10 Steps for Promoting Intuitive Eating During Adolescence ⬇️
These tips are from
Intuitive Eating, and I've recently been providing similar advice to the parents of my teenage clients:
“Just as in the ‘terrible twos,’ adolescents are fighting for their autonomy.
They are likely to rebel against anything that is forced upon them.”
1. Provide easily available, balanced food for your teens.
Keep a variety of nutritious foods in the house, as well as the *play food that your teen enjoys. Involve teens in food shopping and in the preparation of meals. Many teens love to cook and are happy to be included in this experience.
*Instead of using words like ‘junk’ or ‘bad’ to describe less nutrient dense foods, I like to use the word ‘play’ because it's neutral and implies that those foods still offer us something (like joy and nostalgia)!
2. Ask your teens how you can help them.
They may appreciate your help in making breakfast or lunch and by providing snacks that can be taken on the go.
3. Don't fall into the trap of telling your teen they can only watch TV or be on their phones or computers after school while they're having their afternoon snack. If you connect relaxation with snacking, they might learn to overeat as a procrastination technique. Encourage them to eat a snack if they're hungry, and then suggest they do a non-food related activity to relax before starting their homework.
4. Talk to your teens about the people they're following on social media.
Help guide them away from people who endorse dieting or weight-stigmatizing messages.
5. Maintain family mealtime as often as possible,
even if only a few times a week.
6. Do not make mealtime the time to reprimand or interrogate.
It is best for mealtime to be calm and peaceful, allowing for optimal satisfaction and recognition of fullness signals. The best way to get a teen to overeat or refuse to eat is to begin a fight over a meal.
7. Make no comments about what or how much your teen is eating.
Also be aware of your own body language or body scanning or your teen. Adolescents are highly sensitive to criticism and judgment. Even the slightest perception that their body or food choices are unacceptable can lead to shame, attempts at dieting, rebellion, or even eating disorders.
*one of my preteen clients said she's tried eating less to look like her peers,
but she loves food and doesn't want to do that
8. If you notice your teen is binge eating or barely eating, recognize that this may be a sign of emotional distress or unmet needs. Spend quality time with them, be patient, and let it be known that their feelings are appropriate and may be expressed as much and for as long as needed.
9. If your teen is over- and undereating, and it becomes clear that they need further support, seek a counselor, psychotherapist, and/or nutrition therapist who is trained in Intuitive Eating and eating disorders.
Many teens have reported the onset of an eating disorder coinciding with seeing a professional who has prescribed a diet or a meal plan. You can also offer
The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens to help guide them through this process.
10. Be highly aware of your own relationship with food and your body. Never make disparaging comments about your body, spend time talking negatively about what you've eaten or haven't eaten, or weigh yourself.
It will be extremely beneficial for your teen if you remove a scale from the house or put it out of sight.
*On a personal note, this point is very accurate and reflects my own relationship with my mother as a teenager. My mother routinely made comments about her body and my own, and I didn't realize how damaging that was until I pursued this line of work. The best way to help teenagers find peace with food and their bodies is to model a peaceful relationship to them.
