#62: Seriously, how many pieces of birthday cake do I let them eat?

with Jennifer Harris, RDN, LD, CEDRD of the Ellyn Satter Institute

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In this episode we discuss…

  • Jenn’s background and her work as a faculty member of the Ellyn Satter Institute

  • The Satter division of responsibility in feeding and feeding dynamics model

  • a listener question about conflicting advice on “play food/”sometimes food”/“junk food”

  • similarities and differences between intuitive eating and eating competence

  • how eating competence supports internal regulation and food acceptance skills

  • the structure of the DOR: parents are in charge of what, when, and where, and the child is in charge of how much and whether

  • how structure can neutralize food and allow children to develop internal regulation, without cognitive teaching

  • what this looks like at a Saturday afternoon birthday party where cake is served

  • parents’ fears that children will eat too much cake and/or never eat anything else

  • how to offer highly palatable foods (and how much) at mealtime vs. snack time

  • advice for parents trying to put this approach into practice for the first time

  • how long it may take to re-neutralize foods that have been made “special”

  • jenn’s answer to the million dollar question

ESI faculty member Jenn Harris returns to the show to answer a listener question about conflicting advice she’s heard about handling “play food” or “sometimes food.” We get clarity around how to apply the Satter model when serving dessert (or when it’s served at a birthday party), discuss what differentiates eating competence and intuitive eating, and learn why structure may be your most powerful parenting tool when it comes to your child’s relationship with food.

Get our guide to body-positive parenting.

 

Jennifer Harris is a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and feeding and eating disorders not otherwise specified. she works at centracare health in st. cloud, mn, where she has over 24 years of experience. she also serves on the faculty of the ellyn satter institute, a not-for-profit that provides training and resources for the public and professionals on ellyn satter’s feeding dynamics and eating competence models. jennifer is an expert and leader in the teaching and practice of the models, and has incorporated them in her own practice since 1996.

Connect with the Ellyn Satter Institute on their website, blog, and Facebook.

Resources mentioned or recommended:

Jordan Best