Learning Intuitive Eating Principles as a Family

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope

In the hustle and bustle of high demand schedules, many families often have little time for family meals or sitting down to eat in general. Food is often consumed on the go, between school and practice, in the car, at sport games, or within the many different activities that families commonly participate.

Unfortunately, the constant eating on the go coupled with the mainstream message that is pushed in our culture towards dieting, it is no wonder that many of us have lost a sense of how to eat intuitively.

Learning to Eat Intuitively

Intuitive eating is a philosophy that encourages individuals to eat and consume food in accordance with their body’s natural hunger and fullness cues. While the idea of intuitive eating seems simplistic, it is often much more difficult to apply, particularly for individuals who are or have been chronic dieters or who have come to rely on external sources to determine how much to eat, such as calorie counting, weighing food, etc.

Intuitive eating can perhaps be best understood in observing how a toddler eats, as children are the best examples of how to eat intuitively when left unhindered or uninterrupted. For example, toddlers who are no longer hungry at a meal will often transition to playing with their food rather than eating it, as a way of showing that they have had sufficient amount of food to eat.

Family and Intuitive Eating

Unfortunately, the natural cues that we are all born with that help regulate our food intake are often lost due to various reasons. Encouraging intuitive eating within your family is something that can be done by applying basic principles.

For example, making it a point to have sit down meals with family can be a helpful step towards intuitive eating. This can give family members the opportunity to tune in to how they are feeling while eating rather than eating on the go.

Another basic principle of intuitive eating is not only recognizing hunger and fullness cues but honoring them as well. Parents and guardians should be responsible for what is served to children and other family members, but each individual person should be responsible for determining what and how much to eat.

Everyone will consume a different amount of food based on their individual energy needs, and this is something that fluctuates on a daily basis. Attempting to control what and how much a person eats does not give them the opportunity to eat intuitively.

If you are interested in learning more about intuitive eating and how this might be applied within your family, be sure to reach out to a registered dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

What has been your experience with intuitive eating? Does your family practice these principles, what challenges have you met?

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating. Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on June 27, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com