Summer Series: Vol VI
SUMMER SERIES: Volume VI - Week of August 11th
🍎 Foooooood 🍰
"When the joy goes out of eating, nutrition suffers." -- Ellyn Satter
Welcome to Vol. VI of the summer email series.
Here are 3 things to keep in mind this week before digging in:
If you want to catch up on the Summer Series emails you've missed, they can all be found HERE. 👀
We are not nutritionists or medical professionals. What we share below is our opinion based on our own research and lived experiences; do your own research before making any changes. And, as always, trust your gut. (Pun intended 😉)
It is very common to carry a lot of baggage (and even trauma) when it comes to food. Take deep breaths any time you need it - whether reading or feeding - we're all doing the best we can with what we have. Be gentle on yourself. 💞
Now let's dive in to Volume VI - woohoo!
Welcome to our week on FOOOOOOOOOD
I could (and will) write pages and pages and pages on food for kids and families. Just like we believe the relationship with learning is more important than the 'skill' itself, we feel that way about food, too.
Our 3 pillars of eating:
1. It is essential to develop a healthy relationship with food no matter their age.
2. It is a marathon (a lifelong relationship) not a sprint (what they eat at this exact moment)
3. It is not about right or wrong, good or bad; we encourage individualized non-binary eating :)
AGES 0-5
OUTING: Go to the grocery store together! Seeing and feeling the different colors of all the different foods is so cool! You could make a scavenger hunt out of finding something of each color of the rainbow, or have them help choose which apples to take home. (TIP: don't take them with you for a full grocery shopping trip - take them just for fun so you're not stressed and can just pick out a few things for fun)
FUN @ HOME: Have a taste-testing buffet! Put out a bunch of different foods and invite them to taste each one. Depending on their age, they can rate it with: thumbs up, down, or middle; or a scale of 0-5 or 0-10. Let it be fun! And truly invitational - meaning it's ok if they lick it, smell it, touch it, play with it, or spit it out just let it be an exploration.
PARENTING TIP: Make sure you have safe foods available at each meal - safe foods are foods that you know they eat and enjoy. (And yes, it's ok if it's the same safe food every day!! Don't make life more complicated than it needs to be!)
AGES 5-11
OUTING: Go out to eat! It doesn't have to be anything fancy (at this age, honestly, it probably shouldn't be...) but whether it's a quick bite to eat or a sit down meal, make sure it's something you can enjoy! (Our family's favorite for a quick bite is Playa Bowls in Milton and for sit down is Burton's in Hingham - YUMMMMM)
FUN @ HOME: Invite them to help you with any meal - whether they want to help prep, set the table, clean up, or snack while you're cooking, it's all part of involving them in the process. (Again - the key here is INVITE - don't force. It's not a chore, it's an opportunity)
PARENTING TIP: If there's any way you can make food a bonding experience, they're more likely to develop a positive relationship with food. That all starts with YOU having a positive relationship with food!
AGES 11+
OUTING: I really want this to be to take a cooking class together.... but I don't know of any!!! If you do, can you share them?! And if you (like me) don't know of any..... my suggestion for an outing is to go out to eat and let THEM choose where! (And bonus points if you make it PHONE FREE - for EVERYONE)
FUN @ HOME: Cook a meal together - of THEIR choice! Let THEM choose what they want to make! And no judgement. Whether it's a smoothie, a dessert, a meal, a snack, or melting cheese on chips, let it be FUN and let it be THEIRS. Building confidence and offering opportunities and experiences will increase the likelihood of a positive relationship with food.
PARENTING TIP: Have you noticed a theme? Let THEM choose! Food at this age can be tricky... they don't always want to eat in front of people, they have shame about what they eat, or how they look, or what people think of them, or all of the above. They likely have had experiences that have led them to where they are - just like deschooling, you might have to defood (that's not a real thing, we just made it up) but the idea is to decondition what they may have learned about food. And the best first step is LET THEM CHOOSE! And just notice where they're at - with no judgement and no comments.
This is only the beginning - we have a LOT to say about food. So if this was helpful, intriguing, or thought-provoking at all, let us know! 🍓
Warmly,
💫 Heather & Elements Academy Family