1. FOOD INFLUENCES- Family and Culture

2. Why family meals are important?
Research has suggested that the family meal has a positive impact on :
Dietary Quality
Language
Academic Performance
Can help reduce risk-taking behaviors.
Family meals can also help :
Family Interaction
Communication
Sense of Unity
Reduce teens smoking, drinking and illegal drugs
The family meal can promote an improved intake of nutrient – dense foods.

3. FAMILY SCHEDULES : Responsibilities/ Priorities
Parents spend less and less time with there children because they need to meet the minimal expenses of raising a family.
More convenient for families to eat fast food then to make home cooked meals.
More women have careers and are no longer stay at home moms.
Children are involved in extracurricular activities.
Single - parent homes.

4. PARENTING STYLES/ CULTURAL INFLUENCES
Permissive parenting style:
Allows the child to eat when he/she wishes.
Authoritarian parenting style:
Manipulate the child’s food intake through commands, force, instructions, or directives.
Over eating is normal in certain cultures.
Italians usually eat 6 times a day with larger portions.
Under eating is normal in certain cultures.
Chinese tend to eat smaller portions.

5. HEALTHY DIET
Among things to consider when constructing a diet for a child are :
Is the child still growing
Education level
How much can the child understand about the situation.
Level of family support
Can the family change to support the child.
The child’s weight
Is the child obese.
A healthy diet should be high in fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Vegetables
Variety of fruits
Brown Rice
A healthy diet should also contain foods that are in low in fat and sugar

6. HEALTHY DIET
Protein is usually something we don’t worry about because the American tends to be higher in protein then it needs to be.
Here are some ways to change a child’s diet from a non-nutritional to a nutritional diet.
Fruit for dessert
Vegetables lightly steamed instead of gray
Macaroni with tomato sauce instead of cheese
The child with be more accepting of deity changes, as well as be more apt to achieve a permanent lifestyle change.