Food can boost a mood (or wreck it)
The brain and the stomach are closely connected. That’s why your child might have butterflies or a stomachache before an event they’re worried or excited about. And it can also work the other way around. When their body doesn’t feel good, it can cause stress and have an impact on their mood.
Figuring out what foods make your child feel energetic and clear is tricky, because it will change over time. Food sensitivities, allergies, and aversions come into play, too. Along the way, you’ll hear a lot of “no, thank you” and “ew, mom, no.” But exposure can lead to progress if you’re patient. (It can take anywhere from 3–30 exposures, depending.)
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Introducing new foods to your child
Exposing a new food to your child doesn’t mean it has to be eaten for the exposure to be successful. It’s about getting familiar with new colors, shapes, tastes, and textures. You can try:
Modeling eating the new food yourself (“Mmm, this is so yummy”)
Letting your child help you prepare a meal
Asking them to touch, smell, or lick the new food
Encouraging them to take a tiny bite (even if they spit it into a napkin it’s a win!)
How you communicate is also important. If it becomes a pressure-filled argument, negative feelings may become associated with mealtime. And as with anything, “because I told you to” might make your child want to push back even harder. Here are three approaches to try:
Eliminate pressure altogether. Stop pleading with your child to “take just one bite” or telling them to clean their plate.
The “safe food” rule. When introducing something new, always make sure there is at least one food on their plate they recognize and enjoy.
Prepare the food in different ways. Texture is a big thing for some kids. If raw or boiled isn’t going over well, change it up. You can grill, saute, chop it up, or let them dip it into a sauce or dressing they like.
Decoding your child’s hunger cues
Hunger doesn’t always feel obvious to a child. Sometimes, if they’re focused on an activity, tired from a recent nap, or have a busy schedule, they won’t feel hungry. That doesn’t mean they don’t need to fuel up. Another thing to notice over time is if your child has any physical symptoms or behavioral shifts after eating certain foods.
For example, let’s say your child is grumpy after a movie. After asking the right questions, you might realize it’s not a bad attitude, it’s because the theater popcorn made their body feel shaky. They may not be able to put the two together, but with your help, they can.
Or what if you notice that once a week your child gets a headache after dinner. Talk it through. Maybe it’s not because they’re nervous about Wednesday’s classes, it’s because something they love to eat on Taco Tuesday doesn’t love them back.
Get curious about what your child is eating (and when) and what happens after that. Is energy high or dipped after frozen yogurt? Does your child eat well at each meal or do they prefer more of an all-day grazing pattern? Getting enough nutrition and a good balance of foods is the goal. Stay a little flexible as to how that happens if you need to.
Good food means a more likely good mood
When the food that goes into your child’s body makes them feel good, the behaviors coming from that body are likely to be more healthy, too.
Give yourself (and your child) time to discover what works and what doesn’t. Keep introducing new versions of old favorites. Some will eventually win and others will always just be “slippery” no matter how hard you try. That’s okay!
Keep offering, stay patient, and be willing to show them you try new things, too. And when you get stuck, ask for help!
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