Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

Raising Healthy Eaters
“Raising a healthy eater takes years. Children learn bite by bite, food by food, meal by meal.
The goal of raising a healthy eater is to help your child grow up with positive eating attitudes
and behaviors; it is not to get him to eat his peas for tonight’s supper.”
Ellyn Satter, MS, MSSW, RDN
As we discussed previously, what we feed kids is important to ensure that they are meeting
their nutrient requirements. But, just as important as WHAT we feed kids, is HOW we feed
kids. The structure and environment that parents provide when feeding not only impacts
nutrition, but it can also affect weight and behavioral problems. Families who regularly eat
together have children who eat more fruits and vegetables, have healthier weights, and are
less likely to use drugs, alcohol, or tobacco when they are older. 1
Family meals have many nutritional, social, and emotional benefits. In this section, we will
discuss best practices for providing family meals and raising healthy eaters.
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