6 Food Mistakes Parents Make

父母常犯的6个饮食错误

父母常犯的6个饮食错误

liuyunxin @ yeeyan.com

“巧克力牛奶，巧克力夹心松饼，巧克力片煎饼-这是令人难以置信的，”，在新不伦瑞克省Rutgers大学营养科学幼儿园的主任Worobey女士说，“他的母亲只是想，'这是他希望的，所以这就是我要做的事情。’ “

虽然大多数家长并没有诉诸巧克力饮食，但他们可以适应为孩子寻求食物的日常挑战。虽然肥胖在关于儿童健康的全国性讨论中占主导地位，但很多家长同时也担心，孩子饮食偏好于小块食物和面条可能会导致营养不良。

对食物哭闹在儿童成长过程中是正常的。幼儿生来就害怕新事物－他们对新事物有一种不信任。即便是最坚定的父母也会被小孩宁愿不吃东西也不愿尝试新食物的决心威胁到。因此，父母经常屈服，决定给一碗可可泡芙或一块馅饼，虽然不理想，但总比没有吃的好。

“我认为，父母觉得让他们的孩子吃点东西是他们的工作，” Worobey女士说。 “但这确实是他们的工作，提供各种健康的食物并让自己的孩子接触到食物。”

一系列简单的用餐时间的战略可以帮助甚至是挑食者学会喜欢一个更加多样化的饮食。以下是六种当父母喂养自己的孩子时所犯的常见错误。



（1）把孩子赶出厨房

为避免热水炉，开水和尖刀在手，这是可以理解的，因为父母并不想当他们正在做晚餐的时候让孩子留在厨房里。但研究表明，让孩子参与到膳食准备中是让他们尝试新食物的重要的第一步。

在哥伦比亚大学的师范学院的学者研究了与孩子一起烹饪会如何影响儿童的饮食习惯。在一项研究中，近600名孩子，从幼儿园到六年级，参加了旨在让他们吃更多的蔬菜和粗粮的营养课程。有些孩子，除了上了有关健康饮食的课程外，还参加了烹饪培训班。研究人员发现，比起那些没有上过烹饪课的孩子，那些为自己烹调过食物的孩子更可能在自助餐厅吃这些食品（蔬菜和粗粮），甚至会想要多一份。

当孩子们都参与了膳食准备，“他们至少会尝试食物”伊泽贝尔说，她是营养教育师范学院的教授而且是这项研究的共同作者。 “孩子们通常不喜欢萝卜，但我们发现，如果让孩子削萝卜和把它们放到沙拉，他们会喜欢萝卜。 ”

（2）迫使他们咬一口

要求孩子至少咬一口食物似乎是合理的，但它可能会适得其反。

研究表明，当父母强迫孩子吃东西的时候，孩子会表现得很反感，即使这种逼迫会有回报。在宾夕法尼亚州立大学的一项研究中，研究人员要求孩子吃蔬菜和喝牛奶，如果他们做了，奖励他们贴纸和看电视。后来在研究过程中，孩子们表示并不喜欢因为奖励而去吃的食物。

“父母会这样说‘吃你的蔬菜，你就可以看电视，’但我们知道这种事情是没有用的，宾州州立大学儿童肥胖的研究中心的主任、研究报告的联合编写者Leann L. Birch说。“从短期来看，您或许可以强迫孩子吃，但长远来说，他们不太可能吃这些食物。”

更好的做法是，把食物摆在桌上，并鼓励孩子去尝试。但是，如果她拒绝，不要抱怨，而且如果她尝试了也不要表扬她。只是问她是否想要更多或叫她自己拿多一点，但是试图保持中立。

（3）把‘好东西’放在够不着的地方

家长担心，孩子们会因为喜欢吃而不节制，所以他们经常使食物放在他们的视线之外，或在一个高架子上。但大量的研究表明，如果父母限制食品，儿童只会想要更多。

在宾州州立大学的另一项究中，研究人员进行实验，以确定是否对被禁止的食品更有欲望。孩子们围坐在桌子边，给予他们无限量的苹果味或桃子味的曲奇棒－在事先的味觉测试中被青少年评定为“还可以”的两种食物。而另一批人，一些曲奇棒装在碟子里，而另一些则被盛在放在桌子中央的一个鲜明的曲奇罐中。孩子们被告知，10分钟后，他们可以拿罐子里的曲奇当点心。

研究人员发现，限制Cookie产生了深刻的影响：食用量增加了三倍以上，比起曲奇放在碟子中。

其他的研究表明，那些在家里食物受到高度限制的儿童，当他们有机会获得被禁止的食物的时候更有可能大吃大喝。

父母的教训？不要把你认为需要限制的食物带进家里。相反，购买健康的零食并允许孩子从食物柜里自由取得。

HARRIET WOROBEY，一个儿童营养顾问，熟知儿童可能会挑食，但即便是她，也会对一个学龄前儿童去年几乎是以巧克力作为主食感到惊讶。

（4）在孩子面前节食

孩子们的饮食会因为父母的饮食偏好而有所调整，并更有可能尝试食物，如果他们看到自己的母亲或父亲吃。阿罗格斯大学研究父母与孩子的食物偏好时发现，学龄前儿童往往喜欢其家长喜欢或拒绝其家长不喜欢的同种水果和蔬菜。而其他的研究则显示如果女孩子的母亲不喜欢蔬菜，她更有可能会挑食。

鉴于这种强大的影响，那些试图减肥的家长应该意识到他们的饮食习惯可能会影响儿童对食物和健康饮食的看法。在一项对5岁女孩的研究中，一个孩子指出，其饮食包括喝巧克力奶昔——她的母亲正饮用快速苗条饮料。另一个孩子说，节食意味着“你去舀或搅拌那些食物，但你并不吃它。”

在健康心理学杂志的一份2005年的报告发现，全部心思都在自己的体重和饮食的母亲更有可能限制女儿的食物或鼓励她们减肥。节食者的女儿也更有可能尝试减肥。问题是，限制饮食对于大多数人来说是没有用的，而且往往会导致暴饮暴食和体重增加。让幼童接触到这种古怪的饮食习惯，父母可能会使他们处于饮食失调或终身慢性节食的危险之中。 “大多数母亲并不认为他们的孩子都吸纳了这一信息，但他们确是如此”Birch博士说。 “他们教给女儿尽管这对他们并没有用。 ”

（5）给予单一、寡味的蔬菜

重视计算卡路里的父母往往给予清蒸蔬菜，因此，难怪孩子们不愿吃。营养学家说，父母不应该害怕烹调蔬菜。加一点黄油，牧场色拉酱，奶酪酱或红糖给蔬菜就可以显著提高孩子的吸引力。还有给蔬菜加点油脂有助于分解其脂溶性营养素。添加些微额外的热量是您在增加营养和引导孩子吃蔬菜之间所做出的最值得的折衷。

（6）太早放弃

Worobey女士说，她经常听到父母说， “我的孩子永远不会吃的。 ”虽然现在它可能是真的，她指出，饮食偏好往往会发生变化。因此，家长应该持续准备各种健康食品，把它们摆在桌面上，即使孩子拒绝去咬一口。对幼儿来说，在几个月里可能需要10次或更多的尝试来推介一种食物。

兄弟姊妹的动力和友谊也可以改变孩子的饮食习惯。宾州州立大学的Birch博士指出，她的第一个孩子总是愿意尝试新的食物，但她的第二个孩子却不然。“部分原因是他要确定自己在家里的位置，”她说。所以由10岁或11岁起，他也不甘示弱，更愿意尝试新的食物。

Susan B. Roberts，塔夫茨大学营养学家和著作“为其终身健康去喂养儿童”的共同编撰者，提出了“15规则”－把食物摆在桌上至少15次，看看孩子是否会接受它。一旦食品被接受，家长应运用“食品桥梁” ，找到接近颜色或口味的食品，扩大儿童会吃的食品的种类。如果孩子喜欢南瓜馅饼，例如，可尝试把甘薯捣成糊状，或制胡萝卜泥。如果孩子喜欢玉米，试图混入一些豌豆或胡萝卜。即使孩子会把它们挑出来，但让他们接触到新的食物是很重要的。

“作为家长，关于你想要给予什么你要作出决定，” Worobey女士说。 “但是，你只要放轻松你就会发现，孩子们一天一天的不同。”



6 Food Mistakes Parents Make

6 Food Mistakes Parents Make

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By TARA PARKER-POPE
Published: September 14, 2008

HARRIET WOROBEY, a childhood nutrition instructor, knows firsthand that children can be picky eaters, but even she was surprised by a preschooler last year who ate a mostly chocolate diet.

“Chocolate milk, chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip pancakes — it was unbelievable,” said Ms. Worobey, director of the Rutgers University Nutritional Sciences Preschool in New Brunswick, N.J. “His mother just thought, ‘That’s what he wants, so that’s what I’m going to do.’ ”

While most parents haven’t resorted to the chocolate diet, they can relate to the daily challenge of finding foods that children will eat. Although obesity dominates the national discussion on childhood health, many parents are also worried that their child’s preferred diet of nuggets and noodles could lead to a nutritional deficit.

Fussiness about food is a normal part of a child’s development. Young children are naturally neophobic — they have a distrust of the new. Even the most determined parents can be cowed by a child’s resolve to eat nothing rather than try something new. As a result, parents often give in, deciding that a bowl of Cocoa Puffs or a Pop-Tart, while not ideal, must be better than no food at all.

“I think parents feel like it’s their job to just make their children eat something,” Ms. Worobey said. “But it’s really their job to serve a variety of healthy foods and get their children exposed to foods.”

A series of simple meal-time strategies can help even the pickiest eater learn to like a more varied diet. Here’s a look at six common mistakes parents make when feeding their children.

Sending children out of the kitchen With hot stoves, boiling water and sharp knives at hand, it is understandable that parents don’t want children in the kitchen when they’re making dinner. But studies suggest that involving children in meal preparation is an important first step in getting them to try new foods.

Researchers at Teachers College at Columbia University studied how cooking with a child affects the child’s eating habits. In one study, nearly 600 children from kindergarten to sixth grade took part in a nutrition curriculum intended to get them to eat more vegetables and whole grains. Some children, in addition to having lessons about healthful eating, took part in cooking workshops. The researchers found that children who had cooked their own foods were more likely to eat those foods in the cafeteria, and even ask for seconds, than children who had not had the cooking class.

When children are involved in meal preparation, “they come to at least try the food,” said Isobel Contento, professor of nutrition education at Teachers College and a co-author of the study. “Kids don’t usually like radishes, but we found that if kids cut up radishes and put them in the salad, they love the radishes.”

Pressuring them to take a bite Demanding that a child eat at least one bite of everything seems reasonable, but it’s likely to backfire.

Studies show that children react negatively when parents pressure them to eat foods, even if the pressure offers a reward. In one study at Pennsylvania State University, researchers asked children to eat vegetables and drink milk, offering them stickers and television time if they did. Later in the study, the children expressed dislike for the foods they had been rewarded for eating.

“Parents say things like ‘eat your vegetables and you can watch TV,’ but we know that kind of thing doesn’t work either,” said Leann L. Birch, director of Penn State’s childhood obesity research center and a co-author of the study. “In the short run, you might be able to coerce a child to eat, but in the long run, they will be less likely to eat those foods.”

The better approach is to put the food on the table and encourage a child to try it. But don’t complain if she refuses, and don’t offer praise if she tastes it. Just ask her if she wants some more or take seconds yourself, but try to stay neutral.

Keeping ‘good stuff’ out of reach Parents worry that children will binge on treats, so they often put them out of sight or on a high shelf. But a large body of research shows that if a parent restricts a food, children just want it more.

In another Penn State study, researchers experimented to determine whether forbidden foods were more desirable. Children were seated at tables and given unlimited access to plates of apple or peach cookie bars — two foods the youngsters had rated as “just O.K.” in earlier taste tests. With another group, some bars were served on plates, while some were placed in a clear cookie jar in the middle of the table. The children were told that after 10 minutes, they could snack on cookies from the jar.

The researchers found that restricting the cookies had a profound effect: consumption more than tripled compared with when the cookies were served on plates.

Other studies show that children whose food is highly restricted at home are far more likely to binge when they have access to forbidden foods.

The lesson for parents? Don’t bring foods that you feel the need to restrict into the house. Instead, buy healthful snacks and give children free access to the food cabinets.

Dieting in front of your children Kids are tuned into their parents’ eating preferences and are far more likely to try foods if they see their mother or father eating them. A Rutgers study of parent and child food preferences found that preschoolers tended to like or reject the same fruits and vegetables their parents liked or didn’t like. And other research has shown girls are more likely to be picky eaters if their mothers don’t like vegetables.

Given this powerful effect, parents who are trying to lose weight should be aware of how their dieting habits can influence a child’s perceptions about food and healthful eating. In one study of 5-year-old girls, one child noted that dieting involved drinking chocolate milkshakes — her mother was using Slim-Fast drinks. Another child said dieting meant “you fix food but you don’t eat it.”

A 2005 report in the journal Health Psychology found that mothers who were preoccupied with their weight and eating were more likely to restrict foods for their daughters or encourage them to lose weight. Daughters of dieters were also more likely to try diets as well. The problem is, restrictive diets don’t work for most people and often lead to binge eating and weight gain. By exposing young children to erratic dieting habits, parents may be putting them at risk for eating disorders or a lifetime of chronic dieting. “Most mothers don’t think their kids are soaking up this information, but they are,” Dr. Birch said. “They’re teaching it to their daughters even though it doesn’t work for them.”

Serving boring vegetables Calorie-counting parents often serve plain steamed vegetables, so it’s no wonder children are reluctant to eat them. Nutritionists say parents shouldn’t be afraid to dress up the vegetables. Adding a little butter, ranch dressing, cheese sauce or brown sugar to a vegetable dish can significantly improve its kid appeal. And adding a little fat to vegetables helps unlock their fat-soluble nutrients. The few extra calories you’re adding are a worthwhile tradeoff for the nutritional boost and the chance to introduce a child to a vegetable.

Giving up too soon Ms. Worobey said she has often heard parents say, “My kid would never eat that.” While it may be true right now, she noted that eating preferences often change. So parents should keep preparing a variety of healthful foods and putting them on the table, even if a child refuses to take a bite. In young children, it may take 10 or more attempts over several months to introduce a food.

Sibling dynamics and friendships can also change a child’s eating habits. Dr. Birch of Penn State noted that her first child was always willing to try new foods, but that her second child was not. “Part of it was just him defining his place in the family,” she said. By the age of 10 or 11, he didn’t want to be outdone by his sister and was far more willing to try new foods.

Susan B. Roberts, a Tufts University nutritionist and co-author of the book “Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health,” suggested a “rule of 15” — putting a food on the table at least 15 times to see if a child will accept it. Once a food is accepted, parents should use “food bridges,” finding similarly colored or flavored foods to expand the variety of foods a child will eat. If a child likes pumpkin pie, for instance, try mashed sweet potatoes and then mashed carrots. If a child loves corn, try mixing in a few peas or carrots. Even if a child picks them out, the exposure to the new food is what counts.

“As parents, you’re going to make decisions as to what you want to serve,” Ms. Worobey said. “But then you just have to relax and realize children are different from day to day.”



爸媽誘食 常犯6錯
爸媽誘食 常犯6錯
2008/10/23
【元氣周報／記者戴定國／編譯報導】

「巧克力牛奶、巧克力洋芋片、巧克力鬆餅、巧克力薄煎餅…難以相信」兒童營養輔導員瓦若貝說，孩子大都是挑食的，但這個例子令人驚訝！這個學齡前兒童，去年一年的主食是巧克力。

瓦若貝是紐澤西州魯特格大學的學齡前營養系主任，她說，這孩子的母親認為，「孩子想吃什麼，我就煮什麼。」

多數父母不會這樣，他們嘗試每日挑戰、發現孩子喜歡吃的食物。許多父母擔心兒童的首選飲食──雞塊和義大利麵，可能導致營養缺乏。

挑食，是兒童發育過程中的正常情形。孩子通常不信任沒吃過的食物，即使最堅定的父母都被兒童的決心屈服，不嘗試提供不同的食物。他們端出鬆餅、泡芙，即使知道這樣不對，「但總比不吃好。」

瓦若貝說，父母必須提供各種各樣健康食物，讓孩子經常接觸這些食物。她綜合整理出父母常犯的六個飲食錯誤，如下：

1、孩子，你不要進廚房

遠離火爐、熱開水和菜刀。但研究建議，參與準備膳食，是孩子嘗試新食物的第一步。

哥倫比亞大學研究「孩子參與烹調對飲食習慣的影響」，600個孩子參加營養課程，從幼稚園到六年級，他們幾乎會吃更多蔬菜五穀。有些孩子除了學會健康的吃，也參與烹調，孩子自己煮食，效果最好。

2、孩子，你至少吃一口

孩子不想吃的食物，父母可能認為「至少吃一口」是合理的，但經常事與願違。當父母逼孩子「至少吃一口」時，即使恩威並施，孩子仍會消極抵制。賓州大學的研究中，研究員和孩子說明，如果吃蔬菜、喝牛奶，就送他們貼紙、允許看電視時間，但獎勵反而使孩子對這些食物反感。

「父母常對孩子說，吃蔬菜喝牛奶就可以看電視，但這起不了作用。」賓大兒童肥胖研究中心主任伯區說，「短期內，也許能強制孩子吃，但長遠看，沒效果。」

3、孩子，別想拿到「美食」

父母擔心孩子大吃特吃，因此常把孩子愛吃的食物放在視線外或高架上。但一個大型研究顯示，父母「控制下」的食物，孩子更想要吃。

賓州大學做了個實驗，觀察被制約的食物是否更具吸引力。

研究員給孩子蘋果、桃子餅，兩樣都可以吃，他們覺得還OK。另一個對照組，桃子餅放在桌子中間，他們得忍耐10分鐘，才可以任意吃。結果，制約效果很強：孩子吃下桃子餅份量比蘋果高三倍。

父母得到什麼教訓？把食物放在桌上，鼓勵孩子嘗試，但不要抱怨被孩子拒絕，如果孩子吃了也不要稱讚。只要設法保持中立態度。只要問孩子，要不要多吃一些。

4、孩子，這雖不可口，但卡路里低

父母提供乏味的食物，孩子只會勉強吃，無精打采。營養師建議父母，把食物弄得色香味俱全，譬如加少許奶油、起司調味料或紅糖，這都可增加食欲，吃得津津有味。

針對五歲女孩的研究，一個孩子把巧克力奶昔加入節食食譜裡，她的母親本來喝的是低脂飲料。另個孩子說，節食意味「您適應食物，但您根本不愛吃它。」

增加少許脂肪到菜裡面，可以開胃。而增加的少數額外卡路里，是一種營養助力，這個代價絕對值得。

5、孩子，健康食物放在你面前

孩子看到父母親在吃什麼東西，也會要吃。一項研究發現，學齡前兒童傾向於喜歡或拒絕父母喜歡或不喜歡的蔬菜水果。如果母親不喜歡蔬菜，孩子可能變得挑食。

想減肥或正在瘦身的父母，也會影響孩子的飲食習慣，孩子無意間也跟著減重了。

另一個問題是，多數人不忌食，經常狂歡飲食，體重增加，也讓幼兒處於飲食失調或終身都得慢性節食的風險。

「多數母親不認為孩子會學她們，其實孩子是會的。」 伯區博士說，「父母的身教，會影響孩子。」

6、孩子，你不吃，但我放在桌上

瓦若貝說她經常聽見父母抱怨，「我的孩子不吃那個的。」但她說，孩子現在可能如此，但每個人嗜食的菜餚會經常改變。

因此即使孩子拒絕嘗試，父母應繼續準備各種健康食物放在桌上。不要輕易放棄，也別忘了，兄弟姊妹和同儕可能改變兒童飲食習慣。

營養師蘇珊羅伯特提出所謂「15法則」：把食物放在桌上至少15次，看孩子是否接受。一旦他們接受，父母應選擇同色澤、同口味的食物提供嚐試。

「做為父母，你應該決定給孩子吃什麼。」瓦若貝說，「但你必須放輕鬆，瞭解孩子正一天天成長，他們嗜食的東西將變得不同。」

註：參考資料
塔拉派克-波普（By TARA PARKER-POPE），紐約時報2008.09.14，
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/health/
healthspecial2/15eat.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

【2008/10/19 元氣周報】




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