Kids and Food

Picky Eaters, Fostering Healthy Eating Habits and More

This Principle is not complete without reading API's Eight Principles of Parenting Introduction -- important information for understanding the context API's Principles of Parenting.

Nurturing a Taste for Nutritious Food

Model healthy eating habits
Try to make at least one meal a day a time for connection and community
Encourage a child to follow his bodily cues for hunger and thirst, to eat when he is hungry and stop when he is full
Forcing a child to eat, or to eat a certain food, is counterproductive and can lead to unhealthy eating habits and potentially eating disorders
Avoid the use of food as a reward or punishment, or of making food (or dessert) contingent on behavior
Rather than restricting access to certain foods, consider having only healthy options available in the home and allowing the child to choose

Read more about Kids and Food via the Links Below

Feed With Love and Respect - One of API's Eight Principles of Parenting
Read more about Feeding with Love and Respect on APtly Said (blog)
Do you have an extremely picky eater? Weigh in on the issue on the API Forums
What are your thoughts on bedtime snacks? Discuss this on the API Forums

The Attached Family

API's The Attached Family online magazine, updated weekly with articles on a variety of topics, is an extension of the quarterly The Attached Family print magazine. The following articles on Kids and Food are accessible at no cost on The Attached Family online magazine. Please consider joining API to help support API's ability to continue providing this information.

Members also receive a quarterly magazine, The Attached Family. This summer’s issue focuses on the API Principle of Feeding with Love and Respect, particularly overcoming feeding challenges.