So many of us are eating on the go these days and we're teaching our children this bad habit.  By teaching your child to eat 'at a snail's pace' more often, you will be improving your child's health.  Digestion begins in the brain.  Thinking about food, smelling the aroma, seeing the colors, all send messages to the brain to get ready to break down and assimilate all these nutrients. Chemical changes actually happen in the body. 

It's a great practice to teach kids to take a half a minute and express some sort of gratitude for their food while noticing the colors, smells and textures. This slows the body down and preps it for proper digestion.

Then, the key is to chew food until it is almost liquid so that our bodies are actually getting the most nutrients out of our food.  Most kids (and adults) are swallowing barely-chewed food.  This sets the rest of the digestive system up for problems and the body pays the price by not fully absorbing the nutrients in the food.

Spend the next week slowing down when you eat.  Give thanks for your food as a family.  Begin by noticing the colors, textures and smells of the food.  Then make it a game to see if each of you can chew every bite for 30 seconds...45 seconds...60 seconds!  See if you can turn it into liquid in your mouth.  Teach your child (and yourself) to put down the fork or spoon between bites.  Enjoy eating REAL food slowly this week and turn it into a healthy habit!

Source:
The Slow Down Diet by Marc David