Megan was so fearful of food that when her 5-year-old son wanted to continue playing rather than stop to eat, she was relieved she didn’t have to deal with it. At other times, she tried eating meals with him but would only pick at a salad. Needless to say, Megan was a poor role model for her son, who was underweight for his age.
A mom’s past experience with weight and eating certainly influences how she feeds her children. But how much do women carry their eating issues into motherhood?
“I actually see this all the time,” says registered dietician nutritionist Jessica Fishman Levinson, founder of Nutritioulicious, a nutrition consulting and communications business. “Moms may have eating issues after growing up overweight or with eating disorders and often fear their children will have the condition they had.”
One common situation features a mom who fears her daughter is putting on weight after being overweight most of her own life.
As a result, Levinson sees two different reactions. One group of mothers is often hypervigilant over what their children are eating and overly concerned about it. The other group of moms try to make it a nonissue to the extent that their kids eat everything and anything with no limits.
Neither of those extremes is providing your child with a balanced diet or teaching him how to eat once he’s on his own.
If you’re struggling
If you had an eating issue in the past, or you’re still struggling with one, and you feel like it could be impacting how you’re feeding your child, seek out an eating therapist or registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in eating disorders.
A professional can help you determine where your eating issues stem from, or why you react to food the way you do. This can ultimately allow you to change your behavior, especially in situations that make you anxious.
If your child is going to a birthday party where pizza and cake will be served, think through how you can make the rest of the day and week more balanced.
“The hardest thing you need to do is go with the flow,” Levinson says. “If you don’t let your child have the treats at the birthday party or at the friend’s house when all the other kids are having them, your child is going to feel left out, and they’re going to seek (the food) elsewhere.”
Christine Palumbo is a Naperville-registered dietitian nutritionist who is a new Fellow of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Follow her on Twitter @PalumboRD, Facebook at Christine Palumbo Nutrition, or Chris
Bacon-stuffed shell salad
Serves 8
Prep time: 25 minutes.
Cook time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces Canadian-style bacon, sliced
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
16 conchiglioni (jumbo shells)
Romaine lettuce
DIRECTIONS: Cut Canadian bacon into thin strips. In a large bowl combine bacon, zucchini, red pepper, and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
For dressing, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over bacon mixture; toss gently to mix. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
Cook conchiglioni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the bacon mixture into each conchiglioni. Place the shells, filled side up, in a baking dish. Cover and chill 2–4 hours.
To serve, arrange romaine lettuce leaves among salad plates. Place 2 shells atop each plate.
NUTRITION FACTS: 160 calories, 8 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams protein, 9 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 0 fiber, 700 mg sodium.
From PorkB
