Make Mealtimes Positive!
Guest Post from Alexandra Johal, RD, CNSC
Over the next few days I will be featuring three articles from Alexandra Johal, founder of Building Bites, and a pediatric dietitian with 6 years of experience working with children and families from many different backgrounds. With Building Bites Pediatric Nutrition Consulting her mission is to support children to develop a positive relationship with food, while moving them towards optimal health and nutrition.
With toddlers, mealtimes can sometimes be the most stressful time of the day. It is often when children try to push boundaries and take control. Here are a few tips to make mealtimes a positive time for the whole family.
Create a mealtime routine to allow the child to both mentally and physically prepare for the meal.
Turn off any screens
Clean up toys around the meal area
Wash hands together
Set the table (put down placemats if the table is also used for activities to show that it is mealtime)
Children are more likely to sit happily during meals times and eat if they are hungry. You can increase hunger going into meal by:
Spreading meals and snacks 2-3 hours apart.
Only provide water between meals not milk or juice.
Limit grazing between meals.
Family meals have so many benefits such as healthier eating into adulthood, healthier body weight, lower risk of eating disorders, higher test scores in school aged children. However, they also can be a source of enormous stress for parents. Work to reduce stress by following some of the tips and strategies listed above. If things still don’t improve, feel free to contact me to work with your family individually.
