The Good Parenting Food Guide: Managing What Children Eat Without Making Food a Problem Paperback – Illustrated, May 12, 2014

Interesting book about feeding kids from across the Pond.The author is not a dietitian, but a psychologist, as she points out in the book numerous times, so it is less about food as nutrition, but more about psychological aspects of food in our lives. The book tells in great detail about role food plays in our lives - social, emotional and such along with pure nourishing of our bodies, and how our approach to food in family life can steer children (and parents) toward desirable or undesirable results. There are couple of chapters on obesity and eating disorders.The part I liked the best was where the author listed how to talk and how not to talk about food. Which words would encourage healthy eating for both picky eaters and for overeaters, and which ones would work against it. Most advise is practical, easy to implement for busy parents.Since the author is from the UK, the language is a bit different from what is used here, so there is all the talk about mash and chips and biscuits, which has different meaning over there. There is a little section with recipes - nothing fancy, very easy basic meals, but the temperature and measures are in different units. Statistics used also from other countries. Nevertheless, the book is easy to read and understand.

This is a crucial topic for all healthcare providers to consider, as obesity and eating disorders are reaching chronic levels in American society. This book provides a good overview of the situation for parents, but this is yet another book all therapists who work with children should read. Even if you do not treat eating disorders, chances are you have clients with disordered eating, and this provides a good framework about the basics. Some things in the book are a bit off; conventional dietary advice is shifting away from excessive carbohydrate consumption, for instance, and many diets children are on for medical needs (ketogenic for instance) are very healthy. This is not a book to turn to for nutrition. Rather, use it for the behavioral skills.

Great book to help tou educate yourself on passing on good eating habits to your children

Excellent book.