Attitudes At Home To Encourage Healthy Apprach To Eating

I was reading an article recently about Donna Gallagher, MS, RD the co-founder of the “BeginWithin” Center for Nutritional and Psychological Wellness and she was talking about the way food is treated at her house.

Her suggestions were such a helpful reminder to me and I thought they might help you as well:

*don’t emphasize weight and size. We appreciate each other for our diversity.

*do not allow the word “diet” to be used.

*I have a plethora of food in my house so that there are plenty of choices for all.

Some other suggestions parents and caregivers may want to consider:

*Eat meals together as a family as often as possiblem, with the focus on conversation and sharing, not scolding or arguing. At our house, everyone goes around the table and shares the best part of their day. Sometimes, the answer is – “having dinner together.”

*Don’t use food to punish or reward your children.

*Discourage mindless munching in front of the TV. We have special times like movie nights or a favorite Sunday night show that we sit together and usually have a snack like popcorn. Eating while tuning out means we aren’t paying attention to signs of satiety, or fullness.

Are there other ideas you have that you want to share?