Joy of eating. Some people may read that and wonder, what is that? For many individuals and families the joy has been lost. Eating instead is followed by guilt or it's a forceful effort or rather it's a battle ground at the table! Joy of eating in many people, may be non-existent. So how do we bring the joy back into eating? How do we remove the guilt? How do we make dinnertime a time for bonding and connecting, and turn meal planning into a pleasure rather than a chore?

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Learn to be a Competent, Less Anxious and Intuitive Eater

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We teach principles that encourage you to be a competent eater. What does that mean? It means that you have no fear, guilt or shame around foods. A meal can be placed in front of you and it does not conjure up any negative feelings inside of you. Instead you are intrigued, excited and grateful to have such delicious food to nourish their body. Being a competent eater also means that you're willing to try new food flavours, combinations and experiences. You do not label foods as 'good' versus 'bad' and you do not restrict yourself from eating certain foods (unless there's a medical reason for doing so). The competent eater does not have any strict food rules, nor do they place any strict food rules on their children. How is this even possible? It is - believe me. It's possible because a Competent Eater is also an Intuitive Eater. 

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We also teach principles of Intuitive eating. What does that mean? It means you will learn how to be "in sync" with your body. You body needs fluid and fuel, and you listen and match your body needs. When you listen to your body, your body will dictate when to eat, how much to eat and when to stop eating. No longer do you need to count calories you body tells you all of this. It may sound harder than it really is. However, you were born with these Intuitive eating skills and even if they seem very foreign to you now, you can, with plenty of practice, regain these skills.

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We also support anyone who is a SENSORY EATER. That means a person who is sensitive to subtle changes in food - such as the taste, smell, texture, temperature, sound and look of a food. Having a family member who has oral sensory processing issues is very challenging and taxing on the rest of the family. Plus whoever is the cook, tends to spend hours cooking several different dishes to cater for the member (or members) of the family with oral sensory processing disorder. With the right support, these people can flourish. 

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Family time around the dinner table

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Research tells us that children and teenagers who grow up with eating dinner with their family around the dinner table, rather than in front of the TV or in separate rooms, grow up to be more well balanced adults. They are less likely to have eating disorders, less likely to be rebellious, less likely to have mental health problems and less likely to take uncharted risks such as illicit drugs or gambling. Parents play a huge part in shaping children and teenagers into well-rounded adults.

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However, the idea of peaceful meal times are a fleeting dream for most who are dealing with emotional eating, fussy eaters, sensory eaters or anxious eaters. 

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How to make meal time peace?

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With the support of a Dietitian skilled in this area, you can learn some ideas of how to making eating less of a chore and more joyful. You can learn some skills of how to make meal time peace. If you have a member in your family who is quiet anxious around food, has a limited food intake, faltering growth or is quite a fussy eater - then we can help. 

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