L'éducation nutritionnelle pour les enfants

• Most parents desire healthy adults who enjoy nutritious foods and listen to body cues.
• Teaching kids about nutrition is important for ensuring they know what is right and wrong regarding food.

Problem with Traditional Nutrition Education

• Traditional nutrition education is cognitive-based and abstract, which isn't how small children think.
• Children under 12 understand concepts literally and are not capable of understanding abstract concepts like nutrients.
• Examples of traditional(bad) nutrition education are phrases like:
  • "Chicken has protein,"
  • "Carrots have vitamins,"
  • "Broccoli is very nutritious,"
  • "Ice cream is full of sugar and bad for you,"
  • "French fries are too fatty."
• Using the traditional approach to teaching kids about food can make eating nutritious foods a chore.
• Kids may pre-form negative opinions about foods being "sold" to them.
• Labeling foods as "bad" can create guilt and shame around eating.
• Traditional methods don't work; 5-7 year olds will list unhealthy foods they enjoy more.

Learning About Food

• Learning about food is different from learning the alphabet.
• Eating involves multiple senses and regulates body needs, reflecting hunger and satiety.
• Kids crave fat and sugar during growth spurts and reduce intake when growth slows.
• Self-regulation in kids is important and more valuable than nutrient information.

Age-Appropriate Lessons

• Parents can offer nutrition education through mealtime lessons without being nutritionists.
• Lesson 1: Include toddlers as family members with equal rights at the table.
  • Use the phrase "You do not have to eat, but mealtime is family time."
• Lesson 2: Establish set times for meals and snacks.
  • Use the phrase "I know you really want xyz right now, but it is not snack time yet."
• Lesson 3: When children are picky eaters, include accepted side dishes, but keep serving new foods.
  • Use the phrase "On some days we have your favorite meal, on other days someone else in the family gets lucky. But there will always be something you can eat."
• Lesson 4: Describe food neutrally to provide information without nutritional properties.
  • Use phrases such as "These peas feel smooth and round in my mouth. I made sweet potatoes today. They are a root vegetable, just like carrots, and are orange and sweet too."
• Lesson 5: It's ok to enjoy less healthy food because kids are wired to enjoy sweet flavors, so it is better not to make them feel bad.
  • Remind your children: ""It is just food. It makes our bodies grow and keeps us strong. It is good and important to enjoy food and eat many different things. And it is great to have access to your favorite food, like cookies or carrots. We are lucky to have so much choice and delicious options in the supermarket and at home."

Teaching Outside of Mealtimes

• Instead of focusing on nutrition, talk about sensory properties and integrate geography, history, or science.
• Suggested ideas are:
  • Interacting with food by painting with it or exploring seeds
  • Teaching how food grows and how to cook it
  • Talking about geography and science relating to food