Food is one of the earliest and most powerful messages our children internalize about themselves. Yet too often, conversations about food get tangled in calories, labels of “good” and “bad,” and fear-based rules. In this post, we explore a different approach—teaching kids to understand food as energy, listen to their bodies, and eat with curiosity rather than judgment. By focusing on short energy vs. long energy, hunger cues, and tuned-in eating, we can help our children build a healthy, trusting relationship with food that lasts a lifetime.