The Intentional Table

It can feel so scary to think about how the world might treat our kids' based on their body. And it's so normal to want to protect them. But at the same time, what if trying to protect them will end up backfiring, in more ways than one? Aaron Flores is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Body Trust Specialist who specializes in eating disorders and body image. He's als...

When your kid asks, "Is pizza unhealthy?" Or you want to tell them, "No more cookies," but you're not sure how to hold the boundary or talk about food without making it seem bad or restrictive. We can feel stuck in that moment, stumbling over our words, or questioning if we said the "right" thing.  And while different scenarios might call for different language,...

You made a meal the whole family would eat. So you thought. You even put something on the table you know your kid likes. And they take one look and say, "Gross, I'm not eating that." It's so frustrating, especially when you're really trying. And it's so easy to end up saying "just try one bite" or giving your partner the side eye across the table. But instea...

Worry and anxiety often feel like something is wrong. Like there's something we need to fix. But what if it's a normal human response to have these emotions? And what if we can teach our kids that they're completely capable of getting through them? On this week's episode, we have Kristen McNeely, a marriage and family therapist who specializes in helping kids and families work...

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 work...

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...

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 th...

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 Ore...

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 e...

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 no...

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 wh...

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 i...

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...

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...

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 &q...

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...

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...

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-pres...

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 t...

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&apo...

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&apos...

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. T...

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...

"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...

Are you familiar with Intuitive Eating? Maybe you take that approach with food yourself... or maybe you've heard of it. But when you think about actually doing it, you think: If I let myself eat whatever I want, I'd never stop. I'd only eat junk. I'd never touch a vegetable. Totally get it! When we think about intuitive eating, we often think - just eat whatever you want. But t...