Overview

Food is an essential part of life. The food choices that we pick up at an early age persist as lifetime preferences. The attitudes and preferences of parents play a significant role in influencing their children's eating habits.⁷ Eating patterns evolve early in life as the body sets out to reach the demands of growth and health. 

“Eating habits" are defined as the conscious and repetitive ways in which a person eats. It includes the types of food eaten, their quantities, and the timing of consumption. This is in response to their cultural and social influences.¹¹

Consequences of unhealthy eating

A 2019 UNICEF report on the consequences of malnutrition described that, worldwide, there are;¹⁰

• 149 million children short of their age
• 50 million children too thin for their height
• 340 million children with vitamin deficiencies, with vitamin A and iron being the most common
• 40 million obese children 

Eating habits play an important role in children’s health, impacting their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Studies have shown that the consequences of poor diet in infancy and childhood extend to adulthood. 

It leads to obesity and obesity-related complications. Type 2 diabetes and heart-related problems are the outcomes of unhealthy dietary habits.²

Children who are selective about food or are picky eaters can suffer from behaviour, growth, and developmental problems. 

Studies have revealed that 42% of adolescent schoolers from low- and middle-income countries take carbonated soft drinks at least once, and 46% eat fast food once a week. These rates accelerate to 62% and 49% in adolescents of high-income countries.¹⁰

Consumptions of such magnitude affect the quality of life as these individuals grow up carrying the burden of poor health.

Factors affecting eating habits of children

Exposure to advertisements, commercials and media assists children in making varied choices. Peers, environment ⁴ and genetics also influence our preferences.

Genetic influences on eating habits of children

For a healthy childhood, children need to have balanced nutrition in life. Soon after birth, breast milk is the food for the child. As food requirements increase, children eat diverse kinds of food that lay the foundation for healthy food habits.

In the womb, the fetus tastes food through the fluids of a mother. The food that the mother consumes leaves an impression of their flavour on the developing child. Later in life, when these flavours are reimposed in infancy, the acceptance of similar kinds of food increases.⁶ 

Environmental influences on eating habits

As the child grows he is introduced to other factors that influence his food choices.TV Commercials display high salt and sugar content foods to lure the children who dictate their demands. These poor nutritional value foods rich in carbohydrates, salts, sugars, and fats are not good for the healthy development of the body.⁴

This unhealthy nutritional value diet, accompanied by a lack of fruits and vegetables, has grave consequences. It causes obesity. Obesity has long-term effects on the health of an individual.

Other influences on the eating habits of children 

Today, the working class of parents has to rely on either the grandparents or commercial help. Grandparents provide their grandchildren with similar feeding habits as that of parents. 

The only difference is that the treat foods provided to them by the grandparents are high in sugar, salt, or fat. This indulgent behaviour of grandparents often raises concern among parents.

In the global world, children often choose food different from what their parents eat. Moderate restrictions and a practice to encourage their choices yield anticipated results. The parents should continue to introduce different fruits and vegetables without being discouraged.

Parents and their role in dietary influences 

Parents play a pivotal role in establishing the dietary habits of children. They provide the environment to exercise awareness and control. Parents encourage healthy eating or promote disorderly eating with overweight children.¹

They need to be aware of the fact that foods with low energy density prevent overeating and produce the feeling of satiety. 

Parental attitudes

The easy availability of colas and fast food offers quick solutions that traditional foods do not provide. Parents can exercise control by modifying how much, what, and when a child eats.

Forcing them to eat more food, restricting certain kinds of foods, and over-monitoring every meal modifies eating behaviours.

Beyond the nourishment, parents also act as models for the children. Children learn to follow them and acquire their habits.

Home food environment

The home food environment depends not only on the quality but also on the availability and accessibility of food. The physical availability of food also determines what children eat.

Ready-to-eat meals, fast foods and eating out are deterrents to healthy eating. Home-cooked fresh food offers nutritional advantages over any other kind of meal. 

Supportive practices

The encouragement provided to children to try new varieties of food makes them more adaptive to healthier choices.⁶

Children are often picky eaters and sometimes refuse food to assert independence. In the relationship between parents and children, both listen to each other. As primary caregivers, parents exercise judgment.

Parents should understand that children refuse food and that their preferences change over time. Parents give in to refusals depriving their children of healthy nutrition.⁸ Such children find it hard to try new tastes.

Shared Experiences: preparing meals together

Initiating healthy eating habits is much easier in the early stages of life. Cooking meals for an individual child should be avoided as it limits the range of nutrition and exposure to new varieties of foods. 

Another way to introduce healthy eating habits is to prepare meals together. A diverse style of cooking and presentation of meals adds to the acceptance. The picky eaters benefit from this exercise as much as the parents. 

Motivation

Communicating about the benefits and nutritional advantages of the food leads to intrinsic motivation.

Non-food rewards for eating food for fussy eaters are beneficial as this does not negatively impact their behaviour.

Dealing with the problem

Overcontrol, restrictions, pressurizing to eat, and promises of rewards often yield no results.⁴ It is best to teach them to develop good eating practices in infancy. That is the time when parents can exercise more control over them.

Family activities like eating together at the table and serving portions are beneficial. The family members set an example before the children.

FAQs

Do parents influence the eating habits of children?

Parents have greater control over children at a young age. It helps them create habits that last a lifetime. 

Do parental dietary habits influence the diet behaviours of children?

Fussy parents negatively influence their children. The children tend to behave like them.

How are the feeding behaviours of children influenced?

The overall family choices help in establishing the food behaviours of children.

What is neophobia?

Refusing to incorporate new varieties of food. 

What is a low-density diet?

A low-density diet contains fruits and vegetables, less salt, sugars, and fats.

What is a balanced diet?

A balanced diet has whole grains, legumes, nuts, fibres, fresh fruits and vegetables, low refined grains, and low saturated fatty acids.

Summary

Some of the key factors that build a strong bond between the children, parents and food are-

• Do not force feed.
• Encourage the child to eat by himself.
• To appreciate and try new foods themself.
• Be patient and encourage the child to enjoy all types of food.
• Parents provide opportunities for children to appreciate food by monitoring control over eating.
• They need to provide an atmosphere to potentiate the eating by practising good hygiene and displaying food artistically.