Tips

Facilitators to Overcoming Barriers

Focus groups conducted with low-income parents of children have identified some facilitators to making dietary and lifestyle changes that may address common barriers.

• Making changes to the behaviors of everyone in the family:
  • Provide information about dollar costs and health benefits.
  • Identify easy and affordable alternatives to current dietary behaviors.
  • Role play how to get buy-in from other adults it the household.

• Managing challenges from my child:
  • Improve their foundational parenting skills important for managing children’s behavior.
  • Walk them through setting goals to make small changes gradually over time.
  • Help them identify ways to involve their children in the process.

• Limited time and resources:
  • Teach about money savings that result from preparing meals at home.
  • Teach methods for cooking quick and affordable meals that taste good.
  • Teach them how to plan ahead to make meal preparation convenient.
  • Help them identify ways to involve their children in the process.

• Reduced parental confidence when making changes:
  • Teach about children’s dietary needs and distinguishing those from wants.
  • Teach skills to set limits with their child.
  • Help them plan a routine schedule for mealtimes that works with their schedule.