Eating Competence and the Adolescent: The Investment Pays Off
Sandy Procter, Ph.D., M.S., R.D., L.D.
Coordinator
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)
K-State Research and Extension
Kansas State University
Adolescence is a time when our children may begin to pull together the life lessons that have come their way – and as parents, we may see an occasional “crystal ball” flash of the future – a young adult is on the way! Such is the case with eating competence, the ability each of us has to approach eating with a positive attitude, confident that we can experience new foods we want to try, skills to refuse food when we like, some appropriate meal-time skills and the ability to regulate our appetite. Does the adolescent exhibit optimal food selection at every opportunity? Probably not – but then, does the adult? Rather, as parents and others influential in teens’ lives, we can realistically hope that the ability to make wise choices is within that youth, that adequate knowledge and experience have paved the way to competent eating and that fleeting glimpses of the future adult are reassuring – he CAN manage meals on his own! She will be able to make wise independent choices! Perhaps the young people in our lives are even able to cook a bit, and seem interested in the “food-health” link.
When our children are young, we may not believe such independence will ever be possible. We may not even think about it – we’re too busy with the “right now” to ponder the “do you suppose….” Yet we are forming those future adults – we are modeling meals, demonstrating those skills that our children will learn to follow. Without adding too much pressure, it bears noting that now is the time. “Where do I start?” you may wonder. Research has shown that starting with family meals is an excellent first step. Studies have shown that families eating together make amazing differences in the lives of children – both very young children AND in older children and teens. Family meals help children succeed in many ways:
- Socially – a child learns the give-and-take and behavior appropriate for meals with others
- Nutritionally – children who have family meals have more servings of fruit and vegetables daily, and eat lower amounts of sugar and fat
- Developmentally – studies show that children who share family meals develop literacy skills earlier
- Emotionally – older children and youth who have family meals are less likely to try drugs and alcohol
To become capable eaters, children need support from adults along the way. Teens and adolescents will gradually learn eating independence – but until they are entirely off on their own, they still benefit from the positive interaction of family meals.