{"id":8848,"date":"2025-02-07T01:25:11","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T14:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/?p=8848"},"modified":"2025-01-17T01:25:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T14:25:37","slug":"balanced-eating-for-kids-christmas-intuitive-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/balanced-eating-for-kids-christmas-intuitive-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"Balanced Eating for Kids at Christmas: Supporting Intuitive Eating During the Festive Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by alyssa said, redwood wellbeing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christmas season is a time for celebration, family, and of course, lots of food. For many parents, Christmas can bring some apprehension about how to navigate their child\u2019s eating when there are so many situations that present an abundance of food \u2013 often sweet food!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that by embracing these balanced eating tips, you can support your child in practicing their intuitive eating skills in a range of festive food scenarios, empowering them to move toward food peace and neutrality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s five ways you can support your child\u2019s balanced eating this Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accept that there won\u2019t be as much meal structure around the Christmas period but try to keep some normalcy where possible with food routines.<\/strong> This will help to provide a sense of security and stability in a time of year that has little routine to it. It will also help your child tune into their natural hunger and fullness cues, avoiding erratic eating patterns and anxiety about food, and reduce the likelihood of overindulgence. If eating times and locations look different around Christmas, you can still find ways to create consistency such as bringing a food your child feels familiar with to the family lunch or Christmas party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider helpful food boundaries for events and parties in advance and provide a supportive choice alongside each boundary.<\/strong> This might look like saying to your child; \u201cYou can choose whatever you like from the dessert table, but I\u2019d like you to make your choices then sit down with your plate, rather than going back and forth constantly.\u201d The key is to be consistent but allow for flexibility, providing enough structure to help them feel grounded and safe, while still allowing room for enjoyment and new experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid restrictions on food as much as possible, while still implementing supportive food boundaries. <\/strong>As much as you might laugh at the idea of allowing your child to have little to no sweet food restrictions, it will help them to feel more neutral about sweet food, and less likely to gorge on it when their access is not as limited. If your child feels sick from overeating, use it as an opportunity to gently discuss intuition and how it\u2019s important to listen to their body\u2019s hunger and fullness cues. The natural consequence of an upset tummy can often be a good teacher but be sure to talk about this without judging or shaming them. You can also use intuitive eating check in prompts such as;<\/p>\n\n\n\n