Children & Nutrition // Family Lab Highlight

“He doesn’t eat.”

“She refuses vegetables.”

Almost every parent has said this at some point.

This is why we decided to focus one of our Family Lab sessions on Children & Nutrition. We opened an honest conversation — not just about what children eat, but about the relationship they build with food over time.

Together with our guest experts, Karlien Duvenage (Dietitian-Nutritionist, MSc Psychology) and Dr Bochra Boubaker (Dental Surgeon, MSc Biology & Psychology), parents explored what often lies behind these everyday concerns.

🔎 Some key insights from the discussion:

🍽️ A meal is a relational moment

Children do not only absorb nutrients — they absorb the atmosphere around the table. Pressure, tension or negotiation can shape how a child relates to food. Calm, predictable mealtimes help children develop trust and natural regulation.

📈 Appetite is not linear

Growth does not happen in straight lines — and neither does appetite. Children regulate their intake over several days, not necessarily within a single meal.

🧩 Autonomy supports self-regulation

When children can start with small portions, serve themselves when possible, and decide when they have had enough, they begin to develop internal regulation.

🦷 Texture matters for development

Chewing supports jaw stability, breathing coordination and muscle tone — all essential for oral development and speech. Introducing varied textures progressively is not only nutritional; it is developmental.

🍬 Sugar: a conversation about habits

Rather than focusing on prohibition, the discussion explored how early sugar exposure influences taste preferences and how families can build a healthy, balanced relationship with food.

Family Lab is designed as a space where parents and experts can reflect together on children’s development by sharing knowledge, experiences and questions.

Because raising confident, healthy children is not about perfect answers.

It is about building understanding together.