Making the Most of Mealtimes with Young Children

Making the Most of Mealtimes with Young Children Insert Date Insert Name of Instructor

Welcome

Learning from each other about these topics: • Describe what a Healthy Mealtime Philosophy (ATTITUDE) is; based on Ellyn Satter’s Approach and the Division of Responsibility in Feeding.

Learning from each other about these topics: • Learn steps in creating a mealtime setting that supports healthy, pleasant mealtimes.

Learning from each other about these topics: • Participate in group activities learning what to say and what not to say to encourage healthy eating in a supportive manner.

Acknowledge credit to: • Credit to Ellyn Satter Associates for the teaching materials and handouts. www.EllynSatter.com • Helping Children Eat and Grow Well in Child Care, Pam Estes, Ellyn Satter Institute • Dr. Janice Fletcher and Dr. Laurel Branen, University of Idaho, Feeding Young Children in Group Settings • Child Care Resources in Missoula, MT • Jennifer Swartz and Judy Kendall • Ellyn Satter Approach to Feeding Correspondence Course • Montana Child and Adult Care Food Program Staff • Phone (406) 444-4347, Toll free (888) 307-9333 • Montana Team Nutrition Program

Are Mealtimes Important in Childcare? • WHY? • What life-skills/health habits to children learn at mealtime? • Mealtime experiences now shape future relationships with food

Ellyn Satter Approach to Feeding • The Feeding Relationship • Raising COMPETENT and CAPABLE Eaters • ES quote “The way feeding is conducted can support a child being competent with eating, growing appropriately, and doing her part to contribute to mealtime harmony. (Or not!)”

A Positive Feeding Relationship maintains a Division of Responsibility • Adults do the what, when, where of feeding. • Children do the how much and whether of eating.

Division of Responsibility for Infants • The parent/caregiver is responsible for what • The child is responsible for how much (and everything else)

Division of Responsibility for Toddlers through Adolescents • The parent/caregiver is responsible for what, when, where • The child is responsible for how much and whether

Jobs adults need to do with feeding: • Choose and prepare the food • Provide regular meals and snacks • Make eating times pleasant • Show children what they have to learn about food and mealtime behavior • Not let children graze for food or drinks between times • Let children grow into the bodies that are right for them

If adults do their jobs with feeding, children will do their jobs with eating. • Children will eat • They will eat the amount they need • They will eat an increasing variety of food • They will grow predictably • They will learn to behave well at the table

Division of Responsibility and Healthy Feeding Relationship • Children are born wanting to eat, knowing how much to eat and will grow the way nature intended. • Healthy Feeding preserves these qualities throughout the growing up years. • Adults provide structure, support and opportunities. • Children choose how much and whether to eat from what the adults provide.

Think about the ES Approach to Feeding as we watch a few video clips…… • Toddler • Preschooler

What makes you feel good about this meal? • What makes you feel not so good about it?

COMPARE WITH HEAD START PERFORMANCE STANDARDS • Offer variety to broaden child’s food experiences • Don’t use food as punishment or reward • Encourage but don’t force child to taste food • Allow sufficient time for each child to eat • Children, staff and volunteers eat together • Offer all the same food

What is the purpose of showing these videos? • Do I have to do something as soon as I get back to my center? • No…… we want you to think about the feeding relationship, be watchful and aware of what you and your staff do and say at mealtime. • Consider how you feel about this personally.

Parents and Providers want to know: • How do I get my children to eat? • The right food? • The right amount of food?

The Answers • You don’t GET your child to eat • She gets herself to eat • Your child knows how much to eat • He will grow the way nature intended • You play a supporting role • Moreover…. Your child will eat the way YOU do

What happens when adults cross the line of the Division of Responsibility…. • When adults restrict foods/calories, children gain MORE weight. • When adults pressure, bribe or coerce children to eat more, the children eat LESS. • Kids feel bad about themselves and mealtime is not pleasant for anyone.

Don’t make it complicated!The ES Method: • Is simple and practical • Is based on trust, respect and developmental stages • Makes feeding easier, less stressful and more enjoyable • Allows clear lines of responsibility for caregiver, parent and child • Takes the worry out of feeding

Children are UNPREDICTABLE eaters • A lot one day, a little the next • Not a square meal • Eat what they like, not what they “should” • Accept foods one day, reject the next • Rarely eat a new food

What research tells us about how kids eat • Fascinating stuff that kids are born with! • Ability to self regulate food intake • Prefer high calorie, energy dense foods • Scared of the new from 2-6 yrs • Timeline to keep trying. 6-8 weeks! • Wide variances meal to meal; day to day

What research tells us about how kids eat • Children eat what they know and like • Offer familiar and new foods together • Children tried a new food quicker and eat more of it when adults are eating the same food (and eating it enthusiastically.) • Portion size affects how much they eat • If self serve, they take an age appropriate portion size and eat less of it.

Now let’s think about OUR eating • Can you depend on your sensations of hunger and fullness to tell you how much to eat? • What do you think your upbringing has to do with your capability-or lack of it? • Clean pate club, one-bite rule, too much food or not enough • Take emotions out of feeding and follow hunger and satiety cues

Why is a Healthy Feeding Relationship important for life-long health and building a foundation for healthy kids?

Let’s take what we’ve learned about feeding in a healthy way and built it into a Healthy Mealtime Philosophy for your programs.

Healthy Mealtime Philosophy for Child Care • Let’s look at some sample Healthy Mealtime/Child Feeding Policies. Based on the Division of Responsibility in Feeding

10 Steps Handout

Family Style Meals Tips for success What elements of Family Style Meals support a Healthy Feeding Philosophy? How does it work in your programs? Using it with different age groups.

A quick word about gourmet eaters • Let them be responsible for whether and how much • They are served the same meal as everyone else • Encourage; don’t bribe, coerce, trick • Don’t label with negative terms “picky, etc.”

Let’s Practice • Group Activities • What to Say and What Not to Say • What do you say and do to be encouraging at meal time?

Think of a challenging feeding situation. • How would a clear mealtime philosophy help solve this challenging situation? • Educating parents on a healthy feeding philosophy and the division of responsibility.

Questions/Comments • Sharing Time • Learning from each other • What works for your program • What do you need ideas on/tips for?

Healthy KidsHealthy Communities Together Everyone Achieves More

Thank You! Insert contact information for the class instructor here.

Making the Most of Mealtimes with Young Children