On the Coast – Families Issue 93 | April / May 2018 | Page 31
Manic
mealtimes to
KidsPoint
Marvellous
mealtimes
A universal concern amongst parents is what their kids
eat and how to get them to eat that healthy balanced diet
Often it is difficult to know just how much
kids need to eat as their appetites change
from day to day or week to week and their
food preferences can also annoyingly
change all of a sudden too. Sometimes we
want that overnight quick fix but in reality
it just takes time, patience and
perseverance. Here are a few strategies to
focus on to keep your sanity and help
them on their healthy way.
Consider the whole diet
Think about their eating over the whole
day or week rather than for that day.
Offer 5-6 small meals over the day to
give your child plenty of opportunity
to eat a range of different foods from
the 5 food groups.
Offer water as the main drink as sweet
drinks can fill small tummies up, ruin
appetites and natural appetite
regulation.
If they don’t like cooked vegetables
try vegetable sticks perhaps with dip
as snacks or with the meal, soups,
vegetable juice or even fruit as an
alternative until they learn to like
eating their veggies.
Always provide foods that kids will
eat in addition to foods that you want
them to learn to eat.
Eat at the table together
Mealtimes are not only a time to eat
but a time to socialise. Creating happy
memories at mealtimes help kids
associate eating as being a positive
experience. Kids are more likely to try
something new when they are calm and
in a happy mood at the table. If focussing
on food creates conflict best to change
the subject and focus on something more
fun and interesting.
Children learn by seeing what is going
on. When parents eat with their kids they
are showing their enjoyment of foods so
kids learn to eat these foods too in time
with enough exposure.
Have Fun with Food
Encourage your child to enjoy
interacting with a wide variety of
foods. Start a vegetable garden,
involve them in meal choices,
shopping and cooking.
Make some quirky creations and
invent elaborate stories to capture
their interest. Bugs and butterflies,
cars and boats, faces and flowers.
Chop things up in different ways and
just let them play.
Eat mindfully
Remove distractions like TV and other
screens and focus on the sensations
of the meal. Talk about the smells,
textures and tastes and why you like
certain foods. Tell stories about fond
memories of growing, cooking and
eating foods when your were young.
Encourage listening to one’s natural
hunger and satiety signals. This is an
important skill that is commonly lost
when we eat for reasons other than
for true hunger. Avoid offering food
as a reward, distraction or if they get
upset. Use other rewards, activities
and comfort strategies. Appetites
will change depending on activity
and energy levels, growth and how
much they have been eating.
Trusting your child’s natural hunger
is the best way for them to know
how much to eat is just enough and
to avoid eating more than what their
body needs.
Carin Clegg is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, (BSc Nutrition, Hons) and Personal Trainer (Cert III, IV
in Fitness). She specialises in paediatric nutrition, food allergies/intolerances and intellectual disability
(ASD, ADHD). As a greenie at heart she is zipping her way to zero waste and an advocate for climate
change action.
REFERENCES: Ellyn Satter Institute www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/
Picky Eaters vs Problem Feeders SOS Approach to Feeding Workshop Dr Kaye Toomey and Dr Erin Ross
Maryanne Sayers
Baby Sleep & Routine Consultant
Babies and Toddlers
Individual Consultations
Mothers Group sessions
CPR / First Aid in-home sessions
Online Program
Find me o
0417 068 545
[email protected]
www.dreamstartbaby.com.au
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APRIL/MAY – ISSUE 93
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