How to Raise an Intuitive Eater: Raising the Next Generation with Food and Body Confidence

Dieticians Brooks and Severson take on “diet culture’s unrealistic ideals” in this cogent argument for allowing a child to determine his or her eating habits. Teaching children to “respect their unique body in a world that wants us to self-loathe” is crucial, the authors write, and they caution parents against using food as a reward or punishment, because it can lead to children having a conflict-filled relationship with food. Brooks and Severson’s plan consists of countering diet culture (by encouraging self-compassion), letting go of the myth of perfect parenting (mess-ups are learning opportunities), and embracing a holistic view of health (which involves managing stress). They recommend a flexible eating routine that takes into consideration kids’ preferences, and suggest helpful exercises, such as creating “lunch box cards” for kids to give to adults with an explanation of the family’s approach to food, or drafting a statement to remind parents why they’ve chosen to raise intuitive eaters. The authors tend to drive home the same points many times over, but they aren’t short on encouragement. Parents looking to get their kids’ eating habits off to a positive start will find this a useful resource. (Jan.)