Whether you realise it or not, your child’s mind is like a sponge, especially during the preschool years. Every minute of every day, they are soaking up information, observing, listening and learning. Through watching everything and everyone around them, they are constantly picking up new behaviours, habits and opinions.

When we apply this concept to food, it’s easy to see how the language used around this subject matter can shape a young child’s relationship to it, and as they grow, their views related to their own body image, too. Therefore, as their primary caregivers, it’s important for parents to talk about food in a positive way right from the start!

So, here are 4 ways in which you can talk to your child about food and eating, to ensure your child develops a healthy, happy relationship with it.

Practice using positive ‘do’ messages instead of negative ‘don’t’ messages.

Studies have proven that it’s much more effective to use positive language when talking to children about food and that doing this will mean you, as a parent, have a better chance of ensuring your child practises positive habits, and of creating a happy atmosphere surrounding mealtimes. For example, practice saying things like “Eat this piece of chicken, the protein in it will help your muscles grow”, instead of “Don’t eat that ice cream, it’s really bad for you and will make you fat”.

Encourage your child to try new foods by discussing them in a positive manner, instead of using threatening language that has a consequence if the child does not try the food.

Children never respond well to threats and scaring them into behaving the way you want is never the right way forward. It will simply result in them being scared or angry. Instead of using phrases like “if you do not eat this I’ll take your toys away”, practice encouraging them to try new dishes by pointing out the sensory qualities in the foods. For example, “these carrots are so crunchy!”, or “this is a kiwi fruit, it’s sweet like a raspberry”.

Avoid using food as a reward or bribe.

It’s very common for parents to want to use food as a reward or bribe, as this often feels like an easy way to get them to do what you want. For example, it may feel productive to say things like “if you eat this piece of broccoli, you can have a smartie in return”. However, using food as a reward or bribe isn’t healthy for a child’s development, affects the way they see food and their overall body image and sends mixed messages.

When discussing healthy foods, try to educate your children on their various functions in the body.

Children aren’t always excited about eating healthy foods. If they don’t taste as good as sweets, some children don’t naturally find them as appealing. However, if you include snippets of information about all the good things that they are doing within the child’s body, it suddenly makes the food type more fun and interesting. For example, “this is an apple, it's crunchy and nutritious, and helps your heart function properly so you can go out and have fun with your friends!”

How should I talk to my child about food?

Talking about food helps them foster a healthy, positive relationship with it.