Comments on: The #1 Feeding Mistake Parents Make [Expert Interview] http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2009/10/the-1-feeding-mistake-parents-make-expert-interview/ Where Parents Go for Credible Nutrition Advice Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:43:58 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Healthy Eating: Practical Tips and Tricks for Helping Your Family Eat Better « In The Bag http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2009/10/the-1-feeding-mistake-parents-make-expert-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-514 Healthy Eating: Practical Tips and Tricks for Helping Your Family Eat Better « In The Bag Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:00:44 +0000 http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/?p=1894#comment-514 [...] recognized authority on eating and feeding. Dr. Satter’s first piece of advice to parents is to eat together as a family because this sets the foundation for building healthy eating habits. I was so excited to hear that [...] [...] recognized authority on eating and feeding. Dr. Satter’s first piece of advice to parents is to eat together as a family because this sets the foundation for building healthy eating habits. I was so excited to hear that [...]

]]> By: Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2009/10/the-1-feeding-mistake-parents-make-expert-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-433 Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:42:27 +0000 http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/?p=1894#comment-433 Jenna, Thanks for the comment/question. I think the take-home message of this interview is children learn to like a variety of foods by exposure and role modeling. Here's a great review summarizing the research on food acceptance in children -- http://www.bentham.org/cnf/sample/cnf3-1/D0005NF.pdf This doesn't mean parents should never talk to their children about eating. I think it's very reasonable to talk to your school age child about re-fueling at mealtime. My daughter still eats at home most of the time so she eats every 2-3 hours with regular meals and snacks. The example of Satter's daughter waiting to try vegetables is atypical but it demonstrates a point. Too many times parents worry about their children not eating vegetables so they use pressure. Studies show this makes children less interested in eating such foods. Also, it is possible for kids to meet their nutrition needs without eating vegetables. If parents serve a variety of fruits like cantaloupe that has both vitamin C and A, kids will be okay until their palates come around. Of course having children help with meal prep, shopping and other fun meal stuff may help them try foods earlier. As long as it stays positive I'm all for it. As far as knowing when kids are really full that's a tough one. I think if parents provide them with a variety of foods, many that they like and accept, we have to trust that they will get what they need. Of course we need them to eat at the table without distraction. Here's a good post on knowing when your child is full from the site Dinner Together http://dinnertogether.blogspot.com/2009/10/are-they-really-full.html If you want to talk further you can contact me directly. Thanks! Jenna,

Thanks for the comment/question. I think the take-home message of this interview is children learn to like a variety of foods by exposure and role modeling. Here’s a great review summarizing the research on food acceptance in children — http://www.bentham.org/cnf/sample/cnf3-1/D0005NF.pdf This doesn’t mean parents should never talk to their children about eating. I think it’s very reasonable to talk to your school age child about re-fueling at mealtime. My daughter still eats at home most of the time so she eats every 2-3 hours with regular meals and snacks.

The example of Satter’s daughter waiting to try vegetables is atypical but it demonstrates a point. Too many times parents worry about their children not eating vegetables so they use pressure. Studies show this makes children less interested in eating such foods. Also, it is possible for kids to meet their nutrition needs without eating vegetables. If parents serve a variety of fruits like cantaloupe that has both vitamin C and A, kids will be okay until their palates come around. Of course having children help with meal prep, shopping and other fun meal stuff may help them try foods earlier. As long as it stays positive I’m all for it.

As far as knowing when kids are really full that’s a tough one. I think if parents provide them with a variety of foods, many that they like and accept, we have to trust that they will get what they need. Of course we need them to eat at the table without distraction. Here’s a good post on knowing when your child is full from the site Dinner Together http://dinnertogether.blogspot.com/2009/10/are-they-really-full.html

If you want to talk further you can contact me directly. Thanks!

]]> By: jenna pepper http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2009/10/the-1-feeding-mistake-parents-make-expert-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-431 jenna pepper Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:14:30 +0000 http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/?p=1894#comment-431 Regarding "trust the child will know exactly how much to eat," How do you ensure then that when your child is eating at structured times due to school and social schedules that they actually eat enough? I don't worry so much about dinner because I know from experience that young kids just don't have the same appetite and attention for food at the end of the day, but if my kindergartner ate like your daughter did with the lamb lentil meal at lunch he would be too ravenous to learn how to read, write and follow the teacher's instructions. When there are serious gaps in key nutrients (like satters daughter who didn't eat veggies until adolescence or many kids who choose to eat little else besides starchy carbs) at what point do you go beyond "making the food available" and actually encouraging them with other methods that are effective before a decade passes, to eat a fair amount of what is served (enough so that performing at life isn't compromised) when it is served (when the eater has little control over whether or not (s)he is hungry or wants to eat what is served when the meal is offered. I absolutely buy into the eat til you're satiated philosophy, but I think kids do need help knowing how much is enough to last until the next meal, and teaching them how to eat when it's meal time so they don't miss a "fueling the body" opportunity by picking over the food they don't prefer to eat. Regarding “trust the child will know exactly how much to eat,” How do you ensure then that when your child is eating at structured times due to school and social schedules that they actually eat enough? I don’t worry so much about dinner because I know from experience that young kids just don’t have the same appetite and attention for food at the end of the day, but if my kindergartner ate like your daughter did with the lamb lentil meal at lunch he would be too ravenous to learn how to read, write and follow the teacher’s instructions. When there are serious gaps in key nutrients (like satters daughter who didn’t eat veggies until adolescence or many kids who choose to eat little else besides starchy carbs) at what point do you go beyond “making the food available” and actually encouraging them with other methods that are effective before a decade passes, to eat a fair amount of what is served (enough so that performing at life isn’t compromised) when it is served (when the eater has little control over whether or not (s)he is hungry or wants to eat what is served when the meal is offered. I absolutely buy into the eat til you’re satiated philosophy, but I think kids do need help knowing how much is enough to last until the next meal, and teaching them how to eat when it’s meal time so they don’t miss a “fueling the body” opportunity by picking over the food they don’t prefer to eat.

]]> By: How to Make Family Dinners More Kid Friendly http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2009/10/the-1-feeding-mistake-parents-make-expert-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-369 How to Make Family Dinners More Kid Friendly Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:11:23 +0000 http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/?p=1894#comment-369 [...] meals to help improve their children’s eating habits.  Yet in last week’s expert interview, Ellyn Satter emphasized the importance of families eating together over what to feed.  That’s because family dinners are [...] [...] meals to help improve their children’s eating habits.  Yet in last week’s expert interview, Ellyn Satter emphasized the importance of families eating together over what to feed.  That’s because family dinners are [...]

]]> By: Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2009/10/the-1-feeding-mistake-parents-make-expert-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-366 Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:48:39 +0000 http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/?p=1894#comment-366 I agree Cindy. There have actually been studies showing that Americans worry more about their diet -- and get less pleasure from eating -- than other countries. I think the <em>how</em> of eating is totally overlooked in the obesity epidemic. I'm working on a post about this topic! I agree Cindy. There have actually been studies showing that Americans worry more about their diet — and get less pleasure from eating — than other countries. I think the how of eating is totally overlooked in the obesity epidemic. I’m working on a post about this topic!

]]> By: Cindy http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2009/10/the-1-feeding-mistake-parents-make-expert-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-365 Cindy Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:21:20 +0000 http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/?p=1894#comment-365 I love the emphasis on time together and pleasure being associated with food. It makes me think of the French and how they supposedly take time to actually enjoy food more than Americans do (and how they aren't as fat and live longer). That really would be a most valuable trait for children to garner from their parents. I spend too much time reading articles that are fixated on minor things regarding nutrition. I love the emphasis on time together and pleasure being associated with food. It makes me think of the French and how they supposedly take time to actually enjoy food more than Americans do (and how they aren’t as fat and live longer). That really would be a most valuable trait for children to garner from their parents. I spend too much time reading articles that are fixated on minor things regarding nutrition.

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