Some kids just really love food — and for about 1 in 5 young children, that high appetite and excitement around eating may put them at higher risk of obesity. But new research from Aston University suggests there’s good news: Parents can support healthy eating habits with simple, structured strategies.
The study, published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, looked at the feeding approaches used by parents of children with “avid” eating behaviors. These are kids who are drawn to food, often hungry and likely to eat in response to emotions or environmental cues, not just physical hunger.
“Given the challenges that parents may face and the risk of childhood obesity, we will use these findings to develop feeding support for families,” said lead researcher Dr. Katie Edwards. “Encouraging parents to use feeding practices which provide structure around meal and snack times, or promote children’s independence with food, could be helpful for supporting children’s healthy eating.”
The research found that when parents focused on health, created a positive mealtime atmosphere and set consistent meal and snack times, they were more likely to use what experts call supportive feeding practices. These include:
Sitting and eating with children
Choosing what foods are available
Involving children in age-appropriate food choices
Providing structure (such as “three meals and two snacks” per day)
Promoting calm, consistent eating environments
Edwards identified three key strategies that stood out:
Prioritizing health by offering balanced meals
Creating calm, positive atmospheres during eating occasions
Establishing a predictable routine with meals and snacks led by the parent
To collect real-time data, parents of 3- to 5-year-olds used a smartphone app for 10 days. The app asked about their mood, mealtime goals and feeding practices whenever a meal, snack or food request occurred. Researchers then looked at how everyday factors — like stress or family dynamics — influenced their feeding choices.
Previous work by the same team at Aston University identified four common child eating traits: typical, avoidant, emotional and avid. This study focused specifically on avid eaters, who may benefit most from added structure and autonomy support.
This research was funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council.