Food Restriction

Children control the amount they eat at meals. The decision to stop eating is always theirs. 

What is food restriction?

Food restriction for toddlers is when parents restrict the amount of food or the type of food a child eats.

Restricting the amount of food means we stop our toddler eating when ‘WE’ want them to and before ‘THEY’ are ready. Our toddlers need to feel satisfied at the end of the meal. Your toddler being able to eat the foods in satisfying amounts gives eating stability. They will learn they don’t have to eat past their fullness signals and can always make the decision when to stop eating.

A toddler’s food intake will be up and down. They may not touch some meals and the next meal they’ll eat lots.

We need to trust them at both times.

Restricting the types of food can be done in a way that either supports our toddlers eating, or in a way which can have negative results. It’s all about whether our toddler knows they are being restricted or not. If we have created a situation where a food is available or we’ve provided it, we need to let them eat until satisfied.

If they know the food is there and they are not allowed it, they’ll want it even more.

Reasons parents can restrict the amount children eat

There are reasons related to your toddler, and reasons related to the parent or carer, that make it more likely that food restriction will be used. We are more likely to restrict eating if our toddler appears to eat a lot, if they are larger than other toddlers, or they are tracking on a high curve on their growth chart. 

If we ourselves have had battles with weight, view ourselves as overweight or have a negative view of our body, we are more likely to restrict our children’s eating. Mothers are also more likely to restrict their daughters eating than their sons.

In a society which has an unhealthy focus on diets and food restriction, we may think being relaxed about the amount our children eat at meals, may lead to overeating and weight gain. This is not the case. Our toddler needs to find the point they stop eating by themselves. Knowing this is important to long term health. 

It can be suggested by other parents, friends, family and well-meaning health professionals that our child needs to eat ‘less’. This is likely to backfire. If there has been repeated food restriction and our child has lost the ability to regulate their food intake, they need to re-learn how to regulate their intake, by being allowed to eat until satisfaction. Following the feeding roles, setting a reliable meal structure and adequate exposure to foods within the Australian Guidelines for Healthy Eating will help.

What happens when we restrict the amount toddlers eat

Our hunger and fullness signals
When we restrict the amount our toddler eats, they will leave the table hungry and dissatisfied. Food can become a toddler’s priority and they are likely to try and seek out extra food. If this happens consistently, children can learn to overeat when there is unlimited food available, as they can’t guarantee when food will be freely available again. 

Children need to learn when they’ve had enough by themselves.

There will be a point when children will be in charge of all their feeding roles. You can’t control how much they eat throughout life. They need to learn how much to eat by themselves. 

Until our children’s appetite is disrupted, children know how much to eat:

• If they are given high fat high sugar foods, they will eat less

• If they are given too little food, they will look for food to fill them up

• If they are given large meals, they will eat until full and leave the rest.

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Feeding relationship/mental health
Restricting how much your toddler eats can damage your relationship with them. Just like pressure to eat, when we control what they want to do at the meal, it will become less enjoyable. If you restrict their eating your child will be upset or angry with you and find it confusing. 

Restriction can be interpreted by the child as there is something wrong with their body. Restricting children’s food intake has been associated with negative body image, development of eating disorders and suicidal thoughts in adolescence.

Restricting the type of food toddlers eat

There are two ways to restrict the type of food children eat

Covert Restriction is restricting the type of food a toddler eats in a way they’re not aware of. It is pretty much the parent/carer deciding which foods to provide our toddler. Remember the feeding roles? We decide which foods that our toddler gets to choose from and therefore we control the nutrition.

Overt Restriction refers to restriction that our toddler is aware of. For example, keeping biscuits in the cupboards and your child knows they’re there, but you don’t let your child eat them. Taking a toddler to a birthday party and then not letting them eat some of the foods available. If children are aware of the restriction, it makes them want those foods even more, it creates the desire and the forbidden fruit which is more attractive. 

How does this work in our food environment? 

Covert restriction or restricting foods in a way our children aren’t aware of can be challenging. It seems everywhere we look we see foods advertised, displayed or opportunities to eat favourite foods. There are times when you can’t control what they are exposed to, but most of the time you can. It’s MOST of the time that counts. 

Once a food is provided then it’s best to let your toddler choose to eat or not. They have been provided the opportunity to eat, even though you may not have planned it. 

Covert restriction can be challenging in supermarkets

There will be times your control of food provided is challenged. You can always limit these opportunities.

You will still be in control most of the time, to be able ensure they are offered the foods you choose.

Some tips to help us with food restriction 

Be sure there is enough food for your toddler to leave the table satisfied.

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Be sure the foods you serve are satisfying enough so toddlers will feel full. A meal of just vegetables or snack with just fruit can leave your child unsatisfied and they will look for food to fill them up.

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Make sure you have a good meal structure, let your toddler eat as much as they need at meals, and no eating between meals. For more information visit our meals page.

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It’s good to know toddler portion sizes. Serving smaller portions can be less overwhelming. Serve up a child size portion and if they want more, make sure there is more available. Other days they won’t eat much at all. 

Portion control is food restriction 

What can they see at home? Only keep foods in the house that you’re happy feeding your toddler. If you do have some ‘adult snacks’ for when its adult time i.e. after the kids are in bed, then you need to find a good hiding spot for them!

If you don’t want them eating it…. Don’t get caught!

Create the rules. In some situations, it can be difficult to restrict foods in a way your child is unaware of. An example is doing the shopping together and your toddler seeing all the food available, especially at the checkout. Making rules can be helpful, then over time if we are consistent, they’ll know those foods become “not an option”. 

Adjust your routine
There can be lots of situations where your child is exposed to or offered foods outside your control. This could be a lollipop at the hairdresser, frankfurt at the butcher or maybe whenever you visit a particular friend or relative. You have the potential to ‘have a chat’ or adjust your routine so these opportunities don’t come up as much. But once these foods have been offered, you have provided the opportunity to eat. You need to leave the decision to eat up to your child. 

This might even be the number of birthdays you attend

You have taken them to the party you have provided them with the opportunity to eat. You can’t now restrict what your toddler has at the party. If you feel there is too much unhealthy food in your child’s life and you want to limit it, then a covert way would be to look at how many birthday parties you get invited to and limit them.

 

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