As clinicians, introducing healthy eating to children can profoundly impact their emotional well-being. Below are some ways to begin the conversation on balanced nutrition with your patient.
- Meet patients where they are at and emphasize strengths.
- Never blame or shame patients’ current eating habits, culturally valued food, or weight
- Use an empathetic and nonjudgmental lens when asking about eating habits, especially in the context of stress, anxiety, or sadness.
- Ask questions like: What is your favorite fruit or vegetable?
- Keep the focus on health rather than weight.
- Normalize the drive for high-fat or high-sugar food when stressed.
- Explain how an anti-inflammatory diet, high in fruits and vegetables and low in processed or fast food, can combat stress-induced inflammation and improve health.
- Share information about local community gardens and farmers markets participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or CalFresh, or share the free app MyPlate.
- For more resources to help patients manage stress, visit acesaware.org/managestress
- For community resources, visit findhelp.org
- For example, in Orange County, you can find nutrition education classes, one-on-one nutrition consultations, diabetes prevention programs, and health education.
