Want to Talk to Your Kids About Their Weight? We Asked an Expert For Tips

Whether your children are toddlers or tweens, developing good eating habits for your kids isn't just about making smart decisions at the grocery store. There's a lot involved that goes far beyond the food aisles. It starts with you — the parent — and how you talk about your own body image, as well as how you discuss food in general. We all want our kids to make smart choices when it comes to food, so we turned to Matthew Roth, PhD, for guidance.

It's best if "weight" and "dieting" are just words you toss to the side. You'll achieve more by focusing on other facets of eating entirely. "We need to help children understand the benefits having a varied diet and keeping things in moderation. Having a 'dieting' mindset, and focusing on what foods to restrict, can lead to rigid rules about eating, which can further lead to unhealthy eating habits in the future," explains Roth.

You can work on this with your family by labeling this food in a way that makes sense to the kids. "We want to avoid labeling foods as 'good' or 'bad' but more in terms of 'sometimes' foods and 'everyday' foods,' says Roth. So potato chips can be referred to as "sometimes" instead of "bad" or "fatty." Roth continues: "Children also don't always understand that if you eat the same food over and over again, you'll get bored with it, so varying your diet is exciting for your taste buds!"

Telling your child to have a positive body image might not make as much of an impact as just focusing on the way you discuss everyone's bodies. In short, it comes down to what you say. "Be mindful of how you talk about your own body or comment on other people's bodies. It is more about praising healthy choices and focusing on behavior, whether that is a healthy food choice or choosing to exercise over screen time," Roth says.

Make eating fun, and create an environment that promotes that. "You can start to model healthy eating habits by packing a balanced meal for your child. It's okay to have fun with it, too. You can make sheep out of cauliflower or use food coloring to make a silly face on a sandwich," Roth begins. "It's even better to have your child be a part of the meal preparation process. Getting children more involved in their food will get them excited to try different things." And talk about the food you're preparing too. "If they are preparing meals with you, talk to your child about the properties of the food (color and shapes, for example) and praise them for their interaction with foods (particularly if they are more of a picky eater)."

As parents we may have our own issues with foods, and that's perfectly fine, but remember the kids are watching, so do as you want them to do. "As parents, be mindful of how your eating habits influence your children. This includes the way you talk about food, going back to avoiding labels such as 'good' and 'bad.' Also, talking about the properties of the food, like the way it looks and its shape (not necessarily the taste), can get a child curious about trying it."

Looking for more family meal ideas? Join POPSUGAR's Facebook group, Just Eat It! Surviving Family Meals to chat about feeding our kiddos with POPSUGAR editors and fellow parents.