Feeding With Love and Good Sense
It is so hard to believe that we are on the tail end of summer with our eyes upon (hopefully somewhat normal) school year. I hope you were able to enjoy at least a few lazy days this summer. I hope some of my anti-diet messages played in your head while you were planning and enjoying meals, attending BBQs and playing by the lake or beach. And though summer is ending, the job of feeding our kids continues 24/7!
Feeding kids can be challenging and teens are no different. You know, I often see parents of younger kids spending way too much time and energy on food and nutrition while parents of teens often spend too little time and energy on feeding. Though both methods are well-intentioned, neither is optimal. Yes, your teen is probably physically capable of preparing most meals and snacks, but do they really know how to nourish themselves? The overwhelming majority of teens still need our guidance in the food arena. They still need structure and support around meals and snacks so that they:
Feel good about eating and enjoy food - so important
Behave nicely at mealtime whether at school or out with friends
Are able to choose from food provided and make do with what’s available
Eat as little or as much as they need
Learn to take care of their individual nutritional requirements
Dietitians call this “feeding with love and good sense” 😊 Here are some of the most common questions I get around meals and teens:
Is breakfast really that important?
Yes, it is! The word “breakfast” literally means “break the fast”. After overnight fasting, bodies need energy! Brains don’t work properly without glucose - that means carbohydrate - and bodies function best with a combination of nutrients. Use my meal planning guide to get you started. Mornings chaotic? Breakfast does not need to be fancy or made from scratch. Please don’t forget “fed is best” so do yourself and your kids a favor and drop the food guilt.
They aren’t hungry for breakfast!
While I always recommend honoring hunger and fullness cues . . .as parents, we have to make sure the eating environment is conducive to recognizing those cues. If this is what your kid is telling you, there’s a few things you can explore. Maybe they don’t like typical “breakfast food” - that’s totally ok, hamburgers in the morning work just fine! Maybe they need to get up earlier to give themselves time to be able to eat in the mornings. Maybe they need to go to bed earlier in order to be able to get up earlier. Maybe they can’t decide what to eat that early in the morning. Whatever the reason, it’s important that we work with our children to help them get their day started on the right foot nutritionally.
My teen won’t eat lunch at school.
Skipping meals is almost never okay but is unfortunately very common. Over-crowded cafeterias and short lunch periods leave students with limited time to select and eat their meals. Add in overbearing lunchroom monitors, long lines, individual taste preferences, and social anxiety . ..and it’s no wonder lunch at school is hard for teens. Whether your school has a chaotic cafeteria or no cafeteria at all, home packed lunches can save the day. Your guidance here is helpful - should they pack lunch the night before? Do they know what and how much to pack (don’t forget about the meal planning guide)? Do they have the containers/lunch box/ice packs they need?
My teen has practice right after school. What should they eat?
It depends, but skipping an afternoon snack is not a good idea. If your teen has practice after school, they are probably involved in a somewhat competitive sport. Bodies don’t perform well without energy. Assuming that most school lunches are around noon, it’s time to refuel for after school sports. The amount and type of snack they need largely depends on the sport, duration of practice, and level of intensity. Most likely a high carbohydrate, low fat, low fiber snack will fit the bill. Here are some ideas!
My kids are starving when they get home from school!
Let them eat . . .and not just a little bag of chips. Help your teen think of snacks as mini-meals. Make them satisfying and nourishing by including 2-3 food groups. Sorry to keep bringing it up, but my meal planning guide can be helpful here too! ANY food can be part of a meal or snack. Let hunger be their guide as far as how much to eat. Remind them to try to eat mindfully without devices so that they can tune in to hunger and fullness cues and be ready to eat again at dinner time.
And if you have younger kids
My wonderful colleague Rachel Rothman from Nutrition in Bloom, created this free lunch packing guide for daycare through elementary aged kids. It has so much info . . . check it out!
If you’ve tried all of these things and feel like you and your teen still need some support, let me know! You can also follow my Instagram for more regular nutrition know-how. And please feel free to forward this email along to your fellow teachers and parents.
Happy (almost) fall y’all!