In this post on Nutrition, Dr. Laura Jana has a tip to address the common phrase, “I don’t like that.” If you’ve enjoyed Dr. Jana’s Q&A this month log on to her Web site, drlaurajana.com, where you can order a signed copy of her book, “Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor and a Bottle of Ketchup.”
You can read Parts One and Two of this series by clicking here.
Dr. Z: How do you address the phrase “I don’t like that?”
Dr. J: I like to remind parents that it is important to acknowledge that children are entitled to have true likes and dislikes just as parents do. That said, the phrase "I don't like that" is often uttered before a child gives a new food a chance, which is why I'm a big fan of the "no thank you bite." Did you know that it can take 10-15 exposures to a new food before a child learns to like it? I recommend allowing a resistant child to simply take a “no-thank you bite” of the scorned food. Children often respond well to this approach because it gives them some needed control. Also, taking one bite is much more manageable than staring down a heaping helping. I have found that this is a workable way to accomplish the goal of exposing children to new foods and flavors without forcing the issue.
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Dr. Z: For school age children, what tips do you have for providing a satisfying lunch that children want to eat?
Dr. J: This is a tough one. Peer pressure and temptation can be quite challenging as early as elementary school. If a child is going to eat a school prepared lunch, I strongly recommend that parents take a close look at the menu. In light of this country's childhood obesity epidemic, school lunch programs are only just now beginning to be appropriately scrutinized. While some schools have made significant changes for the better, others have not. Parents need to visit with school personnel to discuss how important healthy meals are to them. At home parents can prepare healthy foods such as sandwiches made with whole grain breads, low-fat cheeses, baked chips, pasta salads with light Italian dressing, hard boiled eggs, and any of a host of fruits and vegetables . Low-cal salad dressing and hummus make great dips.
Dr. Z: Should children be forced to finish all the food on their plate before they are allowed to leave the table?
Dr. J: I call this approach the "clean plate club," and the definitive answer is NO. It goes against several of the overarching food-related strategies for parenting success I emphasize in my book, Food Fights. Workable strategies include acknowledging a child's likes and dislikes and keeping mealtime fun and fight-free. It’s important to keep food for food's sake by ensuring that children learn to eat and drink only when they are hungry or thirsty. In fact, attempts to get children to eat everything on their plates can result in the following:
a) an increased dislike of the scorned food
b) the risk of teaching them to overeat
c) stressful mealtimes that leave parents with plenty of fights over food on their hands
Instead, I heartily recommend that parents simply opt for the "no thank you bite" approach and include their children in the meal planning, purchasing, cooking, and serving meals. Involving children in the process makes it that much more likely they'll be receptive to eating and trying what they are served. It's okay if children choose not to eat much of their dinner...just so long as they aren’t allowed to eat a big dessert an hour later!
