Your Child's Nutrition Is About The Long Game

The holidays flew by at what felt like the speed of light, and I have been feeling super nostalgic for the younger years with my kids. 

Like tearing up at the store looking at the empty toddler seat in my shopping cart kind of nostalgic. 

What’s weird is that I didn’t love the toddler years. But I don’t think my weepy shopping trip is about that period of time as much as it is about how fast time is moving. 

When you think about it, our kids are home with us for the first 18 years or so of their lives, that’s not much. Let’s say my kids will live well into their 90’s (and there is a good chance as my grandma lived until she was 100), that means they have like 80% of their life left after they leave my home. 

This is why I talk to parents about what I call the long game when it comes to our kid’s nutrition and their relationship with food.

Want your kid to eat veggies? Don’t worry as much about what they are eating today but do things now that will make them more likely to adopt vegetables into their diet as they become adults. 

Want your kid to not be picky? Don’t worry as much about what they are not eating today, but do things now that will make them more likely to enjoy a wide range of foods as adults. 

Because adulthood is where they are going to live most of their lives. 

There is so much pressure on parents to get their kids to eat certain foods or eat in certain ways RIGHT NOW. There are entire books about sneaking veggies into different dishes (my feelings on this is a whole other blog waiting to happen). 

I just want to relieve some of the pressure by letting you know that pressuring your kids (directly or indirectly…they can smell it on us I swear) is actually counterproductive for 90% or so of kids out there and will actually make them less likely to adopt the eating behavior you want them to adopt. 

Instead, just model it yourself. 

Eat with your kids and show them that vegetables or different types of foods they steer clear of are normal in their family and household. 

Studies show that modeling is the greatest predictor of your kid’s eating habits as they age. And stress free eating will have more positive associations for your kid (and can make a world of difference in the way you feel when you cross the finish line of your day).

Do you worry about your kids' nutrition? Let us know in the comments below. 

Hey, I know we talked about picky eating, I just want to say that if your kiddo has a very very limited amount of foods that they eat and you and your physician are concerned about their growth, more support than modeling may be needed.