9 tips to help develop healthy attitudes toward food and eating

Parents play a pivotal role in shaping their children’s eating behaviors and attitudes towards food. The way parents approach eating, both consciously and subconsciously, can have profound effects on how children perceive food, which can persist into adulthood. Recent research has highlighted the impact of various parental eating styles on children’s relationship with food. Parents and caregivers who are aware of their own relationship with food and incorporate mindful eating practices can help foster healthier eating habits in children.

Young children mimic and learn from their parents’ behaviors, including eating behaviors. According to research results just published in the journal Appetite, there are four types of parental eating styles – typical, avid, emotional and avoidant. Typical eaters, who don’t exhibit an extreme eating style, were the most prevalent at 41.4 percent. Avid eating styles, being highly interested in food and more likely to respond to food in their environment than one’s own hunger and satiety cues, were found in 37.3 percent of parents. Less common eating styles were emotional eating and avoidant eating at 15.7 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively. While emotional eaters are more likely to eat to cope with emotions, they don’t get the same enjoyment from food as avid eaters. Avoidant eaters are highly selective with food and experience less enjoyment from eating.

While all children are influenced by their parents’ eating styles, children of parents who display avid and avoidant eating tendencies may be more likely to develop these similar behaviors. Parents with avid or emotional eating tendencies were more likely to use food to comfort or placate their children. However, when parents with avid or emotional eating tendencies provided a wide variety of balanced foods, children appeared to be protected from developing these same eating traits.

Another recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that families who practice mindful eating experience improved eating habits. Children of parents who practice mindful eating are more likely to eat in response to their internal hunger cues and less likely to develop emotional or avoidant eating.

Individual eating habits are complex as are parental feeding styles. Family eating dynamics are impacted by food accessibility, health concerns, cultural beliefs, life experiences and more. Parents who are aware of their own approach to food and are mindful about how they can influence their children stand a better chance at passing on a more typical eating style to their children. Here are some mindful eating strategies that families can implement now to positively impact eating habits at home:

1. Aim to enjoy at least one family meal every day. Keep in mind that even having one adult present at mealtime is impactful and that not all members of the household or family need to be present.

2. Involve children in meal planning and food preparation activities including grocery shopping and cooking. Kids benefit from having a hands-on approach with food and developing these skills at a young age.

3. Try new foods together as a family. Be creative and open-minded about expanding the variety of accepted foods in the household.

4. While it’s OK to discuss the nutritional benefits of food, avoid talking about calories and restrictive diets with children.

5. Avoid using food as a reward, punishment or solution to emotional concerns. Help children identify their feelings and come up with non-food solutions for their emotions.

6. Steer away from being overly rigid about food or labeling foods as good or bad.

7. Enjoy meals and snacks away from devices and screens, helping to limit distractions that interfere with mindful eating.

8. Encourage eating when hungry and listening to internal feelings of satisfaction and fullness. External food cues such as food advertisements, eating from food packages and “clean plate clubs” can undermine self-regulation and lead to overeating.

9. Consider seeking additional resources or professional guidance if you feel your own relationship with food is interfering with your family’s eating habits.

LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at RD@halfacup.com.

Originally Published: September 4, 2024 at 9:54 a.m.