Eating vs Feeding

As I'm prepping for some upcoming talks I'm giving on child nutrition, I am reminded of how today's fast-paced, diet-influenced culture may affect the way we think about what it means to eat and to feed. ⠀
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Eating is about more than deciding what and how much to eat. It's about joy, nourishment, satisfaction, comfort. I recently had lunch with a friend who now lives in France and she pointed out how quickly American servers try to grab our plates and rush us out of a restaurant, instead of letting us take the time to enjoy our meal. What would our eating experiences be like if we could take our time? ⠀
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Feeding is more than simply choosing food and getting it into a child. It's about connection, trust, acceptance, modeling. Here's a question I sometimes pose when working with parents: what would it feel like if someone stared over you during meals and reminded you to take bites or critiqued your eating? Can we be surprised when kids don't eat well under such circumstances? Sometimes, we need to take a step back from the "feeding" role.⠀
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Of course, IRL eating and feeding don't always go as planned. In our house, we struggle with school day breakfast - we always eat it, but it often feels too rushed. My plan? Make a weekly breakfast menu with the kids and prep as much as possible the night before. I'm hoping a little extra prep will result in more connection before we all separate for the day.⠀
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What steps could you take to get more joy, nourishment, satisfaction and comfort out of your meals? What about those that you feed? How can you build more connection, trust, acceptance and modeling?