Language can play an important role in your child’s relationship with food, and it’s often something we overlook as adults. When we label foods as “good” or “bad”, “healthy” or “unhealthy”, or simply “junk foods”, we inadvertently create a moral judgment around food choices. If a food is labelled as “bad” – does that make you a bad person for eating it? For children, this can be confusing. If you restrict or limit a food because it is “bad”, then you may be making the food more desirable and exciting – when it Is off limits.
Maintaining neutral language towards all foods is a great start, and it’s how we like to do things at Lively Eaters… but it’s often easier said than done (pun not intended!). Language around food is tricky to navigate and our team of therapists are here to help.
By Dr Shabnam Kashef
