Raising an Intuitive Eater: Pediatric Nutrition Series
Let’s face it, toddlers can be quite mysterious, particularly when it comes to feeding.
We’ve all been there – we have poured milk in the wrong color cup, cut a sandwich in the wrong direction, or dared to serve something they liked the day before. With each passing day we continue to learn more about our kiddos, and how they show up on any given day does not determine our worth as a parent or caregiver.
This Pediatric Nutrition Series aims to explore the process of combatting “picky eating” and raising an intuitive eater. We will delve into what intuitive eating means and what it doesn’t mean when it comes to feeding at home. This series also highlights information presented during our Infant Feeding and Toddler Feeding Workshop events – we invite you to join us should you wish to gather more insightful tips on managing meals for toddler feeding or exploring the baby-led approach to starting solid foods at home.
What Intuitive Eating Is and Is Not
Let’s first establish what intuitive eating is and what it is not. Intuitive eating is not a “free-for-all.” Instead, it allows your child to self-regulate their complex hunger and satiety cues while providing added structure from you as the parent. Your role is to establish safety in the feeding relationship by creating an adequate and predictable feeding routine.
An adequate feeding and/or predictable routine is suggested to allow for three meals and two-three snacks each day, providing flexibility versus rigidity and allowing for more or less food based on your toddler's hunger or fullness meter. Inconsistencies in your toddler’s oral intake can feel uncomfortable, particularly on the days when they are only willing to consume goldfish or milk from their preferred colored cup. However, it is normal for your little one's overall nutrition to get derailed when tired, ill, or overstimulated. Moreover, if your toddler is not hungry during mealtime – this can often show up as fussiness or pickiness – but it could be a sign of low appetite. This is where routine and evaluating beverages and snacks come into play.
As the parent, you take leadership in deciding the what, when, and where of feeding. However, your child determines what and how much to eat of what you have provided. This separation of feeding responsibilities is called The Satter Division of Responsibilities (sDOR), coined by Ellen Satter, RDN, to help build competency and trust in the feeding relationship. Here’s an example of how this can play out: Let’s say, Lilly, a 2-year-old, is having her favorite snack of blueberries, yogurt, and graham crackers. Lilly finishes her blueberries first and asks for more on her plate. Although her yogurt and graham crackers are untouched, her mom trusts that Lilly knows how much her body needs to feel satisfied and offers more blueberries. Lilly feels satisfied with the additional blueberries and feels secure in the feeding relationship.
Now you may be wondering… what if no more blueberries are available and/or you would like them to last the rest of the week? It’s perfectly fine to name this circumstance. Here’s an example of what you might say: “Sorry honey, no more blueberries are available for snack today. Let’s plan to buy more when we go to the store again. Do you want to help me color the word ‘blueberry’ with a blue crayon on the grocery list, so we remember to grab more?” or “Sorry honey, we have to save the rest for big brothers' lunch for tomorrow. Can you show me how high you can stack your graham crackers?”
These dialogues can be referred to as building your intuitive eater voice – with time, this voice will be intuitive and second nature to your everyday life – aiding you along your journey to raising an intuitive eater (more guidance on this is available in our Toddler Feeding Workshop).
Hormones and Responsive Feeding in Intuitive Eating
As mentioned previously, infants are born with complex hunger and satiety cues that help them self-regulate their energy intake–which caregivers respond to when an infant signals hunger or fullness. When macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) from food are combined, blood sugar stabilizes and promotes satiety. Hormones play an integral role in hunger and fullness communication by helping to move nutrients throughout the body–driving our deepest desires and intuition when it comes to food. Tuning into our hunger and fullness cues is a part of our interoceptive awareness. Interoceptive awareness is our ability to sense signals from our body. Other examples of interoceptive awareness include feeling the need to use the restroom, or noticing our heartbeat quickening when we become anxious. Interoceptive awareness is an important skill for eating intuitively.
Responsive feeding is an approach that supports a child’s self-regulatory abilities and is beneficial for development. As infants grow into toddlers, they retain their self-regulatory ability as they did in infancy–how much they eat, when to stop eating, and when they feel fully satisfied. By raising an intuitive eater, you continue to nurture your toddler's innate capacity for self-regulation. Allowing space for your little eater to be in control of how much and what they decide to put in their body, without external influences of praise or pressure, ultimately allows them to grow and intuitively explore food.
Fostering Intuitive Eating at Home
Now that we have established what intuitive eating entails and the influence of interoceptive awareness and responsive feeding, you may wonder how to implement these principles in your home.
Building a positive relationship with food and body starts with you, as your little eater observes and absorbs your behaviors, words, patterns, and habits. Your influence is more important than ever, so here are some basic tips to consider:
1. Create a positive, social, and caring environment. Be respectful of your child's inexperience with eating, use positive language, and reinforce good table manners.
2. Serve at least one familiar/likable food at each meal. This helps remove the pressure of eating–particularly new foods.
3. Establish a routine before mealtimes, such as washing hands or setting the table together.
4. Have a pre-meal setup or post-meal clean-up song.
5. Facilitate a peaceful eating experience free of comparison, coercion, pressure, anxiety, or excessive surveillance.
With all of this in mind, it’s important to remember not to stress over a single eating time (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, etc.). If it doesn’t go well, try again tomorrow! Your little eater is well on their way to becoming an efficient, independent eater with your love and positive guidance.
Concerned about your child's nutrition and struggling with picky eating habits? You're not alone. Amanda, our pediatric nutrition specialist, is here to help. With her expertise in nurturing healthy eating patterns in children, she provides personalized guidance and practical solutions to transform mealtime challenges into positive experiences. Embrace a journey towards nutritious, enjoyable meals for your little ones, and contact us today.