via GIPHY Write About (2020)
Welcome back! I hope that you all have had a great February thus far, just as I have. The last couple of weeks for me have consisted of eating way too much food and watching the Super Bowl (even though the Pats didn’t make it), interviewing for a summer job as a Camp Coordinator, visiting family back in Barrie, and hanging out with friends! In today’s blog post, I will be reflecting on my experiences doing this Genius Hour project and summarizing some main conclusions that I have come to regarding children and healthy eating! It is so crazy to think that this project is coming to an end, but I have enjoyed every minute of the research and writing that I have done!
It is common knowledge that children should be eating a balanced diet, consisting of three meals per day, plus 1-2 snacks each day (Caring for Kids, 2020). A “balanced diet” means one that consists of all three food groups: vegetables and fruit, whole grain products, and protein foods (Canada’s Food Guide, 2019). This also includes all three energy sources – or macronutrients – protein, fat, and carbs. Aside from this, parents should be cautious and regulate the amount of sugar and sodium that their children are consuming. One way that this can be done is by making water the drink of choice, while limiting the amount of juice and soda that your children are given (Patel & Hampton, 2011). Another significant finding that I came across while researching was that children need to eat a variety of foods that are nutritious, interesting, and flavourful (Nicklaus, 2009). A great website that I found was called the Kid's Healthy Eating Plate, which could assist caregivers in building a healthy and balanced meal for the children that they are caring for (HSPH, 2020).
In my second Genius Hour blog, I continued to research
some common pitfalls that parents and teachers must avoid when teaching youth
to eat healthily. One of the most important points that I found is to use
appropriate terminology when speaking about food with, and around, children. A
cool example I came across is to tell kids that too many sweets will make them
feel “yucky” (Booth, 2005). This allows parents to be honest with their kids, since
sugar overdose will, in fact, lead to an energy crash and can make you feel
unwell. Simultaneously, it does label sweets as being “bad” or “off limits”; it
just educates your kids on a consequence of eating too many sweets. To add to
this point, if a person is told to avoid a specific food, studies suggest that
this will make them want that food more (Carr, 2020). This leads to my
next point: do not explicitly prohibit your child from enjoying certain foods,
as this is a sure-fire way to cause food cravings in the future
(familydoctor.org, 2018). Fraga (2020) also acknowledges the importance of
avoiding a power struggle with what your child can – or cannot – eat, and when
they can eat it. As stated, children are the best sources when it comes to
knowing when they are hungry and full and what it is that they are craving. A
good way to combat this is by reminding them that these “unhealthy treats” will
be available the next day, which helps escape the “black-or-white”
(all-or-nothing) thinking that often leads to eating disorders later in life (Ramacciotti et al., 2008).
Another habit that caregivers are reminded to avoid is the “clean plate rule”, which forces people to finish what is on their plate, even when they are not hungry (Saladee, 2019). Instead, if it seems like a child is approaching fullness, they can be advised that leftovers are okay, and food can be saved for the next meal. A final caution when teaching children how to eat healthily is to never use food as a reward or bribe. This can lead to children growing up thinking that food will always be a “reward”, which can make them feel like they may not “deserve” to eat certain things if they do not “earn it” (Segal, 2019).
Another habit that caregivers are reminded to avoid is the “clean plate rule”, which forces people to finish what is on their plate, even when they are not hungry (Saladee, 2019). Instead, if it seems like a child is approaching fullness, they can be advised that leftovers are okay, and food can be saved for the next meal. A final caution when teaching children how to eat healthily is to never use food as a reward or bribe. This can lead to children growing up thinking that food will always be a “reward”, which can make them feel like they may not “deserve” to eat certain things if they do not “earn it” (Segal, 2019).
For the third week of my Genius Hour project, I
focused my explorations on some steps that should be taken to ensure your child
is developing the proper eating behaviours. A common theme in the literature is
that we should be striving to ensure that people stay in touch with the “hunger
cues” with which we are born. As people grow older, we often lose this ability
due to the dieting and overeating cycles that I have mentioned above. One thing
that can be done to help kids listen to their bodies is to avoid pushing them
to have “one more bite” or to finish their plate (Swanson, 2014). Another
important strategy that will benefit our younger ones, and us, is modeling good
eating habits for them. If you push your kids to eat healthy foods but won’t
touch yourself, your children will not want to eat these foods either. In
contrast, if all you eat is fast food, your children will grow up thinking that
this is the norm and want to do it themselves (Alli, 2016). Another step that
should be taken to facilitate healthy eating habits is to eat meals together
(as a family or with friends). Food is more than just nutrition; it provides
people with a sense of contentment and security (Dunbar, 2017). Mealtimes
provide an opportunity for children, adolescents, and adults to interact and
understand one another (Mental Health UK, 2020). A final significant component
to follow when creating positive experiences with food is to have positive
conversations about food. Mental illness is becoming a common attribute in more
and more youth and adolescence. Sweeney (2019) advocates that we must not focus
on weight or dieting during conversations about healthy eating, since this will
directly negate the positive food relationship that we are trying to create.
She adds that it is okay to occasionally incorporate less-than-healthy foods
into meal plans, and not to stress if a child will not eat certain things. All
in all, it is crucial to keep conversations around food positive and to avoid
making negative comments about anyone’s appearance or eating patterns
(Muth, 2019).
Marshall (2015). Heart Healthy Diet. Sorokin, N. (2011). Hand and stairs Health isolated.
I have been able to learn so much during my engagement in my very first Genius Hour project! I not only strengthened my knowledge on the topic that I was researching, but I also learned an abundance about technology and how it can be implemented in teaching and learning! I personally would like to thank all you for following along in my journey! I hope to continue to research the topic and enhance my own understanding on developing healthy food choices in the future. I strongly hope that through this blog, my research and analyses, the pictures and videos that I added, and my own opinions, I was able to help you – as a teacher, parent, or future parent – become more knowledgeable on how to properly develop healthy eating and positive relationships with food for children.
I have been able to learn so much during my engagement in my very first Genius Hour project! I not only strengthened my knowledge on the topic that I was researching, but I also learned an abundance about technology and how it can be implemented in teaching and learning! I personally would like to thank all you for following along in my journey! I hope to continue to research the topic and enhance my own understanding on developing healthy food choices in the future. I strongly hope that through this blog, my research and analyses, the pictures and videos that I added, and my own opinions, I was able to help you – as a teacher, parent, or future parent – become more knowledgeable on how to properly develop healthy eating and positive relationships with food for children.
Signing off, for now!
