My 6yo: Mum, do bananas have sugar?
My brain: What?????!!!!! Where is this question coming from?????
Me: Hmmmm, you’re wondering if bananas have sugar in them… I wonder, what have you heard?
My 6yo: My friend at school said that bananas have sugar in them and that they’re not good for you. He said that big bananas have more sugar in them [looked worried; he loves bananas!]
7.5yo brother steps in: Yeah but the sugar is made in the banana, it hasn’t been added.
Me: STUNNED 😳
I have never EVER spoken about these topics at home with my young children.
I haven’t because from a developmental point of view, children can’t conceptualise abstract thinking about food nutrition in the same way we adults can.
Talking about food and nutrition in relation to health benefits to motivate or demotivate food choice, is not helpful to children. It’s confusing. It’s difficult to understand. It’s even difficult to explain to a child – try formulating a helpful answer… not easy!
It can induce unnecessary worry and concern about food. I think the above conversation demonstrates that.
…Instead, children learn best about food by SAFE and curious EXPLORATION of food.
Children are not motivated to eat food because it’s healthy. And if they are, it may be because they have been told repeatedly or they are trying to please somebody (parent, teacher, grandparent?) by being “good”.
Children eat food because it’s yummy, crunchy, soft, sweet, savoury, cold, warm, looks good, feels good or it takes their hunger away.
Parents are in charge of WHAT food is on offer. Children don’t need to concern themselves with nutrition information. Our role as parents and carers is to protect their childhood innocence and love of food so they can focus on learning to listen to internal appetite cues rather than external diet rules. Let’s not be the ones to teach or reinforce those diet rules that are so damaging to our kids’ relationship with food.
How does our food talk influence what our children are learning about food and the way THEY talk and FEEL about food?
…Is it helpful?
Eat Happy!
Inés Astudillo
Accredited Practising Dietitian
