Kids & FamilyParentingHealth & FitnessNutrition

The Intentional Table

Nicole Cruz, MS, RDN

Feeding kids isn’t just about what’s on the plate - it’s about raising them to feel confident, capable, and at peace with food and their bodies.

The Intentional Table Podcast is here to help you break the cycles of guilt, shame, and mealtime stress so you can raise kids who eat well and feel good about it.

Hosted by Nicole Cruz, a registered dietitian and mom of three who has coached thousands of parents, this podcast gives you the tools, structure, and mindset shifts to create a positive, empowered eating environment at home.

With guidance, compassion, and strategies that really work, you’ll feel more confident and less stressed while supporting your kids through 'picky' eating, 'overeating', struggles with sweets, and everything in between.

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S1 · E47
Yesterday · 52 min
Weight and Health Aren't Synonyms with Dr. Lisa Folden
Most of us grew up believing that being smaller means being healthier. That if the number on the scale went up, something was going wrong. And if it went down, we were doing something right. It's such a deep belief that we rarely stop to question it. But what if weight and health were never actually the same thing? Dr. Lisa Folden is a licensed physical therapist and body image coach who works with people living in larger bodies and folks in recovery from disordered eating. She came to this work through her own story, after years of believing (and teaching) that weight and health were one and the same, until she started pulling that belief apart and couldn't unsee what was underneath it. This conversation goes a lot of places. We get into our own bodies as parents, and we get into what happens when it's our kids' bodies that are changing and we start to panic. In this episode, we talk about: Why weight and health aren't the same thing, and the markers that actually tell us something about our health The one kind of weight change that's a true medical red flag (and it's not gaining) Why kids' bodies are supposed to change, especially through puberty, and what happens when we try to stop it What to do when a growing body makes movement harder, without making it about getting smaller How dieting early in life sets kids up for the very thing we're trying to protect them from What "joyful movement" really means, even on the days you don't love the workout If you've ever looked at your own changing body, or your child's, and felt that flicker of worry that something must be wrong, this episode is for you. RESOURCES MENTIONED: ✅ Instagram: @healthyphit ✅ Website: healthyphit.com ✅ Body Respect Journal (available on Amazon) Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E46
September 17 · 13 min
I Don't Tell My Kids Broccoli Is Healthy
We can probably all agree that broccoli is healthy. It has vitamins, minerals, fiber. So when your kid asks if it's healthy and you say yes, that seems harmless enough. And it mostly is. But most of us never stop to ask what we actually mean when we call a food "healthy." And once you do, the whole idea gets a lot harder to pin down than it seems. I break down the four reasons why I don't label food as "healthy" with my own kids, and why the way we talk about food matters if we want our kids to eat in a balanced way. In this episode, I talk about: Why labeling one food "healthy" inherently labels other foods "unhealthy" Why "healthy" is so much harder to pin down than it seems How the very same food can be exactly what our body needs in one moment, and not in another What these labels can do to the way our kids feel about food, and about themselves What to focus on instead of healthy and unhealthy If you want your child to have a healthy relationship with food and feel good about all types of foods, listen in! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E45
September 10 · 50 min
It's Not the Sugar, It's the Shame with Crystal Haitsma
We think our reactions to how our kids eat are about the food. The sugar, the snacking, the fourth piece of pizza that makes us snap... "That's enough." But it's rarely (if ever) truly about the food. Crystal Haitsma is a life coach whose entire practice centers on shame, and how shame is basically at the root of all of our reactions. As a parenting coach, she kept noticing that parents already knew how they wanted to respond. That wasn't the problem. It was that they often couldn't do it. There's a trigger that fires before we can even think. In this conversation, we get into what that looks like around food and parenting, and what our reactions are really signalling. We can have all the logical information, but it doesn't mean that's what we'll necessarily rely on. In this episode, we talk about: The difference between guilt and shame, and why Crystal doesn't even know if guilt is really a thing Why staying calm on the outside isn't enough, and what your kids pick up on even when you don't say a word What's actually happening in the moment your kid's eating triggers you How to hold a boundary around food from a grounded place instead of a reactive one Why the work isn't about controlling your kid's eating, it's about what comes up in you If you've ever known exactly how you wanted to respond around food and found yourself reacting anyway, this episode is for you. RESOURCES MENTIONED: ✅ Podcast: The Art of Shame Free Living ✅ Instagram: @its.crystal.Noelle Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E44
September 4 · 17 min
Oreogate Isn't About the Oreos
We all have reasons for the foods we choose for our kids. Maybe you'd rather they weren't eating Oreos every day, or don't want to buy Doritos. But then they start kindergarten, or go to a birthday party, or come home from a friend's house asking for the exact thing you don't keep around. And suddenly you're not sure exactly what to do. That's at the heart of Oreogate, the viral story of a mom asking the other parents in her kid's class to stop packing Oreos. If you've been anywhere near social media, you've probably heard something about it. It's easy to have an opinion about the mom, but also... what do you actually do when your kid wants the foods you didn't choose, in a world you can't fully control? In this episode, we talk about: → Why trying to control the foods around your kid tends to backfire, even when it works → The two extremes parents swing to, permissiveness and holding a hard line, and what each one does → Why "just teach them to walk past it" sounds empowering but sends a different message with food than something like alcohol → How restriction can turn a food into the forbidden fruit, and the consequences that follow → What it looks like to hold boundaries and also protect your child's relationship with food in these situations → How your kid's reaction tells you exactly how big a deal to make of it We don't live in a bubble, and if you've ever wondered how to deal with food you don't fully have control over, listen in! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E43
August 27 · 19 min
When Your Kid Asks If a Food Is Healthy
The other day my son asked me, "Mom, is my smoothie healthy?" And it would be so easy to just answer: Yes. No. Or, well, kind of, but it has a lot of sugar. But instead, I didn't answer him directly, because there isn't really a clean, absolute answer to that. Food is far more nuanced than yes or no, and that's also not how I want my child to think about food. So in this episode, I walk you through the actual conversation I had with him, and why asking a few questions did so much more to help him think about "healthy" or "unhealthy" and food in general. In this episode, I'm covering: → The real conversation I had with my son, question by question, that you can use with your kids → Why answering "yes" or "no" isn't accurate or helpful → How we can use this approach whether it's about a smoothie, cookie, or any food → How to talk to our kids about the different jobs that food does → What to do instead when your kid asks you a food question you don't have a clean answer to If you've ever frozen, unsure of what to say when your kid asks a question about food... or you're waiting for it to happen and want to be prepared, this episode is for you. Listen in! ✅ More on food neutrality - Episode 4, "All Food Is Not Equal" ✅ Related - Episode 42, "Unhealthy" Isn't a Fact (It's a Judgment) Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E42
August 13 · 9 min
"Unhealthy" Isn't a Fact (It's a Judgment)
Last week, as we were gearing up for back to school, I made a post asking parents not to label foods as junk, bad, or unhealthy. And people got fired up about it. Way more than I expected. The comments kept coming back to the same idea: that "unhealthy" isn't a judgment, it's just the truth. That some foods are simply bad, and we should be teaching our kids that. I'm not sharing this to talk about the pushback I got. I'm sharing because those comments show how deeply we hold these beliefs, and how rarely we stop to ask whether they're actually true, or whether they've just become ingrained in the way we approach food. Not to mention, do we ever look at whether these ideas about food are actually helpful? In this episode, I'm covering: → Why no single food is simply "healthy" or "unhealthy" → The comment from a mom of a child with ARFID → What actually happens to kids down the road when we ban and label foods (including a story from a dad who lived it) → Why the harm isn't just about the food, but about what kids come to believe about themselves → How to make a more informed choice about food talk in your home, wherever you are and however old your kids are If you still struggle with making food sound neutral, or wonder if you really should be teaching your child more about what's "healthy" or "unhealthy", listen in! ✅ More on food neutrality - Episode 4, "All Food Is Not Equal" Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E41
July 24 · 27 min
How Do I Change My Kid's Food for a Medical Reasons... Without Creating Stress or Anxiety?
We all want to take care of our kids' bodies. So when there's a real medical reason to change how they eat, whether that's adding something in or cutting something out, we want to do it to support their health and to help them feel good. And at the same time, we don't want food to feel more stressful. We don't want to put pressure on them, make them anxious, or create a whole new issue around eating. So we end up bouncing between two paths, either making the change happen no matter what, or tiptoeing around it and doing nothing. But it doesn't have to be one or the other. We can help our kids make changes to what they're eating for specific medical concerns, while still protecting their relationship with food. In this episode, I talk about: → Why changing food for a medical issue is different than doing it to "be healthy" → How to be proactive and shift what you're providing so you don't make it a "thing" for your child → The difference between adding foods in and taking foods out, and where to start → Specific tips for dealing with constipation, that are also applicable to other conditions → How to talk to your kid directly when you need to, in a way that's concrete instead of scary If you're navigating a medical need, and feel like you need to make some dietary changes but aren't quite sure how, listen in! ✅ Training: How to Talk to Your Child About Nutrition Without Guilt or Shame — $27, includes video + PDF, broken down by age group from 2 through the teen years Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E40
July 16 · 10 min
The Problem With the "No Thank You Bite"
We all want our kids to try new foods. I mean, let's be real. It's soooo frustrating when they say "I don't like it" when they've never even tried it. So a "no thank you bite" seems like the perfect solution: You don't have to eat it, but you have to try it. Just one bite, and then you can say no thank you. It's low-stakes, it comes from the best intentions, and they might even like it. So why not do a "no thank you bite"? I got this question twice from clients in the same week, so I know you might be wondering about it too. In this episode, I break down what the no thank you bite actually does at the table, what the research says about pressure and kids' eating, and why the concept itself isn't the problem. In this episode, we talk about: What the no thank you bite is (and why so many well-meaning parents use it) The "finish your soup" study, and what it tells us about pressure at the table The real difference between a rule and an invitation Three paths forward depending on what's happening at your table right now Exactly what to do if you've been enforcing the bite and want to change the rules If you've ever sat at the table wondering whether making your kid take that one bite is helping or hurting, this episode will give you a clear answer and a next step you can use tonight. ✅ Research: "Finish your soup": Counterproductive effects of pressuring children to eat on intake and affect (Galloway et al., 2006, Appetite) Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E39
July 9 · 28 min
What I Actually Fed My Kids on Vacation (and how you can do it too)
Navigating food during the summer can feel like a whole lot of stress. Vacations, eating out, swim parties, sweets galore, lack of structure... I get it! I just got back from a two-week baseball trip with my family - managing tons of restaurants, games ending at odd times, italian ice at by the pool. It's a lot! We had an eight hour drive to kick off the trip followed by four flights and two hotels in between. In this episode, we talk about: How to help your kid eat in a balanced way even when eating out all the time What to keep in your hotel room at the bare minimum (and the hotel tip I wish someone had told me sooner) How to think about your role at restaurants - and what to let them order or not Meal and snack ideas for on the go (especially when it's long periods) How to have a rhythm and hold boundaries around things like ice cream and soda What I packed that sent people into a frenzy on Instagram and what actually ended up happening If you're in the middle of summer and wondering how to navigate the lack of structure and countless sweets, or if you're anticipating your next week away - listen in! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E38
June 11 · 20 min
The Fastest Way to Make Your Kid Not Eat
If you know, you know... The more we remind, encourage, and gently push our kids to do something, the less they want to do it. Even when they already know. Even when we're right. My daughter said it to me out loud last week. My husband asked her to clean her room before family came over, and she looked at him and said, "Ugh! know. And when you say that, it just makes me not want to do it even more." She wasn't being difficult. She was telling the truth. And it's the exact thing that happens with food all the time. Except it's usually unspoken. In this episode, I'm sharing a few things I've been sitting with lately, including a peek at what I've been building behind the scenes and two real moments from my family that might shift how you think about food with your kids. In this episode, we talk about: Why reminding, encouraging, and pushing kids to eat creates more resistance, not less What my daughter said out loud that most kids only feel quietly How my daughter tried tomatoes for the first time and then asked for them again 🙌 Why my son now puts lettuce on his burgers at home, and how a Big Mac made that happen What the research says about kids who find pleasure in food versus kids focused on nutrition rules Whether you have a "picky" eater, a kiddo you're worried eats too much, one who's obsessed with sweets, or all of the above - this episode's for you! ✨ DM me 'BALANCED' on Instagram and I'll send you the link to my free training! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E37
May 29 · 20 min
Weight Gain Isn't the Problem
When your child's weight goes up at their yearly physical, your pediatrician might comment that you should make some changes. Or maybe you see a post on social media telling you what changes to make if your child has gained weight. It can be really confusing. And it might leave you questioning what changes to make, or feeling like you should be cutting back on portions, or getting rid of "junk". In this episode, we talk about: Why weight is one piece of data, not a diagnosis or a directive The questions worth asking before changing anything, including what might actually be driving weight changes that have nothing to do with food Why significant weight gain around ages 9 to 11 is often the body doing exactly what it's supposed to do How restriction, even subtle, can create the very eating patterns we're most worried about What to do when a provider tells you to make changes, and how to advocate for your child If you've ever left a pediatrician's appointment feeling like something was wrong with your child's body, and nobody thought to ask how things were actually going, this episode is for you. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E36
May 21 · 16 min
My Kid Won't Try Anything New - Where Do I Start?
If you have a "picky" eater, you've probably already tried to encourage them to take a bite, bribed with dessert, or even had a standoff at the table over food. Or maybe you've just given up and you make them something separate because, let's be real, they need to eat. And regardless of where you're at, chances are it doesn't feel great. Most of us want our kids to eat a variety, to be able to go out to a restaurant and find something on the menu, to make one meal the whole family will eat. So it's frustrating when you feel like you're stuck in the same patterns and not sure what else to do. That's why I'm breaking down EXACTLY where to start if you're stuck in the "picky" eating cycle. In this episode, we talk about: Why kids are picky and how that matters in your approach How to support your child without unintentionally making it worse The first three steps every parent can take with food (even if you don't have a "picky" eater) What holding the boundary actually looks like - without creating battles at the table What to do when they skip dinner and come back hungry 30 minutes later If you have a kid who won't try anything new and you want to stop fighting about food, this is for you! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E35
May 14 · 16 min
How We Teach Kids to Ignore Their Bodies
You've probably already heard that pressuring kids to eat backfires. It will likely make them more resistant to eat the things you want them to eat. But even when we know it - sometimes it's hard to not do it... even when it's not really effective. But the thing is, it's not only that it's ineffective or that it will likely backfire. It's likely interfering with your child's long-term relationship with food and how they connect to their body. In this episode, we talk about: Why the short-term reactions we see are only part of the picture What's happening underneath the surface - and why this is actually the far more important consequence The long-term impact of controlling feeding dynamics, including what it looks like in adults Why your child's body cues are actually their best tool for a lifetime of healthy eating A simple check-in to notice where this might still be sneaking into your own mealtimes If you've ever caught yourself saying "just one more bite" and wondered if it's really that big a deal - you'll want to listen to this one! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E34
May 7 · 19 min
Why Your Kid Won't Eat Vegetables (and what you can do!)
You put broccoli on their plate and they won't touch it. You try again. And again. And still nothing. But what if you just don't have the right strategy yet? In this episode, we talk about: Why more exposure alone isn't always the answer - and what else you need Tons of ideas for preparing, serving, and encouraging your child to try veggies without pressure Taste tests as a low-pressure, even fun way to build curiosity without expectations What to do when you feel like you're already standing on your head serving it 22 different ways Why it's normal to be frustrated - and how to make sure that's not accidentally turning into pressure at the table If you've ever felt like you've tried everything and your kid still won't touch a vegetable, this episode will give you a few new things to try - and permission to keep going without needing to control the outcome. Resources Mentioned: ✅ Give Your Kid a Knife with Heather Staller Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E33
April 30 · 54 min
You Can't Think Your Way Out of Food Struggles with Stefanie Michele
You've read books. You've listened to podcasts. You follow experts on social media. And you understand, logically, why you shouldn't comment on what your kid puts on their plate or how much they eat. And then dinner happens, and something comes out of your mouth anyway. Or you know how bad you feel when you eat too much, but you find yourself in the kitchen at 10pm doing the exact thing you swore you were done doing. It's not because you don't know better. It's because knowing and feeling safe are two completely different things. Stefanie Michele is a coach, writer, and nervous system educator who recovered from decades of binge-restrict cycles and now helps people understand the deeper forces driving their food struggles and why they can't just logic their way out of them. In this episode, we talk about: Why you can understand something completely and still not be able to do it - and what's actually going on in your brain when that happens How diet culture and wellness culture keep your nervous system in a low-level state of threat, even when you're not consciously aware of it Why binge eating keeps happening even when you hate how it feels How your own dysregulation shows up at the dinner table and drives the reactions you can't seem to stop Simple, body-based tools to bring yourself down a notch in the moment - before you say the thing you don't want to say If you've ever felt like you know exactly what you should do and still can't do it - around food, with your child, or basically anything in life - this episode will finally bring some clarity and help you see why it's not willpower, and there's nothing wrong with you. Connect more with Stefani Michele: ✅ Podcast: Full But Not Finished ✅ Instagram: @iamstephaniemichele ✅ YouTube: Stephanie Michele ✅ Website: iamstephaniemichele.com Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E32
April 23 · 17 min
When Other Kids Tell Your Child A Food Is Bad
You're being intentional. You're thinking about the language you use, how you talk about food at the table, what you allow and don't allow. And then your kid comes home and tells you that Joey said french fries are bad for you. Or you're standing right there when another little kid announces that pepperoni is bad. And you probably want to jump in and "fix" it. You're trying so hard to change the messaging and give your child a healthy relationship with food. But this is the culture we're raising our kids in. There are always going to be peers, family members, coaches, and teachers who say things about food that go against the way you're trying to support your child. We can't build a bubble. But we can build a foundation and help our kids start to think critically about the messages they're hearing instead of just absorbing them. In this episode, we talk about: The different reasons kids say certain foods are bad, from diet culture messaging to allergies to cultural and religious food practices What to say in the moment when you're right there and another kid makes a comment How to have the conversation with your younger child (preschool and early elementary) when they bring it home How to go deeper with older elementary kids in a way that builds critical thinking skills The most powerful question you can ask your child to help them make decisions around food If you want your child to have a healthy relationship with food and want to know how to best support them given the culture we live in - this episode is for you! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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April 16 · 53 min
Give Your Kid a Knife with Heather Staller
Have you heard that you should have your kid help in the kitchen? Probably that it will help expose them to new foods, feel more comfortable with different foods, create independence. But maybe it also feels like a big chore. And when it comes to actually getting them there, it feels like a lot. The mess, the patience it takes, the kid who stirs once and disappears. I get it! But what if it's actually not THAT big of a deal. Heather Staller is a trained chef, culinary school graduate, and the creator of Happy Kids Kitchen. She's spent years teaching kids of all ages to cook - in classrooms, in recreational cooking schools, in preschools - and her message to parents is simple: you don't need a recipe, a plan, or even a fully willing child. You just need one minute. In this episode, we talk about: Why one minute in the kitchen genuinely counts - and how it adds up more than you'd expect The single most important skill to teach your kid first Why spreading is one of the most underrated kitchen skills - like spreading butter, peanut butter, jelly How to involve a kid who has zero interest in helping Where to start if you're not much of a cook yourself How getting kids comfortable in the kitchen helps with more than just nutrition If you've ever wanted your child to be more capable and confident, in the kitchen and beyond, this episode will show you where to start. RESOURCES MENTIONED: ✅ Smoothie Download: The Smoothie Lab ✅ Blog Post: Teaching Knife Skills to Toddlers and Kids (Safety and Basics) ✅ Cookbook: Kid Kitchen ✅ Instagram: @happykidskitchen Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E30
April 9 · 13 min
When the Joy Goes Out of Eating, Nutrition Suffers
Here's what I want you to consider: How does food actually feel in your home right now? Does it feel joyful, playful, connected? Or does it feel pressured, stressful, controlled? Because here's the truth that Ellyn Satter taught us: When the joy goes out of eating, nutrition suffers. When eating feels stressful or controlled, kids eat less variety. They're less curious about food. They resist more. And all those strategies that you're implementing don't work nearly as well - or they backfire completely. But when the environment feels good - when there's more joy, ease, and connection - everything shifts. Kids are more likely to try new foods, listen to their body cues, stay at the table, and actually eat a greater variety. The environment isn't just one more strategy. It's the foundation. It's the thing you come back to when anything feels off. It's your thermostat for whether you're moving in the right direction. In this episode, I break down: Why the environment around food is the foundation that colors everything else How to create joy AND structure (not one or the other) Real examples of how shifting the environment helps kids regardless of their eating patterns or the behaviors you're seeing Why focusing on connection instead of food actually leads to better nutrition Small, doable things you can try tonight to bring more joy to your table If mealtimes feel tense, if your child is eating out of balance, if you're worried about nutrition, if you're not sure what else to do... this episode will help you see what might be missing. RESOURCES MENTIONED: ✅ Free Guide: Make Meals Fun ✅ Episode 28 (on distractions): Is It Bad to Let My Kid Eat in Front of a Screen? Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E29
March 26 · 28 min
When 'Healthy Eating' Becomes Disordered Eating
We all want our kids to eat well, make "good" choices with food, and care about their health. So when they start choosing salads over pizza, or asking about ingredients, or saying they want to eat healthier - it can feel like a win. But what if those "healthy choices" aren't actually about health at all? What if they're early warning signs of something more concerning - something that's easy to miss because it looks so positive on the surface? The truth is... disordered eating in kids doesn't usually start with dramatic restriction or obvious weight loss. It starts with things that get praised. Things that seem responsible. Things that look like discipline or being health-conscious. And we're seeing these behaviors show up earlier and earlier, not just in teenagers, but in elementary-aged kids. In this episode, I'm sharing what disordered eating usually looks like, why it's so easy to miss, and what signs are worth paying attention to... because the earlier we notice, the better the outcome. I also share my own story with disordered eating and why this work is so personal to me. We talk about: How eating disorders and disordered eating are showing up in younger kids now The early signs that often get disguised as "healthy choices" or discipline Changes in eating behavior, anxiety around food, body image concerns, and exercise patterns to watch for Why an eating disorder doesn't look like not eating How the way we talk about food at home can either plant seeds for protection or chip away at trust What to do if you're noticing patterns that feel concerning This is not about creating fear or walking on eggshells. It's about knowing what to watch for so we can support our kids early - and so we can be intentional about the messages we're sending about food and bodies at home. If you just want to be more aware of what these behaviors can look like, or if you're already wondering if something might be off, this episode is for you. Foundational Episodes Referenced: It's Not a Food Free-for-All All Food is Not Equal What the Heck is a Relationship with Food? Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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S1 · E28
March 19 · 14 min
Is It Bad to Let My Kid Eat in Front of a Screen?
"Is it okay to let my kid watch a show while they eat?" "Should we be stricter about no screens at meals?" "Am I creating bad habits if they eat in front of an iPad?" I get this question all the time... And the answer isn't a simple yes or no. The real question isn't whether screens are good or bad. It's: How is this impacting my child's connection to food, their body, and their overall experience with eating? Because here's the thing: not all distraction is the same. And sometimes, a little distraction is actually exactly what your child needs. In this episode, I break down: The distraction spectrum: from hyper-stimulation (scrolling) to fully mindful eating (and why neither extreme is the goal) When distraction disconnects kids from their hunger and fullness cues When distraction actually helps kids stay regulated enough to eat How to tell if screens at meals are supporting your child or working against them Why sometimes the goal isn't more presence - it's less pressure The difference between distraction that zones kids out vs. distraction that takes the spotlight off food If mealtimes feel tense, if your kid won't stay at the table, or if you're just wondering whether you need to ban screens entirely - this episode will help you think about it differently. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!
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