Intro

[Guest guest]

Hi. I'm Shauna. I just learned about " intuitive eating " not long ago,

and after reading everything I could find on it, have begun to

practice it. It's AWESOME! I have a three-year-old and a one-year-old,

and I want to give them the freedom to choose what foods they eat, so

that they don't grow up and have food issues like I have, but I'm

afraid that if we start acting like there are no " good " and " bad "

foods, they will always choose white bread, pasta, and cookies, to the

exclusion of all fruits and vegetables. I'm afraid to take the plunge,

but I also want to implement this for our whole family, because it

would eliminate so many of our current struggles with the kids over

food. I wouldn't have to say, " You need to finish your vegetables

before you can have a brownie, " or " No more snacking until

dinnertime. " I could just give them what they ask for. I'm just afraid

to do it. Does anyone have any experiences doing this as an entire

family, especially with little kids? I'd love to hear how it's done

and if there's any way I can be confident that the kids will get

enough fruits and vegetables!

[Guest guest]

My son is now 14. Fortunately, without knowing it, I have not bugged him about what he eats. It is just the two of us and I have pretty much always fixed for him whatever he wants and fixed for me whatever I ended up eating (often times in my "dieting" days, it was usually just a salad or some cooked vegies). Nowdays, he is old enough to pretty much fend for himself. I just keep a variety of foods around. There are times where all he might eat is chips. Sometimes he will have ice cream. Sometimes cheese and crackers. Sometimes it is a sandwich. Sometimes it is chicken. And sometimes it is a piece of fruit or amazingly, vegetables (The easiest is those vegie trays that have the vegies already cut up with a dip to dip them in). I also keep a variety of frozen entrees and things that he can just microwave if he is hungry. I know that there is a lot of talk on the board about avoiding pre-packaged foods.

I have done that route (trying to be "healthy"and out of guilt) but have decided to work towards a balance of all natural food that I cook with my own two hands (which I usually only do on the weekends) and pre-packaged foods.When I am fixing something, I will ask him if he wants some of what I'm having and sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes I pick up something to take home (our favorites are Tokyo Joes, Noodles & Co., Chipotle, Chinese)Sometimes he eats before I get home from work, sometimes he eats around 9:00 pm. It is just so varied. I think the key is to keep a variety of foods that you all like. Anyway, he has acutally really taught me a lot about inuitive eating, just by leaving him alone and watching him with his eating. Your kids already know what their bodies need and want if you just provide a variety. Sorry, probably, more than you really wanted.

--Alana

-------------- Original message --------------

Hi. I'm Shauna. I just learned about "intuitive eating" not long ago,and after reading everything I could find on it, have begun topractice it. It's AWESOME! I have a three-year-old and a one-year-old,and I want to give them the freedom to choose what foods they eat, sothat they don't grow up and have food issues like I have, but I'mafraid that if we start acting like there are no "good" and "bad"foods, they will always choose white bread, pasta, and cookies, to theexclusion of all fruits and vegetables. I'm afraid to take the plunge,but I also want to implement this for our whole family, because itwould eliminate so many of our current struggles with the kids overfood. I wouldn't have to say, "You need to finish your vegetablesbefore you can have a brownie," or "No more snacking untildinnertime." I could just give them what they ask for. I'm just afraidto do it. Does anyone have any experiences doing this as an entirefamil

y, especially with little kids? I'd love to hear how it's doneand if there's any way I can be confident that the kids will getenough fruits and vegetables!

[Guest guest]

Hi Shauna,

the first thing that comes to mind is that the 'usual' way of saying 'no, you

can't have that

until you finish the veggies' doesn't work - most of us were raised like that

and look

where it got us! All it does is make mealtime unpleasant and parents sound like

nagging

food police - so it isn't like you would be replacing something that works with

something

you're not sure about. Besides, good nutrition is a whole balance of things over

time - not

one..meal..at...a...time. If my son doesn't like the vegetables today - that's

fine - maybe

this meal he'll get a bit more protein than usual - or a few more fatty acids -

there will be

a different nutritional need tomorrow - and a different vegetable and overall

his body gets

what it needs. Besides, there are cultures around the world where vegetables

have never

been a big part of a normal diet - and the people are perfectly healthy:)

I didn't want to make veggies seem like something awful to be 'endured' for the

'prize'

which is the sweet - or make the sweet seem all that much more precious. When my

son

was small, we would actually give him his whole dinner - dessert (if there ws

one) included

all at once. The sweet was just one more part of the meal - no more, no less. It

was there

- he knew it ws there - he could have it anytime. he didn't rush through his

meal so he

could get to the dessert, or stop eating when he was really still hungry but too

eager for

the dessert. All were treated equally. He'd just eat some of everything - and

leave some of

everything - even the dessert. He didn't actually care about it most of the

time. It was

amazing to see the difference when we were with other children who were used to

being

denied or bribed with dessert - red faced, frustrated parents using that voice

they use -

trying to get their kids to eat 'one more bite' then giving in anyway.

He's old enough now, his plate is the same as ours -one exception for a while

was fortune

cookies. he's not so excited about them now, but I guess because we didn't have

them in

England, the first year or so after we moved here when we had chinese, he would

rush

trough his meal trying to get to the fortune cookie. So, I would put one, still

in it's

wrapper, on his plate, where he would leave it til he finished his meal,

without my having

to mention it. He just liked knowing it was there - and his

He has his own snack drawer in the refrigerator - I've done this since he was

about tw

years old at least. I keep it stocked with a supply of snacks he can have

anytime. he

doesn't have to ask. It's not usually an issue, but if he happens to eat

something 'close to

dinner' it's not a worry, because the things taht are in there are as

nutritonally 'good as'

his dinner food would be. he also has his own chocolate jar in the pantry that

he can get

to any time he wants. It is filled with good quality chocolate of his choosing.

this sounds like either a recipe for certain disaster - or perfection. It's not

either one. We

don't monitor the snacks/chocs at all - but we have no trouble getting him to

eat meals,

he doesn't eat choolate every day (in fact, I dont' think he's gotten into the

chocolate in

weeks), he isn't in there getting chocolate or snacks ten minutes before dinner

time - he

knows when dinner is, and he knows why it's sensible to wait a bit unless he is

really too

hungry, and in htat case he is a better judge of how his body feels than I am.

He's

probably more sensible about it than many adults, actually.

So, yes, it can be done. I suppose in our case it probably worked better because

we'd

done it hat way from birth..well, since he started eating food and dessert was

just a piece

of mashed up fruit. But that does not mean it cannot be done with older children

- it just

takes a bit more time and effort, and yours are so young, I think it's very

workable - and

could save them from a lifetime of food obsession and struggles with weight. My

way isn't

the only way - there are many ways, so find what works for you and have fun with

it

>

> Hi. I'm Shauna.

Does anyone have any experiences doing this as an entire

> family, especially with little kids? I'd love to hear how it's done

> and if there's any way I can be confident that the kids will get

> enough fruits and vegetables!

>

[Guest guest]

It's funny, but I've always thought I was much more on track re: this food thing when it came to my kids. I have both adult children and and 8 and 11 year old. I have never forced any of my kids to clean their plates or to eat something they didn't like or want, but I can now see that I still have some silly rules in place.

At any rate, my kids get a daily multivitamin and I don't stress about whether they get enough fruits and vegetables, but I do feel like I need to offer good quality healthy food every day. If I don't keep a cupboard full of junk food it can't be on offer. That doesn't mean there are never chips and/or cookies and the like in the house, because there are, but they're considered junk food and they aren't always on offer. Shit, maybe that's wrong. lol I am totally second guessing myself on everything. This IE stuff is really life altering.

ntuitiveEating_Support , "Shauna" wrote:>> Hi. I'm Shauna. Does anyone have any experiences doing this as an entire> family, especially with little kids? I'd love to hear how it's done> and if there's any way I can be confident that the kids will get> enough fruits and vegetables!>

[Guest guest]

Alana,

I don't have kids now, but I would like to start in the next few

years, and I really don't want them to have eating issues. My plan is

to do exactly what you have done: keep a variety of foods around and

let my kids decide when they're hungry and what/how much to eat. If we

have a family meal, I will expect them to come sit at the table for

some conversation, but I will not force them to eat if they are not

hungry.

It's great to hear that your approach has been successful in raising a

normal eater. I love hearing about how you have learned to eat

intuitively by watching your son. Kids can teach us so much sometimes!

>

> My son is now 14. Fortunately, without knowing it, I have not

bugged him about what he eats. It is just the two of us and I have

pretty much always fixed for him whatever he wants and fixed for me

whatever I ended up eating (often times in my " dieting " days, it was

usually just a salad or some cooked vegies). Nowdays, he is old

enough to pretty much fend for himself. I just keep a variety of

foods around. There are times where all he might eat is chips.

Sometimes he will have ice cream. Sometimes cheese and crackers.

Sometimes it is a sandwich. Sometimes it is chicken. And sometimes

it is a piece of fruit or amazingly, vegetables (The easiest is those

vegie trays that have the vegies already cut up with a dip to dip them

in). I also keep a variety of frozen entrees and things that he can

just microwave if he is hungry. I know that there is a lot of talk on

the board about avoiding pre-packaged foods. I have done that route

(trying to be " healthy " and out of guilt) but

> have decided to work towards a balance of all natural food that I

cook with my own two hands (which I usually only do on the weekends)

and pre-packaged foods.When I am fixing something, I will ask him if

he wants some of what I'm having and sometimes he does, sometimes he

doesn't. Sometimes I pick up something to take home (our favorites

are Tokyo Joes, Noodles & Co., Chipotle, Chinese)Sometimes he eats

before I get home from work, sometimes he eats around 9:00 pm. It is

just so varied. I think the key is to keep a variety of foods that

you all like. Anyway, he has acutally really taught me a lot about

inuitive eating, just by leaving him alone and watching him with his

eating. Your kids already know what their bodies need and want if you

just provide a variety. Sorry, probably, more than you really wanted.

>

> --

> Alana

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I love that you served dessert

with the meal. I think that's a fantastic idea!

I agree about the vegetable thing. Since I stopped dieting, my

vegetable intake has dropped incredibly. I used to force myself to eat

2.5 cups a day, and now...well, yesterday I don't think I touched a

single veggie! And guess what? I feel fine...especially now that I

don't have embarrassing gas from too many carrots - lol!! BTW, since I

stopped dieting, I haven't touched a carrot and I even pick them out

of my pot pies, soups, chinese food, etc. I used to say carrots with

salsa was my favorite snack. What a joke!

>

> Hi Shauna,

> the first thing that comes to mind is that the 'usual' way of

saying 'no, you can't have that

> until you finish the veggies' doesn't work - most of us were raised

like that and look

> where it got us! All it does is make mealtime unpleasant and parents

sound like nagging

> food police - so it isn't like you would be replacing something that

works with something

> you're not sure about. Besides, good nutrition is a whole balance of

things over time - not

> one..meal..at...a...time. If my son doesn't like the vegetables

today - that's fine - maybe

> this meal he'll get a bit more protein than usual - or a few more

fatty acids - there will be

> a different nutritional need tomorrow - and a different vegetable

and overall his body gets

> what it needs. Besides, there are cultures around the world where

vegetables have never

> been a big part of a normal diet - and the people are perfectly

healthy:)