Dr. Yami (vegan): Intuitive Eating for Families, Part 2 of 3

“It's up to you as the parent to choose the proper foods to have in the house. It's OK to have some of these ultra-processed foods and to offer them regularly in smaller amounts. And that way, you have the opportunity to tune into your body, determine how they make you feel before and after you eat these foods, and you're more likely to stay eating them in a moderate amount that's health-promoting rather than overindulging.”

In addition to helping children form positive relationships with eating, intuitive eating can help to relieve parents’ stress from parenting and preparing meals. “And this division of responsibilities means that the parents and the children have different responsibilities when it comes to feeding. It is the parent’s job to decide what, when, and where. So I present the food, and then they're going to tune into their body. But I don't then cross over into their autonomy.”

To provide moms and dads with useful tips on helping their kids form healthy lifestyle habits and diet choices for life, Dr. Yami introduces the 5 Pillars of Healthy Eating system in her book “A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating.” “So the first pillar is to honor hunger and satiety, to trust your child, and not interfere with their natural intuition. The second one is to focus on whole plant foods ‒ fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. So flood your environment; buy those things; prepare those things, have them in your house. The third pillar is to create a positive environment. So put things in your life that align with your vision of your life. So if you want to eat more whole plant foods, you have to buy them and put them in your cabinets and put them in your refrigerator and your freezer. The next one is to be focused on the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of what you eat, make it as health-promoting as possible so that you can have a little wiggle room there 20% of the time. And then the last one is to relax and have fun. Like I said, a lot of parents are stressed out. So I want feeding your child to be fun. IAnd so that's really just my plea for parents to take a deep breath. Do the best you can and let the rest go.”