Why playing with food is a good thing

A special event for graduates of the Evelina London Positive Mealtimes programme celebrated building positive relationships with food through education and play.

The children's community nutrition and dietetics team welcomed children and families to Rye Oak Children and Family Hub in Peckham after they completed the evidence-based programme. The intervention is designed to help families whose children eat only a very limited range of foods or who experience challenges around trying new foods.

The online sessions provide practical strategies around mealtime routines, introducing new foods, sensory preferences and positive parenting approaches.

At the event, children were encouraged to explore food through play, including by making faces out of rice cakes and decorating them with fruit and vegetables to create eyes, noses, mouths and hair. They also sang along to songs about their favourite foods, entered a raffle to win healthy snacks and met a magical unicorn. The relaxed environment helped distract them from the negative emotions that can come up for them at mealtimes and instead focus on having fun with food.

Rawan and her son 5-year-old son Ali were among the families who enjoyed the event. She said: "This has been so helpful in getting Ali excited about foods he usually avoids. At home, he refuses to sit at the table if there’s food on it that he doesn’t like, but today he happily sat with strawberries and cream cheese in front of him. He even touched the strawberries and licked a bit of cream cheese, which was a big moment because he typically avoids those textures.

"Being at an in-person event made such a difference, as he could have fun alongside other children in a relaxed environment, with games centred around food. He made great progress today, and I'm really pleased with how well he engaged."

Dietitians from Evelina London were also on hand to answer questions and provide further guidance, meaning that families could continue to build on the progress they made during the programme.

Caroline Pollard, an advanced dietetic assistant at Evelina London, said: "I was so pleased to hear how helpful the event was, and see how much progress so many of the children we've supported have made. One of the biggest benefits I saw for many of the families was the chance to connect with other parents with children facing similar challenges. The experience of parenting a child with a difficult relationship with food can be an isolating one, so I was glad they were able to share experiences and offer one another support."

The Positive Mealtimes programme provides support for families from the diverse communities living in Lambeth and Southwark. The dietitians recognise that food is closely linked to culture, family traditions and identity. They work with families to provide personalised advice that reflects their everyday lives and eating habits.

Ana Da Silva, advanced dietetic assistant at Evelina London, said: "We know food is an important part of culture and we don't want people to give that up. Instead, when we give advice to parents about how to approach their child's relationship with food, we offer alternatives and tweaks so families can enjoy the food they love and are familiar with while getting the nutrients they need.

"Some of our families also speak another language in the home so we work with translation services to make sure every family has equitable access to information. I speak Spanish and Portuguese so I really value being able to speak with parents in their mother tongue. I think it helps them feel like we’re there to work with them and not judge them."

Positive Mealtimes is open to parents and carers of children aged 18 months to 4-years-old living in Lambeth and Southwark who are experiencing mealtime difficulties.