Intuitive eating...post #1 of many

"What would you like for snack?" I asked.

"Gummies," she responds.

Every. Time.

"AGUA!" shouts my youngest.

This is my house, currently. As I embark on intuitive eating, a quest to rid my life of diet culture and to embrace this squishy, perfect body of mine, I am considering how our house can move in this direction. I have been reading work by Ellyn Satter, check out the Ellyn Satter Institute here, and have been learning how to allow my kids to have more choices in their food. Basically, it teaches that I am in charge of the what, when and where. And that they are in charge of the how much and whether to eat what we provide.

The institute has been very helpful in showing me how to organize meals and what to consider in offering them. For snacks, you are suppose to start with us making choices and eventually over time, our oldest can choose what she wants for snacks. Hence, the gummies. But we're not quite there yet so gummies are available in limited amounts. I am trusting that eventually they will lose their shine, once she gets her fill.

As for agua, I taught the toddler some words in French and Spanish as I want them to know early on that there is more than one language in this country and world, and to normalize that this is true. Like so many kids, they choose one word and say is constantly. Agua is the winning word in this house. Anything liquid is called agua. And their recent taste of juice has resulted in emphatic requests for "AGUA!" whenever I open the fridge.

We were warned that kids get addicted to juice (and apparently gummies), but I am holding tight to Ellyn Satter's words that this too will pass. And that addiction to food is not actually a thing.

I haven't explored all of this too deeply, but have read the impact of intuitive eating for kids and I'm sold. Basically, it's all I hope for both of them in this world of food and culture. I am seeking it for myself, and this freedom for all of us.

More to come on this I'm sure. In the meantime, check it out. You can learn about how to handle picky eaters, kids that refuse fruits and/or vegetables, snacking, etc. It's both super helpful and also so much relief in learning the normalcy of your kids' eating. And it provides the insight for a world of food and eating that may actually be free of shame and diet culture.