“There's a good chance that if you're listening to this podcast you've struggled with your own eating and body image. And maybe you've done a lot of dieting or you've experienced disordered eating, and wouldn't it be great if we could ultimately prevent those things in our kids?” - Katy Harvey

As parents, how can you help your kids develop a healthy relationship with food?

This episode is all about how we can teach children to make peace with food and their bodies, while still existing in diet culture. Katy explains the “Division of Responsibility” strategy which focuses on getting children to eat a variety of nutritious foods in a no-pressure environment. She also encourages us to think about our own relationship with food as kids and how we might be perpetuating the same issues in our children. 

[00:01 - 12:39] Doing More Harm Than Good

• As adults, let’s reflect on our own relationship with food while growing up
• Body issues can be passed down to generations
• The fear-mongering around childhood obesity
  • Our attempts at preventing or solving these problems in our kids create worse problems
• Dieting in kids is the number one predictor of them gaining weight above and beyond their growth curve
  • Classifying and pathologizing bodies with stigmatizing terms
• Dieting can also cause eating disorders
  • This can start with “healthy eating” conversations and initiatives at home and in schools
• Diet culture is pervasive and misguided

[12:40 - 20:00] Division of Responsibility

• How to encourage and preserve a kid's ability to listen to and trust their bodies
• Provide a structure depending on age
• Katy discusses Ellyn Satter’s “Division of Responsibility” strategy 
  • Family meals are encouraged, eating with children rather than feeding them
  • Parents provide the food and are responsible for when and where it is consumed
  • Children are responsible for how much and whether or not they eat
  • The problem arises when parents and children cross each other’s territories
  • Toddlers need more structure and take this learning when they grow up

 

[20:01 - 34:04] Creating Structure for Younger Children

• Want to make meal and snack planning easier? Download Katy’s FREE guide: Six Simple Steps to Menu Planning at nondietacademy.com/menuplan!
• Present the food in a way that your kid can handle
• Playing with food is okay for younger kids
• Don’t bribe or force kids to eat
• Serve everybody at the table the same food but offer variety
  • New and familiar food
• Keep a schedule for snack time and help them how to handle sweets
• Avoid snacking with distractions
• Don’t label foods as good or bad
• Provide filling but not thrilling snacks for bedtime
• Repetition is key

[34:05 - 40:17] Allowing Tweens and Teens to Have Autonomy and Responsibility 

• The overall goal is that they should feel good with food
• Help them accept that body changes are normal
• Let them make their own food and observe

[40:18 - 43:54] Wrapping up! 

• Save tons of time and money by planning meals ahead! Grab Katy’s FREE Six Simple Steps to Menu Planning guide at nondietacademy.com/menuplan!

 

Key Quotes

“Classifying and pathologizing of bodies that we do in our culture… It's actually jacking up our relationship with food and it's disrupting our ability to listen to our bodies and to eat intuitively.” - Katy Harvey

“Meals should be a pleasant experience for everyone involved. We want our bodies to be in a relaxed or a rest and digest mode rather than fight or flight.”  - Katy Harvey

“We don't need to harp on our kids about nutrition or healthy eating. That often makes things worse. We need to provide them with the structure that helps them listen to and trust their bodies.” - Katy Harvey 

Resource Mentioned:

• Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter
• Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family: How to Eat, How to Raise Good Eaters, How to Cook by Ellyn Satter

 

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https://www.nondietacademy.com  

Let’s get connected! 

Instagram: @katyharvey.rd

Facebook: KatyHarveyRD

Website: https://katyharvey.net 

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