Talking With Tots About Food and Nutrition

August 3, 2022 Children

Many parents want to raise children who choose and eat healthy foods. They also want their kids to grow up with a healthy self-esteem. To help steer kids in these directions, parents can teach their kids about nutrition and health.

Teaching kids about healthy eating is a good idea, but it can be challenging. Young children may not be able to understand everything about nutrition. Some parents may use language about food that is too basic. For example, candy is “bad” and fruit is “good”. While this may seem helpful, it can be confusing for kids. After all, candy and fruit both taste good. The goal is to keep nutrition talk at an age-level that helps their understanding.

Talking too much about a child’s weight may hurt the development of a healthy self-esteem. Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School recommend parents avoid talking about weight with their children (even if there is a problem) and instead talk about healthy eating.

In the long run, what you say to your child about food and their body may affect how they think and feel about food and themself. Positive talk helps create a good feeling about food and health, while negative comments can affect the desire to eat healthy food and may hurt self-esteem.

The bottom line: In order to be helpful, any nutrition or body talk should be positive and targeted to the age of the child. Keep nutrition talk simple, direct, and positive. Use examples and words the preschooler already knows.

Here are some examples of how your words

can affect your preschooler:

POSITIVE STATEMENT

“Broccoli is green and looks like a tree. It helps your body grow bigger and helps you not get sick.”

“Your body is growing to be strong and powerful.”

“Let’s have some fruit. It’s juicy and sweet and good for your body.”

“Healthy kids go outside and play.”

WHAT YOUR CHILD THINKS ABOUT IT

This looks and sounds interesting. Is it crunchy or soft? What does it smell like? I am curious. Maybe I will try this.

I like my body. I can skip around, dance, jump and run. My body can do anything I want it to do. I love my body!

I like sweet food. This sounds yummy!

I am healthy because I love to play outside.

NEGATIVE STATEMENT

“That candy is really bad for you. You shouldn’t be eating it.”

“Your {body part} is chubby/fat/too big.”

“Stop! You’re eating too much.”

“If you don’t eat {healthy food}, you won’t be healthy.”

WHAT YOUR CHILD THINKS ABOUT IT

I like this candy. It tastes good. I must be bad because I think it tastes good.

There is something wrong with my body. I’m not good enough.

I guess it’s bad to eat when I’m hungry or when I like the taste of food. I am ashamed of myself; I’m bad.

I feel fine, but I better eat that food even though I don’t want to; I don’t want anyone to be mad at me.

What you say to a child about nutrition and their body can be a powerful force in their development, especially when they are learning about food and developing sturdy self-esteem.

Of course, no child is the same so they will hear “nutrition talk” differently. Hearing positive things about food in the early years can create a good outlook from the start and help your child feel proud about their eating and body. Using too much negative language can change their feelings about healthy food and may hurt their self-esteem.