8 ways to nurture your children’s mental health through nutrition

A healthy mind and a healthy body go hand in hand. Encouraging nutritious choices and a healthy lifestyle promotes good mental health and helps decrease the risk of mental illness for you and your family. Consider implementing the following routines around the dinner table to improve your child’s mental fitness.

1. Connect at mealtimes
   • Put away distractions such as TV and cell phones.
   • Talk with your children about their day and yours. Share a story, tell a joke, and save tense topics for another time.
2. Plan meals in advance to ensure healthy eating
   • Collect quick and easy recipes, shop ahead for ingredients, and enjoy leftovers on nights that are extra busy.
   • Ask for input from your children. What are their favorite vegetables or whole grains?
3. Let everyone help
   • Children can mix, chop with guidance, set the table, select flowers for the table, etc.
   • Make cooking fun! Play music, sing, and talk to get everyone engaged.
4. Serve a variety of foods
   • Aim to have several different food groups present in each meal (e.g. whole grains, vegetables and beans). This will ensure that different nutrients are provided for optimal health.
   • What if a family member refuses to eat a food presented? Be present, practice empathy, and don’t force it. Through consistent exposure and modeling, a child’s taste will mature with time.
5. Provide choice
   • Serve at least one healthy food you know your child likes at each meal.
   • Serve meals “family style” and let children choose from among the healthy options on the table.
6. Communicate amongst decision makers
   • Set goals as a family to improve everyone’s diet.
   • Discuss your eating plan with people who care for your children outside of your home to ensure consistency where possible.
7. Limit/avoid processed foods and beverages in the home
   • Follow the “out of sight, out of mind” approach with fast food, sugary beverages and similar processed foods. If you don’t have them at home, children won’t be tempted to eat them.
   • Move healthy foods to your child’s eye level. Keep fruits and vegetables in arms reach (e.g. on the table or countertop).
   • Follow the 90%/10% rule if needed: 90% nutritious foods, 10% non-healthy foods.
8. Lead by example
   
   • If parents are eating well, young family members are more likely to eat well too.
   • Let your child know which nutritious foods you love. Read books that have healthy food messages for children. Share your own stories of learning to enjoy a healthy diet.