![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Nutrition-Blog-Photo-2.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nEvery day we are faced with decisions to help build a strong foundation for our children\u2019s future. We make decisions on education, enrichment opportunities, and what technology they are exposed to. We agonize over the choices we have and lay awake wondering if we\u2019ve made the right ones. And often the hardest decision of all? What and how to feed your child! It\u2019s really the first decision we are met with when that little human comes into this world, and we continue to face it every day! Feeding kids is hard work\u2026. even for a Dietitian! I can remember thinking it was going to be a breeze\u2026 I mean I had almost 10 years of clinical nutrition experience under my belt when my twins were born. I was used to calculating formulas to feed patients on respirators and making meal plans for newly diagnosed diabetics. How hard could it be to feed these healthy little people? Wow, was I wrong! For me, it wasn\u2019t just the \u201cwhat\u201d but the \u201chow\u201d that was important. Getting my kids to eat well most of the time in this busy world, but most importantly instilling a good relationship with food that would carry them into adulthood, became a priority for me.<\/p>\n
Here are a few tips that I believe are important to help build that strong foundation necessary for healthy relationships around food.<\/p>\n
1. Have your children connect with the food that they eat.<\/strong> This might mean you plant a garden together or have a few planted pots of herbs or small vegetables on the back patio or kitchen windowsill. Or maybe you join a CSA or community garden. At the very least, check out some books about food and food sources from your local library and read through them together with your child. It is essential that kids know where their food comes from and that the foods that nourish them come from the earth.<\/p>\n 2. Involve your kids in meal planning.<\/strong> After your children learn where food really comes from, get them involved in your family\u2019s meal planning through grocery shopping, prepping, and cooking. Kids as young as three can chop vegetables, peel carrots, and grate cheese. The Montessori philosophy involves children in food prep and serving as part of the Practical Life area of the classroom. Studies show that involving your children in food prep leads to better eating habits long term.<\/p>\n 3. Try your best to eat as a family as many nights as possible.<\/strong> Our busy schedules can rob us of precious time sharing a meal. Eating as a family improves eating habits in addition to creating a sacred time and space that your children will start to depend on. Meal time should be a time to share experiences of the day and a time to reconnect. Eating \u201cfamily style\u201d can also be a great way to empower children to make choices around food. For children that tend to eat selectively, it will give them more control over their meal, as many times this choice can ease the stress for children and increase variety and acceptance.<\/p>\n 4. Plan ahead.<\/strong> To get a meal on the table each night takes a little work and some pre- planning. So, whether it\u2019s pulling chicken from the freezer in the morning so that it\u2019s ready to put on the grill or in the oven later or prepping the crock pot the night before, initiating a plan is essential. Busy families may also decide to allocate time to prep or even cook a few large meals ahead of time so that there are meals ready to go in the fridge throughout the week. This food can be packed up for lunches or reheated for a quick meal on a night that meal prep is not possible. A menu pre-planned for the week is also a great way to take the thinking out of the stressful dinnertime hours. Families should work together to create this menu so that everyone\u2019s favorites are incorporated.<\/p>\n 5. Be a role model.<\/strong> Having a child makes you take stock in your own behaviors and habits. If your goal is for your child to be a healthy eater (as in eating a variety of foods and trying new foods), make sure you are doing the same! If you have struggled with your relationship with food or body image, this might be a time to take a deeper look into this and work to resolve any issues.<\/p>\n 6. Teach mindfulness around food.<\/strong> Breath work and meditation in the Montessori classroom are ways to teach mindfulness and stillness to our children in this fast-paced world. We are a culture of \u201ceating on the run\u201d and this is quickly catching up to us. In the Montessori classroom, children eat together as a community, words of gratitude are said, and children independently choose from their lunch boxes. Talking amongst friends at their lunch table is encouraged. At home, try to make these practices part of your daily routine. In addition, encourage children to \u201clisten to their bodies\u201d for cues of hunger and fullness. It\u2019s important for children to know these feelings in order to develop healthy regulation of food. Many times, when mealtime is rushed or food is eaten \u201con the go\u201d, it is hard for children to develop these skills and feelings of stress are associated with eating. Meals and snack times should be intentional and joyful experiences for children in order to build a healthy relationship with food.<\/p>\n 7. Keep it simple!<\/strong> Strive to make meals and snacks that are balanced and from as many whole foods as possible. Try to \u201ceat the rainbow\u201d to ensure you are providing your children with a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Overall, keep it simple and attainable for YOUR family.<\/p>\n For additional reading on this topic, consider checking out the following resources:<\/p>\n Fearless Feeding – How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School<\/em> by Jill Castle and Maryann Jacobsen<\/p>\n Ellyn Satter Institute – www.ellynsatterinstitute.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Karla Gabre, RDN Every day we are faced with decisions to help build a strong foundation for our children\u2019s future. We make decisions on education, enrichment opportunities, and what technology they are exposed to. We agonize over the choices we have and lay awake wondering if we\u2019ve made the right ones. And often the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[69,87,1],"tags":[26,17,47,144,54,78,145,147,9,18],"coauthors":[13],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7icff-gq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":223,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/11\/mca-book-club-inspires-summer-reading-list\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":0},"title":"MCA Book Club Inspires Summer Reading List","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"July 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"By: Alex Chiu In the fall of this past school year, The Montessori Children\u2019s Academy (MCA) was proud to host Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore as a guest speaker for a Speaker Series event.\u00a0 Dr. Kennedy-Moore shared her professional insights on a variety of parenting topics, balanced with her own honest experiences\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Montessori Philosophy"","block_context":{"text":"Montessori Philosophy","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/montessori-philosophy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":717,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/13\/farmers-markets-and-montessori\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":1},"title":"Farmers Markets and Montessori","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"August 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"By Alex Chiu August is perhaps one of the most colorful months of the year, especially if you take some time to visit any number of local farmers markets in the area. Fruits and vegetables in rainbows of hues fill the baskets and tables, inviting a closer look at their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Farm-Market-2-e1534205581259-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":581,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/01\/the-gifts-of-a-montessori-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":2},"title":"The Gifts of a Montessori Education","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"December 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Alex Chiu During this busy holiday season, many people find themselves frantically searching for \u2018that perfect gift\u2019. They are looking for the right size, color, and fit. Or they are trying to find something unique and one-of-a-kind. Some parents have their children write out wish lists of items they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1235,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2023\/12\/29\/the-absorbent-mind-supporting-mcas-youngest-learners\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":3},"title":"The Absorbent Mind: Supporting MCA\u2019s Youngest Learners","author":"Tori Inkley","date":"December 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bernadette Fasolas, Director of Hiring and Montessori Educationand Tori Inkley, Executive Director \u201cAbsorbent Mind\u201d is a term coined by Dr. Maria Montessori to describe the natural absorption of information by a child from birth through the age of 6 years. A child in this age range has been described\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Early Child Education"","block_context":{"text":"Early Child Education","link":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/category\/early-child-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/MMCM1.jpg?fit=440%2C650&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":571,"url":"https:\/\/themontessorichildrensacademy.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/20\/a-practical-life-thanksgiving\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":4},"title":"A Practical (Life) Thanksgiving","author":"Alex Chiu","date":"November 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 By Alex Chiu Thanksgiving is just the holiday for making connections between home and your child\u2019s Montessori school experience. 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