Distraction on TV, a cartoon or a social media feed disrupts the mechanism of food digestion. Poorly chewed food – insufficient absorption of nutrients. The child’s brain is busy processing information, not the focus of the plate.

This is written by the author of the blog about a healthy lifestyle and food Spoon! Anastasia Goloborodko.

Saturation control

So, the first reason not to be distracted by gadgets at the table is to control the saturation process . It doesn’t happen while reading or watching a movie.

Lack of informed choice

Eating “on the go”, “for the company”, “on the machine” – all these are inefficient food patterns. Draw the attention of children to all food groups, voice them: what bright and crispy vegetables, juicy meat, warm and soft omelet!

Saturation moment skip

With the added factor of a tablet or phone, it’s easy to eat more.

Lack of flavor saturation

Rapid swallowing and poor chewing prevent satiation of the taste buds. For those who eat quickly, the principle will work: find someone at the table who eats more slowly than you and try to eat at his pace without overtaking.

Communication

Communication with the family is the most reliable factor for the formation of personality than the dependence on the tablet, phone and TV.

Independence

Eating well together can develop independence and responsibility in a child when the choice of foods on the table is varied and balanced. Minus semi-finished products plus real food and rotation by availability and season. While we are preparing and laying food, we feel the aroma, we see a multi-colored picture, the rear is being prepared.

Important, useful digestive enzymes are produced, appetite increases. If the child does not participate in this, but receives a plate while sitting with a gadget, the food ends up in an unprepared stomach, which can lead to problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Pleasure

Food should be enjoyable. Teach children about pleasure, help to understand tastes, ingredients and sensations (spicy, salty, sweet, sour, spicy, enveloping, soft, crunchy). Taste buds quickly get used to it, so do not accustom to artificial food: no one is born with chips and sugar in the cheek.

In the case of gadgets, a 2-way connection is developed: in order to stretch the viewing of content, the child not only eats more, but also eats much longer. And vice versa – even if the gadget is not turned on during meals, the child automatically asks for something to eat.

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