Supporting our children to build a positive relationship with food

The nutritional content of a particular food is only one consideration in how we make decisions around what foods we eat and when. When talking to our kids about food and nutrition it’s important that we also discuss other factors that contribute to food decisions.

This includes;

• What is available to us at that time and what we can afford.

• What is in season, fresh and local.

• The different flavours and textures of food and what we enjoy eating

• How different foods make us feel after we have finished the meal.

When considering the aspects that contribute to a positive relationship with food, we want to show our children that;

• all food has its place in a varied and diverse eating pattern-this includes the 5 food groups as well as foods that may be higher in sugar/fat/salt,

• not one particular food is better than the next,

• and we eat food for many reasons.

The pleasure of food is something that we need to talk about with children. The concept of food pleasure includes taste, enjoyment, contentment, and satisfaction. These are positive feelings and attributes related to all types of foods including those foods that are higher in added sugar, salt and fat.

The social connectedness that food brings is a fundamental component in building a positive food culture. Sharing meals with family and friends is an important part of our social and emotional wellbeing and are a protective factor in the development of disordered eating behaviours and can establish lifelong benefits.

Basic food preparation and budgeting skills are a core component of food literacy and help children to learn meaningful skills to engage with food. We know that this contributes to building a positive relationship with food. This could include topics such as;

• Basic meal/snack preparation skills-peeling, grating, and cutting skills for example

• Recipe reading and modification skills

• Basic food hygiene principles

• Basic food budgeting skills- cost of items per kilogram

Educating children on cultural foods and Australian native food allows us to weave food, social connectedness, diversity, and cultural identity. We could educate children on;

• Passing on family food traditions through celebrations, cultural foods, and family recipes

• Appreciating foods from diverse cultures-this is a wonderful opportunity for shared meals

• Multicultural food practices, stories, and games

• Links to Australian native foods and expereinces

Food is so much more than macro and micronutrients and it’s crucial that we can demonstrate this to our children, in the way that we engage with, eat and relate to all foods.