lifestyle choices. They will reach this realization from continuous reinforcement from you, which is the way they have learned everything else. For example, if your child is polite, it is because you have constantly reinforced polite behavior. 

I do not ever recommend that parents try to restrict all candy, sweets and junk food. First, it doesn't work. And, it sends the wrong message. Healthful eating is not about deprivation.  The better alternative is to teach children the difference between food and a treat, and to help them learn when it is appropriate to have treats. Treats are excellent for special occasions, holidays, birthdays, or for a celebration. They are not appropriate for lunch or after-school snacks. You can, however, restrict how much and how often they get these foods by talking with teachers, school personnel, daycare workers and parents of their friends. You may need to provide snacks, rewards and other foods for your child to consume in these places in order to reduce the amount of junk food in his diet. 

I often get feedback from parents telling me that this is difficult, time consuming, etc. It is.  But sick children are time consuming. Children who are tired, cranky, and have difficulty concentrating are time consuming as well. 

Parents also express concern that this is difficult in view of the fact that other children don't eat this way. This is true. But, and again I speak from personal experience, good parenting involves making choices that are right for your children, regardless of the choices other parents are making for theirs. As your children get older, you may find out that your rules are much stricter about lots of things, such as curfews, than other parents' may be.  Learning to have the courage of your convictions is important.

There is an added bonus to improving your child's diet - yours will get better too!  Your energy will increase, you'll need less sleep, and, if you are overweight, you'll reduce. If you are suffering from a chronic condition, it will most likely improve. If not, you'll reduce your risk of developing one. And, you'll be a great example for your kids - they tend to observe and imitate what you do.

Our children are our most precious resource. And, they are going to be running our businesses and our government in a few short years. Let's make sure that they have a long, healthy life, and that our country's future can be bright under their leadership.
________________________________________________

Parents’ Action for Children, a nonprofit organization founded by actor/director Rob Reiner, is mobilizing parents to advocate for issues of importance to children and families. Parents’ Action recently launched “Stir It Up,” a national parents’ campaign to ensure that children eat food that is good for them and get the physical activity they need.  For more information, visit www.stiritupamerica.com.