Veggies & Virtue

Want to branch out and add some variety to your child's list of love it foods? Of course, you do! We ALL do! We are all looking for easy wins, and yet, I know firsthand how intimidating it can be to offer our kids new foods. That's why our monthly series featuring one fruit or one vegetable (listen to episode 103) is going to give you the know how you need. In this episode, we are going to: Highli...

We all want our kids to have healthy diets and strong immune systems. But it can be confusing to know, do the often sugary, sticky gummies really help with this? Hear how I answer this mom's question from one of our live community calls within Mealtimes Made Easy . Because although the specific nutritional needs of each child are unique to what they eat (or don't), there are some general things yo...

There are somethings that seem so normal and natural to me that I know other moms may scratch their heads about. One of which is, how to manage a child's constipation. The other is, where to find health foods like kefir, chia seeds, and coconut oil in the store. That's why, after working through this privately with a client recently, I thought I would do an episode on the show to have you come sho...

There is often a perception that frozen food is not as healthy as fresh. However, whether packed at its peak and frozen by a food manufacturer or in attempts to minimize both food waste and rising grocery costs, frozen foods can be a real asset to a busy family’s overall diet. With plenty of tips and tricks to optimize taste, texture, and a food’s overall nutrition, we are going to go over: Miscon...

Moms often ask me, How do I get my child to eat more vegetables?! And while there are 101 ways that I can answer that question as a dietitian, I think the most effective model is to equip you with the skills to shop for, strategies to offer, and systems to include vegetables for your family. To simplify the grandiose goal of getting kids to learn to like vegetables, we will focus on one fruit and...

Want some fun and festive ideas for your kids to hand out as Valentine's that aren't candy? I hear you! As a dietitian mom of three, I have learned a few things over the years. That's why, in this episode, I share with you: 5 Criteria to Keep in Mind when coming up with a "good" idea for Valentine's 12 Fun Ideas for Valentine's + One Bonus Idea to show teachers, coworkers, family, or friends that...

If you listened to episode 91 where I had you meal plan January with me, you know that I encouraged you to take a look at your calendar for the upcoming month and to begin allocating menu ideas into different “bucket.” These buckets give us bounds to work within when it comes to the category, theme, or cuisine a certain menu falls within. Take that a step further, and something I talked about duri...

A few years ago, I saw the idea shared to leave simple love notes on each of my kid's bedroom door on the days leading up to Valentine's. Little did I know that this would become one of my kid's most favorite traditions - and something that "sticks" year round (literally - they leave the little notes up as long as they can!). So, grab your scissors, a writing instrument of choice, and get cutting....

Today, a colleague and friend of mine, Heather K. Burge from the Called to Lead Podcast, is on the show talking about her experiences within my Mealtimes Made Easy Method. Heather is a wife, mom of two, and hard-working, high-achieving network marketer. And although she was one of the earliest listeners and supporters of the Veggies & Virtue podcast, she was also one of my go-to resources in the c...

If you ever feel like you have had to relearn how to feed your child again, then you are going to be able to relate a lot with Emma. Emma read all the books, took all the classes, made her own baby food, and thought she was doing all the extra steps to ensure she didn't end up with a picky eater. And yet, when her son turned three, she realized she still had a lot to learn. A few years into their...

Are you operating out of a season of survival? If you heard episode 88, you first heard from Deidre in a group coaching call from my Mealtimes Made Easy Method. In the segment, she shared her struggle with trying to meal plan when energy is limited, kids (and/or parents) are sick, and you just need to get back to the basics. Well, Deidre is coming back on the show today as a member of my Mealtimes...

Have you been following me (or nutrition accounts like mine) for years, and yet you still find yourself feeling stuck with all things feeding? This is not that uncommon. Because while social media can be a great place to connect, it also can give us a false sense of security that we are "doing something" to help address the parenting issues in front of us...all while actually doing nothing. That's...

Like many other pediatric dietitians, I have a flood of thoughts, emotions, concerns, and hopes that come from the recent Executive Summary: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity . In this episode, I share: A brief recap on my thoughts and concerns about the recent recommendations Considerations every parent should keep in mind when i...

It is time for a bit of a New Year's Truth Bomb. Why? Because not only do I see areas in my own life that I live paralyzed by fear, but I know many of you do too. Especially as I open enrollment for Mealtimes Made Easy on January 19th, there is a sense of false security that comes from operating out of self-preservation and self-protection. We can't fail at what we don't ever try. But there is no...

Nothing is more annoying than putting the time and energy into meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and getting everyone at the table to eat than when they finally sit down, they say, “ewwwwwwwwwwwww! I don’t like this!” Or maybe in your home, like mine, it starts before you even get to the table. Your child asks what’s for dinner, and you tense up a bit knowing they aren’t going to like it....

As moms, we want easy AND healthy meal ideas, but so often we feel like we have to pick it is one or the other. It can feel like the tradeoff for spending less time on a meal is buying more expensive pre-made products (so not to sacrifice quality) or sacrificing some of the nutritional quality to buy ready-made items that are at a lower cost. That’s why, in this episode, we are going to chat about...

My most popular blog post of 2022 was one titled, 15 easy dinner ideas from Costco . And despite this being an old post that I majorly need to update, do you know why I believe this post gets more traffic than any other YEAR AFTER YEAR? Because as moms, we need easy. We crave assemble and eat ideas. And, whether you work inside the home with littles always at your ankles or outside the home and ar...

If you have been around here since the beginning of Veggies & Virtue or joined me in this journey somewhere along the way, you likely know that I tend to be a pretty open book. I am a heart on my sleeve, share-all, enneagram-2 (wing-3), empath type. So naturally, I have all the feels as we close out this first year of podcasting,   But even for me, this last episode of 2022 feels a bit like I am o...

As we reflect on last year and look forward to the coming year, as moms we are constantly looking for how to make things easier and more efficient. However, as I share in this episode, there is a vulnerability here when it comes to reaching our health goals rather than growing lazy as we go.   SHOWNOTES: Join my upcoming workshop here!

On today's episode, I am sharing a little snippet from my most recent Q&A call from within the Mealtimes Made Easy Method .   On this particular call, one of the moms was sharing how she's been sick and how she feels like they got thrown into survival mode.   Despite all her good intentions and proactive efforts through the course (opening for enrollment again in January!), she was asking for advi...

For the thousands of you who joined this year's Muffin Club, you know that we are now at the end. It's over. And for many of you, I know that can feel disappointing or like all "good" momentum will be lost amidst the holiday hustle, change of routines, and New Year. But in today's episode, I want to encourage you to see the end here as the beginning as we talk about: Identifying the root of a prob...

Since Muffin Club started nearly six weeks ago, we've talked about how it really is a microcosm for more important things than just muffin recipes, like: Habit stacking Setting up systems in your home that help simplify mealtimes Creating sustainable habits so that the never-ending task of feeding your family doesn't feel quite so exhausting Learning how to develop the necessary skills so that you...

Do you ever notice that when you're in a state of too much mental clutter, you somehow just add to the mound in attempts to find a way out? It's as if, when our brains are already spinning with ideas and yet we are feeling stuck in the spiral of insecurities and struggles of feeding our families, that we reach for more, more, more. ...and we wonder why we still struggle. But because of this piecem...

Did someone comment on your kid's weight, how they ate (or didn't), or the way your family approached feeding over Thanksgiving? Unfortunately, this is a common time of year to feel stressed about facing awkward situations with friends and family around the topic of your child's diet, weight, and eating habits. If you have a picky eater or a child that is visibly anything above or below the 50th p...

Do you feel like you are getting stuck with making progress to feed your family? Is the indecision of how to handle your child's picky eating leading you to be all or nothing - setting unrealistic expectations or floundering in feelings of defeat? Are you getting overwhelmed because the endless decision of "what to make" each day feels daunting?   In this episode, we take a look at three mistakes...