Use these concepts regularly to teach your kids to have a healthy relationship to food. Remember, it starts at birth!

Permission to Eat All Foods: No food is forbidden. This means your kids are less likely to binge eat and have an unhealthy relationship with food. Teaching your kids about foods and what they do is important, but I recommend a neutral presentation of a variety of foods instead of labeling food as “good” or “bad”.

Eating for Physical Rather Than Emotional Reasons: Encouraging kids to eat for hunger and enjoyment, instead of boredom, anxiety/emotional reasons, or out of habit. Less binge eating and obsession with food down the line. Structured meals at a designated place instead of grazing or using food to reward or punish.

Using Hunger and Satiety Signals: Trusting your body to guide what and how much to eat. People who don’t trust themselves lose their food regulation abilities and are more likely to gain weight, emotionally eat and diet. Allow your kids to chose what and how much from what the parents serve instead of controlling or being super lax.

Rooted in Intuitive Eating.