孩子的饮食习惯跟你不一样怎么办?

What if your child's eating habits are different from yours?

孩子的饮食习惯跟你不一样怎么办?

IN MY PSYCHOLOGY practice, I am almost always seeing at least one child or teen who has decided to try out a restrictive diet, or one that limits what they can eat. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free or very high protein or low-carb diets are the most common.

在我的心理学实践中，我几乎总是看到至少有一个孩子或十几岁的孩子决定尝试一种限制性饮食，或者限制他们能吃的东西。素食主义者，严格素食主义者，无麸质，无乳制品，无糖或高蛋白或低碳水化合物饮食是最常见的。

Kids share different reasons for choosing these diets. Some do it for medical reasons – though sometimes it’s based on what they’ve read online, and not necessarily supported by sound science. Teens may feel peer pressure to follow restrictive diets in an effort to lose weight. Or it may be about supporting a cause, like animal rights. For some, food restriction is a passing fad, but for others it can become a way of life.

孩子们选择这些饮食有不同的原因。有些人这样做是出于医学原因——尽管有时是基于他们在网上读到的东西，而不一定有可靠的科学依据。为了减肥，青少年可能会感到来自同龄人的压力，必须严格控制饮食。也可能是为了支持一项事业，比如动物的权利。对一些人来说，控制食物只是一时的流行，但对另一些人来说，它可以成为一种生活方式。

Parents, very often, become alarmed or upset when a child adopts a restrictive diet, or one that is unusual for the family. They don't understand, or they disagree with their child's position, worry that the child will not eat a full range of nutrients, and may also feel resentful that the diet requires special food shopping and cooking. It’s not unusual for parents and kids to begin arguing over this issue.

当孩子采用限制性饮食或对家庭来说不寻常的饮食时，父母往往会感到惊慌或不安。他们不理解，或者不同意孩子的立场，担心孩子不能吃到全部的营养，也可能对这种要求购买特殊的食材和特殊的烹饪方法的饮食感到不满。父母和孩子就这个问题开始争论并不罕见。

Choosing a radical diet, especially one that’s also endorsed by peers, can be another way of teen rebellion, and should be treated in the same way. As long as the behavior isn't dangerous, it's better to express curiosity rather than trying to shut down a new dietary approach.

选择一种极端的饮食，尤其是一种也得到同龄人认可的饮食，可能是青少年叛逆的另一种方式，应该以同样的方式对待。只要这种行为不危险，最好表现出好奇心，而不是试图关闭这种新的饮食方式。

In many cases, when parents demonstrate interest and support of the child generally, the child no longer feels the need to rebel in this way and the diet fades rather quickly. Shop for food and cook meals together, discuss your child's beliefs in an open manner and, if necessary, gently educate them about the medical value of their eating choices.

在很多情况下，当父母对孩子表现出普遍的兴趣和支持时，孩子就不再觉得有必要以这种方式反抗，饮食也会很快消失。一起购买食物和做饭，以开放的方式讨论孩子的信仰，如果有必要，温柔地对他们的饮食选择的医学价值进行教育。

It's sometimes helpful to see a health professional to ensure a child is eating a nutritionally balanced diet, which is usually surprisingly easy to do. If you do have any concerns that the diet may be unhealthy or overly restrictive, it may be a good idea to suggest talking with a pediatrician, a registered dietitian or both.

有时去看健康专家来确保孩子吃的是营养均衡的饮食是有帮助的，这通常是非常容易做到的。如果你确实担心这种饮食可能不健康或过于严格，建议与儿科医生、注册营养师或同时咨询二者。

However, if the child continues to eat in a way that reflects their beliefs, it's possible that this will be maintained as the child grows into an adult.

然而，如果孩子继续以一种反映他们信仰的方式进食，那么随着孩子长大成人，这种饮食习惯可能会保持下去。

It is, therefore, important for parents to remember that raising a child in no way guarantees that he or she will share all your values. In fact, when kids grow up to feel confident enough to form their own beliefs, it means parents have done a great job raising them to feel secure and comfortable in their choices.

因此，重要的是，父母要记住，抚养孩子并不能保证他或她会分享你所有的价值观。事实上，当孩子们长大后，对自己的信仰有足够的信心时，这就意味着父母在培养孩子们对自己的选择感到安全和舒适方面做得很好。