Nicole

Are you struggling to get in enough veggies? Are you finding it harder to serve fresh veggies right now? Or maybe your kids are refusing veggies or just not interested in them right now? Or maybe this is common and they generally don’t eat them.

I have watched my children down multiple bowls of ice cream in one sitting, almost an entire bag of sour gummy worms from the store, and more cookies than I could count at a party. It doesn’t always seem ideal. However, I also know from observing, these same kids will take two bites of a cookie and say “I’m done” or one bite of ice cream and then throw away the melted mess. The other day I was leaving for work and my kids were asking the babysitter for leftover cookies and cake from the birthday party a few days before.

If you've ever cringed watching your child eat, or felt a gut reaction that made you want to turn away, stop their behavior, or leave the room... you're not alone! The other day during snack I turned around to see one of my kids with chocolate all over his face, nose-buried in his empty bowl, licking the last bit of chocolate residue he could clean up. Yes, in my head, cringe-worthy behavior. It took everything in me not to yell out, What do you think you're doing? We don't eat like animals!

Lately I've been hearing a lot more about concerns that following the Division of Responsibility (DOR) just doesn't seem like it can work for certain families or situations... And I get it! Sometimes following Ellyn Satter’s DOR can be confusing. By now you’ve likely heard of this feeding philosophy, but I'll give you the short and sweet version. In its most basic terms: Parents decide what, when, and where food is offered. Children decide if and what to eat from the food provided. While it sounds simple in theory, it can be complex in practice. We’re human. We have our own food beliefs and preferences, personalities, schedules and circumstances. And we have children with different personalities and preferences as well.

Happy Valentine's Day! Is your kid crazy about candy? I'm not sure about you, but my kids started Valentine's parties last week, so we're in full swing with candy around here. The abundance of sweets can make this week feel more tricky to navigate in terms of food and specifically sugar. I get asked about sweets A LOT! It's probably the number one concern parents have overall in terms of feeding their kiddos. So I'm here to give you some tips! (And if you haven't downloaded them yet, grab my 2 FREE guides on sugar for more info!)

Do you ever feel like you're in the kitchen non-stop getting snacks or that you're standing up getting more food at a meal than actually sitting and eating? Well, me too! I think it's pretty normal, and I'm going to offer some tips about how to make it a bit less common. The other day for breakfast, I made eggs, sausage, english muffins, and fruit. I made what I thought was enough for everyone, with the likelihood that we would even have some left like we often do. My two-year-old daughter had one serving of eggs and then asked for another. After her and everyone had eaten their share, the eggs were gone, and she wanted more. I got up and scrambled her another egg. She ate that one... and then one more --> Four eggs and fruit. She's two!