Family food chatter

  Katie Cameron, Nutritionist

How we talk about food can shape our children’s individual eating habits, including how they think and feel about the food they eat.

From a young age, children listen to how we describe food, as well as the way we talk about our own food choices. Using neutral language can help build confidence, support a positive relationship with food and lead to children being more likely to choose a wide variety of food. 

What does neutral language mean?

Neutral language is free from bias, exclusion and assumptions. This means it is neither positive nor negative and includes talking in a non-judgmental and fact-based way, without adding emotion or labelling food as ‘good/healthy’ or ‘bad/junk’.

Using neutral language when describing food focuses on: 

  • What food does for the body i.e. "Carrots help our bodies fight off sickness"
  • How it tastes, feels and or looks i.e. "These carrots are crunchy and sweet"
  • Ways to encourage curiosity and variety i.e. “How loud can you crunch on your carrot?”

Here are some examples of using neutral language when describing foods:

Word to use 
Try to avoid
  • Sour 
  • Sweet 
  • Salty 
  • Soft 
  • Chewy 
  • Crunchy 
  • Bubbly 
  • Hot/warm 
  • Cold/cool
  • Bright/colourful
  • Good or bad 
  • Healthy or unhealthy 
  • Junk
  • Light 
  • Heavy 
  • Indulgent
  • Naughty 
  • Treat 
  • Clean 
  • Greasy

Benefits of using neutral language

Negative language about food can make people feel like they are “bad” for eating “bad food”. It can also lead to feelings of guilt or shame for enjoying certain foods. On the other hand, framing certain foods as “special treats” or using them as rewards can make them seem more valuable than desirable than other foods. Let food just be food, without assigning a label to it.   

By encouraging children to use their senses (taste, texture, smell and look) and using neutral language to describe food, we support children to explore what they eat more freely. This also allows them to work on their self-regulation, which means they are more connected to their hunger and fullness cues and will learn to get a better sense of their likes and dislikes.

Here are a few examples of ways you can use neutral language when talking about food choices and behaviours:

Try

Avoid

“Veggies help our bodies grow strong and give us lots of vitamins and minerals”

“Carrots are so crunchy and sweet at the moment, would you like to give them a try?”

“Listen to your tummy, eat until you feel full”

“‘Is your tummy telling you it’s full?”

“Would you like something else to eat after dinner? I am going to have some juicy berries”

 "We can enjoy some cake after our dinner tonight”

“I enjoy eating wholemeal bread, as it gives me energy to stay focused”

 

“You need to eat your veggies to be healthy”

“You won’t like that”

“You have to finish everything on your plate”

“Eat one more bite for me”

“If you eat all your dinner, you can have a treat”

“Cake is junk food”

“Eating dessert every night will make you fat”

“Pies have too much fat in them, they are not good for you”

“White bread is bad; you shouldn’t eat that”

“You’re going to be bouncing off the walls if you eat all of that.”

Parents play an important role when it comes to deciding what food to provide for the family. Children should play an equally important role when it comes to deciding what they eat and how much to eat.

Remember small, daily changes in the language we use when it comes to food can make a big difference in helping children develop positive eating habits.

For further support, check out our podcast episodes on body image and fussy eating: