Winning the food fight

Steering children towards healthy food choices can help to lay the foundations for good health for the rest of their lives. However, parents can sometimes feel uncertain how best to encourage healthful choices and how to do so without risking conflict. The influences on children's food choices are variable and complex, but research consistently finds that coercion, strict control and manipulation often backfire - forbidden foods can end up seeming more desirable!

Offering children a variety of choices without strict restrictions and role modelling healthy eating habits may be a parent's best bet to successfully guide children towards wise food choices.

Children today have far greater access to a range of foods and snacks than their parents and grandparents ever did. Children's food choices, just like those of adults, are not exclusively driven by hunger or satiety but complex psychological factors as well. These psychological factors can also over-ride knowledge and understanding about healthful food choices.

An AFIC survey of school-aged children in the cities of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Hong Kong found that children have quite comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the role of food in health, but this knowledge did not always bridge into healthful food choices.

For parents, grandparents and other caregivers to have an effective role in shaping children's eating habits, some insight into these psychological influences might provide some helpful and sometimes surprising tips!

"Eat your veggies and you can watch TV for another 30 minutes." Sound familiar? Bribery may be successful in the short-term, but may not have the desired effect in the long run. Studies find that children whose parents use sanctions to modify behaviour (including food choices), are likely to view the bribed food negatively. Similarly, telling children that they can have dessert if they finish their vegetables can make the "reward" food (dessert) more attractive than the "bribe" food (vegetables).
Rewarding a child with a sweet treat for good behaviour encourages the child to associate good feelings with food treats. This can lead to "self-rewarding" behaviour with treats during times of stress or celebration in later life.

Another common temptation for parents and caregivers is to demonize foods and classify them as "good" or "bad" foods. A study in the Netherlands provided children with snacks that were identical except in colour. One group of children was allowed to eat as much as they wanted of either colour, and another group was told that they were forbidden from eating the red food. In the second part of the experiment, when the children were allowed free access to both foods, the group that had been forbidden the red snack ate more of it.

In another study, children whose parents normally restricted their consumption of snacks ate more snack foods when given the opportunity. The results suggest that parental control was triggering greater desire for these foods. Labelling foods as "good" or "bad" has a similar effect. Caregivers may find an educational approach with a positive focus on foods that should form the core of meals and snacks (grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy) and a moderate and tolerant attitude to foods that can be enjoyed occasionally (candy, pastries, cakes, etc) a better alternative.

However, giving up all control of children's food choices is not recommended. Left to their own devices, many children show a preference for candies and snack foods and consume smaller amounts of fruits, vegetables and grains. One study for example, found that children selected different foods when observed by their parents compared to when they were alone.

A little creativity and encouragement may work better than bribery and restrictions. Since children are often visually motivated eaters, making the appearance of healthful foods more attractive may help. Cut fruit like watermelon and cantaloupe into animal shapes with cookie cutters, or use a melon scooper. Another idea is making meal times run with themed dinnerware or cutlery. Younger children especially respond more positively to food presented in dinnerware with their favourite cartoon characters. Another useful tip is to ensure there is plenty of colour in meals. Fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and pumpkin are not only attractive but also rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Don't be disheartened if your child rejects a certain food. Be persistent, and try again another time. Children generally outgrow their distaste for certain foods if it is offered (but never forced) on a regular basis. Sometimes a food just has to be presented in a different way, or cooked differently, to entice picky taste-buds. Also take care never to penalize a child for disliking a certain fruit or vegetable - with the wide variety of tropical fruits and vegetables available in Asia, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Textures can be as important as taste. Children may prefer the texture of steamed, tender greens, which are less fibrous than raw. "Baby" vegetables might also be more appealing. These miniature versions are both sweeter and more tender, and children may feel that these vegetables were made just for them!

Many studies conducted to study the role of parental control and influence on children's eating habits have a common conclusion - role modelling of parents, caregivers, and other influential people such as older siblings can be very effective in influencing a child's eating habits. Children not only learn to eat like their parents, but also mirror their parents' attitudes and behaviours towards food.

In Asia where children are cared for by grandparents and members of the extended family and domestic helpers, it is also important that the message and modelling remains consistent. Sitting down to dinner as a family is a good place to start. This has the added bonus of fostering family harmony and interaction.

Encourage breakfast for the entire family, even if schedules do not allow for everyone to eat together. Eating breakfast has been shown to improve performance and attentiveness during the morning. A pot of congee makes a quick and easy breakfast or try a range of breakfast cereals and fruits.

Raising children with healthy eating habits may seem like a daunting challenge sometimes. But with patience, persistence and a good dose of positive role modelling, making wise food choices might come as naturally as learning to walk and talk.