What causes unhealthy eating habits in kids?

Discover what causes unhealthy eating habits in kids and learn effective strategies to promote healthier choices. Clinical dietitian Annie Resendiz shares tips on combating mindless snacking, excessive screen time, and fast-food habits while encouraging active, nutritious lifestyles for children.

By Annie Resendiz, Clinical Dietician at CHOC

We learn our habits as children

As a mother and dietitian, I am very aware of the foods my children choose to eat. Are they always the best choices? No. However, like most mothers, I do my best to provide adequate nourishment for their growth. Our efforts to provide healthy food go hand in hand with promoting a healthy lifestyle. Children learn from their surroundings and develop habits that can last through adulthood. Teaching them how to form healthy habits early on helps prepare them for success throughout life.

How to identify unhealthy eating habits in kids

Whether you are a parent who stays at home with your children, leaves early in the morning for work, or rarely sees your children due to irregular schedules, there are some habits you have the power to influence.

By understanding your children’s schedule, hunger cues, and eating patterns you can course-correct if habits start leading to issues like unhealthy weight gain or overeating.

Unhealthy habits that may need course correction include mindless snacking, sitting for long periods while watching TV or playing video games or frequently eating fast food or junk food.

Let’s talk about snacking

Let’s be real, it’s almost impossible to control 100% of what your kids eat. My first suggestion is to buy foods you would feel comfortable with them snacking on, even when you’re not there. These snacks can include low-calorie snack bags or low-carbohydrate, higher-protein options.

See the list below for ideas of how to stock your house with the “good” stuff. And remember to keep these foods within reach of your children. Store other snacks like chips, cookies and candies out of sight—or don’t bring them into the house at all. Special occasions can warrant a trip to get a treat, but treats don’t need to be available at home for mindless snacking.

Foods to stock up on at home for easy, healthy snacking:

1. Fruit
2. Popped popcorn
3. Low-sugar granola bars
4. Nuts/ Nut butter
5. Whole-grain crackers
6. Beef jerky
7. Sliced cucumber, carrots and celery
8. Sparkling or flavored water
9. Sugar-free popsicles

Help your kids understand their habits

Try to monitor when your kids go into the kitchen. Mindless snacking is quite common for both adults and children. If you know when they are in the kitchen, provide an alternative activity to help distract them until it’s time for a meal. This could be going for a walk, finishing their homework, coloring or playing a board game.

You can also ask them questions to help them identify their hunger cues such as, “Are you hungry or just bored?” or “Do you want a snack or a meal?”

If they are continuously snacking, it might be because they skipped a meal earlier in the day. Offering a mini meal when they get home from school could help.

You can also be more selective about their snack options. Offer two healthy snack options. For example, if my daughter has a habit of snacking on popsicles, I will give her the option of yogurt or a cheese stick instead. If she is truly hungry, she’ll choose one of the options.

Helpful tips for getting kids to stop mindless snacking

1. Offer alternative distractions
2. Ask them questions about their hunger levels
3. Give them a mini meal
4. Provide nutrient-dense snack options

Be the example

Healthy eating habits include eating balanced meals containing lean proteins, whole grains, carbohydrates and fruit and vegetables. Do you eat these foods? If the answer is “No,” start by working on these habits for yourself before you can influence your children.

Make it a family effort

Making changes as a family is a great way to show a child what the new expectation is. When everyone is involved, it becomes a team effort. If a child is singled out and forced to make changes on their own, it can be far more difficult to establish any change or new habit formation. It also can be traumatic for a child to be singled out while their siblings are allowed to eat unhealthier options. It is a good idea to make the goals of one person, the shared goal of the entire family.

The habit of sitting

If you notice your child spending the entire evening night playing video games or watching TV, they have already developed the habit of sitting for extended periods. It is important for children to get at least one hour of moderate exercise each day, meaning they should work up a sweat while doing it.

Sitting leads to snacking

Encouraging your child to stay active can help them avoid the inevitable snacking that often comes with video games and TV. Limiting screen time or incorporating exercise breaks in between TV shows can create healthier habits.

How long will it take form a habit

There is some debate online about how long it takes to form a habit, but one thing is certain: it takes time. Think of a habit as a muscle —it grows with consistent effort and patience. Similarly, habits require continuous nurturing and time before they become ingrained.

On the other hand, unhealthy habits can form without much thought. Often when we become overwhelmed by stress, burnout or a lack of time. These factors can also play a role in how children develop unhealthy eating habits.

Ask yourself if your family has any of the following habits and use this guide to create healthier habits at home

1. Mindless snacking

How to reverse the habit: Offer alternative distractions, limit snack options, provide mini meals, or ask your child questions to help them become more mindful about their eating patterns.

2. Spending hours sitting playing video games or watching TV

How to reverse the habit: Limit screen time, break up TV time with exercise or encourage exercise while watching TV.

3. Eating at fast food restaurants

How to reverse the habit: Grocery shop weekly and prep meals the night before to ensure dinner can be made quickly the next evening. Alternatively, choose healthier fast-food options that include vegetables when you have no choice but to eat out.

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