Nutrition Quarterly Fall 2022

DEFINITION Now, I sit here 20 yrs later writing to you and realizing I was rebelling against the same restrictions that were put in place to keep me safe. I tell you all that as a backstory to make you more aware and understand the impact on our children if not handled with care. Yes, everyone has a different story, but I think we can all agree, we don’t live in the healthiest society. Our nation is getting sicker by the day and our children are the ones who will have to pay. Now, here I sit with my four children and the responsibility of keeping their Food Rebels at bay. As a parent, trying to encourage healthy habits while combating societal norms can be easier said than done. So here is what I’ve learned frommy experiences that might be able to help you to keep the relationship with food a positive experience for your children: Encourage the Adventure, Feed the Rebel and bring Fun back into Food. Exploring new foods should be an adventure. Get your kids involved in selecting a recipe from a cookbook and make some meals together. It will get messy, but that’s okay. When they see what they have created, they will be more likely to try it. They also might not. That is okay too. Don’t force them, instead continue to encourage them to be adventurous. Next, feed the Rebel, don’t fight the Rebel. Fighting against any rebel always seems to make it worse, so why not learn to work with it instead. The best way to work with a Food Rebel is to feed them. You could schedule ice cream sundaes for lunch on occasion, let them decide on what is for dinner once a week, and maybe even surprise them with donuts for breakfast, if they’ve tried a new food. Food Rebel (noun) /fo͞od/ˈrebəl/ A person or animal who rises in opposition against any food authoritarian By rewarding them, surprising them and allowing them some control, their Food Rebel should remain satisfied and have a greater chance of taking a back seat as they grow older. Lastly, food is our fuel, but it can be fun too. If you change the perspective on food to being something you can enjoy, eating becomes more of an experience than a requirement. So how can you make food fun? You can make a game of it. Kids love food challenge videos. Why not do a food challenge in your own home, take a video of each member of your family trying and identifying different food creations blind folded and then share your video encouraging other extended family members or friends to do the same. If a food challenge isn’t your thing, search the web. The ideas are endless. You could put the Food Rebels to rest sooner than you think. The more time untamed, the more unruly and difficult to handle they can become, the more health problems that can emerge, so try to tame the Food Rebel sooner than later. Let’s give our children a chance at a healthy life by paying attention. Encourage Adventure, Feed the Rebel, don’t Fight the Rebel, make Food Fun and maybe you can be part of the positive change for our future generations to come. Nutrition Quarterly · Series 3 – Volume 4 14 Featured Articles