To all of those who have supported this show, thank you. It has been a joy connecting with you in this way. I look forward to continuing to support you on:

• my social @veggiesandvirtue
• my site Veggies & Virtue
• and through my one-on-one services

• Sign up for my free weekly meal plan.
• Work through my five-step process for meal planning with my Meal Planning Playbook.
• Looking for added support to your family's unique situation? Sign up for a free, 30-minute strategy session with Ashley to get started.

I use my own free weekly meal plan for simple, healthy meal ideas for my family. But what I failed to do was actually work through step one from my Meal Planning Playbook.

The good news is, as I share on today's episode, we can always course correct midweek and learn from our mistakes next week. And I am thankful for the permission to grow in this area I have learned to give myself instead of setting unrealistically high ideals that exhaust me to try to carry out.

It's really, really hard to be consistent with those kinds of self-imposed demands amidst all the real-life demands we as moms carry.

So, take your meal plan this week and run it through a real run through, like that outlined in my Meal Planning Playbook. Doing so will help you identify ways that you can make your family's meal plan work smarter for you...so you don't find yourself needing to work harder than you already do!

Need one on one help with this? Schedule a free 30-minute strategy session!

You can use these three things to take my free weekly meal plan, or whatever meal plan you choose, and make it work better for your family.

The key is to remember that a meal plan is only a useful tool if it works for you (not the other way around). So, learn how to meal plan smarter (and not find yourself working harder) with the three tips we talk about in today's episode.

For more help personalizing your family's meal plan, feeding picky eaters, or coordinating a menu that offers something for everyone, be sure you follow the Veggies & Virtue podcast, so you are notified each time a new episode drops.

Or you can reach out to schedule a free 30-minute strategy session so we can chat through your struggles with feeding picky eaters and raising healthy kids and together come up with a doable action plan.

Erica opens up about her two-and-a-half-year-old, who insists on more bites even before completing a favorite love it food. On the episode (or in the transcript), we unravel the complexities of family-style meals and the introduction of new rules to minimize pushback and promote peace.

As we navigate through these scenarios, I want to highlight the importance of consistency, especially when there are recent changes in mealtime routines. Join me as we delve into practical insights on handling boundary testing and setting expectations, including portion sizes and addressing common concerns about children favoring specific foods.

Stick around to discover practical approaches and effective strategies to navigate these mealtime struggles with our little ones. Let's jump right in!

Ready to work together? Sign up for a free 30-min strategy session here!

You can use my free meal planner and grocery list to get started here.

Or you can purchase my Meal Planning Playbook for a 20-page guide that is complete with the 5-step process we discuss on today's episode plus all the templates and printables that you could need for a rinse and repeat meal planning process as a busy mom.

Look no further!

On today's episode, Ashley is sharing her dietitian mom take for a week's worth of effortless dinner ideas. Use the healthy dinner themes to make your evenings stress-free and full of delicious, nutritious goodness.

Here is what is on the menu this week:

DAY 1: SLOW COOKER THEME
VEGETABLE SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE

DAY 2: TACO THEME
STREET TACOS w/ AVOCADO & BLACK BEANS

DAY 3: SEAFOOD THEME
ASIAN SALMON w/ JASMINE RICE & GREEN BEANS AMANDINE

DAY 4: BBQ THEME
BBQ BAKED CHICKEN w/ BAKED POTATOES & BAGGED CHOP SALAD

SHOWNOTES:

• Want this family-friendly meal plan delivered to your inbox each Friday? Sign up here.
• Need help restructuring your family's routine so that you feel better supported with healthy mealtimes? Sign up for a free 30-minute 2024 Strategy session with Ashley here.

The idea is that for these first two weeks of February, you will use these hearts as a simple way to share 14 reasons why you love and adore your little one.

Using whatever "hearts" you have or create, add words of encouragement that resonate with you and your child. Then, each evening, after tucking your child in, add another heart to their door. They will wake up feeling SO loved for the day!

50 Words of Encouragement for Kids:

1. I love watching you learn new things
2. I love how determined you are
3. I love how you set goals and reach them!
4. I love seeing you use your imagination
5. I love how much effort you put into things that matter to you
6. I love your willingness to try new things
7. I love how helpful you are
8. I love what a kind friend/sister/brother you are
9. I love watching you be patient with yourself and others
10. I love how you put others first
11. I love how much you care about people
12. I love your desire to do good in this world
13. I love that you ask me for help when you need it
14. I love that you never give up
15. I love that you are a problem solver
16. I love watching you learn
17. I love spending time with you
18. I love how you consider the needs of others
19. I love who you are and who you are becoming
20. I see you working really hard, and I am proud of you
21. I know you will do amazing things
22. Your giggle brightens my day
23. Your smile always makes me smile
24. Your jokes are so fun
25. Your hugs make me feel so loved
26. Your kindness makes a difference
27. Your prayers encourage me
28. Your laughs is one of the best things about you
29. You have great ideas
30. You are a great leader
31. You are loved
32. You make me smile
33. You are gifted
34. You are so talented
35. You are courageous
36. You are beautiful inside and out
37. You make others feel special
38. You make people feel so loved
39. You make everyone feel included
40. You make others feel important
41. God has created you to do great things
42. God has created you to make a difference
43. God has given you the gift of ________________
44. I am so blessed to be your mom
45. I have never known a joy like you
46. I delight in you as my son/daughter
47. Starting my day with you is my favorite thing
48. Spending my day with you is my favorite thing
49. Ending my day with you is my favorite thing
50. Snuggling with you is my favorite thing 

SHOWNOTES:

Join my email community here.

Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Work with me 1:1 here.

In this week's episode, we've got a no-nonsense meal plan packed with easy-to-make, wholesome dishes – from veggie-loaded spaghetti to salmon fillets. Join us as we break down practical tips for busy moms to ace family nutrition without the fuss. Simple, tasty, and doable – because every meal should be a win!

Still need to sign up for the free meal plan in print? Get it here.

"Packing a school lunch for my kindergartener has become stressful. I worry about him getting a nutritious lunch that is fulfilling to get him through the rest of the day, but he always comes home with most of his lunch untouched and his love it foods gone. I’ve found myself only giving him things I know he’ll eat. Of course, these aren’t very nutritious. Even things he loves to eat at home he sometimes won’t touch at school. Any tips for school lunches?"

Find out the top 5 takeaways I shared for families experiencing this feeding challenge.

Want one-on-one help with picky eaters? Sign up for a free 30-minute strategy session here.

Sometimes, we have a general idea about our family’s busy schedule, kid’s activities, and late work meetings.

But add to that variable like winter weather, kids getting sick, and a whole host of other unknowns, and it can feel overwhelming as a mom to know how to prepare for real life.

That’s why this week, I take a hot second to pray and meal plan with you. With family-friendly meal ideas that are easy for even the busiest of families, I hope you will walk away with a heart that is lifted and a menu that is filled out!

SHOWNOTES:

Download my free grocery list and meal planning worksheet! This gives you instant access to my weekly meal plans as well (sent each Friday morning in advance of the upcoming week's menu release).

I am here to accompany you on the journey of creating meals that not only fuel your child's health but also cater to their unique taste preferences. This episode is a treasure trove of actionable strategies specifically designed for proactive moms like you, keen on turning mealtime struggles into moments of joy and nourishment.

We'll delve into the art of understanding your child's changing palate—a powerful tool in crafting meals that not only nourish but also bring delight. Join me as we explore a tried-and-true template to meal planning for picky eaters. This will help you to start seamlessly incorporating nutritious options into your kid's favorites all while cultivate positive eating habits.

Together, let's transform family meals into a delightful experience where nutritious choices bring smiles to your kid's faces and support their growing bodies.

Get your free Love it, Like it, Learning it Parent Printable here.

Sign up for a free 30-minute 2024 Strategy session with Ashley here.

That's right, whether you need a drink so that you can fill your cup or an easy meal idea to insert into your family menu, these Monday episodes are going to give you the encouragement you and your family need in the upcoming week.

I believe -

When we plan…we feel a sense of peace.

When we feel a sense of peace….meals become more positive.

When mealtimes become more positive…our efforts to raise healthy eaters become more productive.

And when we see the proof of our efforts…we find a newfound confidence and capacity to keep encouraging our family for more planned, peaceful, positive, and productive mealtimes.

So, let's get ready for the week!

Join me by downloading my free meal planning printable!

In this episode, we chat about:

• 10 of my favorite food-related stocking stuffer ideas
• 10 of my favorite food- or cooking-related gift ideas
• 10 of my kids' favorite general gifts from over the years (that I would recommend to any mom wanting a guaranteed good gift idea at varying price points!)

For each of the items listed (or to search ones similar), be sure to check out the links below.

SHOWNOTES:

Please note: I am an Amazon affiliate. While it doesn't cost you any extra to use these links, I may receive a small commission from items purchased with these links. Thank you for supporting the work of Veggies & Virtue through using affiliate links!

Food-related Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids

1. Kid-safe knives
2. Food picks (Use code “veggiesandvirtue” for 15% off nutridashe)
3. Fun cookie cutters (can also use these with playdough)
4. Crinkle cutter
5. Constructive Eating Cutlery or these from Dabbldoo
6. Kitchen timers
7. Fun straws
8. Mabels Labels
9. Gift card or gift certificate
10. Orange in the toe

Food-related Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids

1. Kitchen Helper Stool
2. Cookbooks + cooking class gift certificate
3. Cookie decorating class tied onto cookbook, apron, or with a fun whisk
4. Fun Books with Food + a cute accessory like a muffin pan, rolling pin, spatula
5. Aprons
6. Smoothie Project Cookbook + Elk & Friends cups
7. Simple Modern Water bottles
8. Apple Spiralizer
9. Bible study books (morning basket on the table)
10. Learning to cook subscription kit (maybe pair a digital subscription with a tangible gift like personalized dishes from Dylbug!)

The Best Christmas Gifts for Kids (ages 2-10)

1. 1. Zoo pass
   2. Toniebox with audio books for princesses, paw patrol, national geographic, Disney, and more!
   3. Lakeshore Learning Carry Around Animal Town
   4. Magnatiles
   5. Bandaids
   6. Wikki Stix, iron beads, rainbow loom bracelets
   7. Games like LCR, LCR Wild, Qwirkle, Tenzi, Uno, Chess
   8. Art supplies like coloring books, watercolor paints, gel pens and notebooks, smelly markers, construction paper, a caddy
   9. Lego sets
   10. Suitcase, duffle, or overnight bag

Whether your child eats too much...or too little.

Sits barely at all...or never seems to finish.

Fills out their festive outfit well...or is still fitting into last year's.

Friends and family alike often make comments prematurely about how much our kids eat, the order in which they choose to eat different foods, their behavior in and around mealtimes, and how their bodies appear on the outside.

So, let's make sure you have some appropriate responses ready! You don't have to find yourself anxious about how to handle having a picky eater over the holidays, stressing about if and what to say when someone comments on your child's size, or how to steer clear of conversations centered around body image, diets, etc.

You are allowed to be confident in the hard work you are doing to raise a healthy eater and well-rounded child. Here's a holiday episode to help!

In part II of this interview, with Angela Dodge, we are going to discuss:

• How to improve iron intake from foods first, including with picky eaters
• The best options for iron supplementation, if needed
• How to monitor and evaluate if your child's iron status is improving

To listen to part I from this interview, go to episode 164.

SHOWNOTES:

• Connect with Angela online at Nourished Beginnings or on her Instagram @nourished.beginning.kids
•  

Because if they are eating "enough (calories)" and their growth is tracking appropriately for their age, you may have been given the advice to just "wait it out."

But even when a person's caloric needs are being met (from things like protein, fat, and carbohydrates, their micronutrient needs may not be. This includes important nutrients for a child's growth and development, like iron.

That's why, on today's episode, I have iron-deficiency expert Angela Dodge joining us to discuss:

• What is iron deficiency?
• What are some of the risk factors? 
• How to evaluate if your child does have iron deficiency, including what specific questions to ask or tests to request from your child's primary care physician

This is part I of our interview on, Is Your Child Getting Enough Iron?

SHOWNOTES:

• Connect with Angela online at Nourished Beginnings or on her Instagram @nourished.beginning.kids

Should moms be taking a supplement?

Today, we are going to be talking through part two of this conversation with Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, LDN.

For almost 20 years, Ayla Barmmer has advanced the health and empowerment of thousands of clients, patients, peers, and mentees by fusing her expertise in nutritional science, functional medicine, and evidence-based holistic solutions. While currently on sabbatical from private practice work, Ayla owns and serves as the practice director of Boston Functional Nutrition, an integrative, functional nutrition practice specializing in women's health and infertility. She is also a co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, leading the way in providing continuing education to healthcare practitioners. Most notably, Ayla is the founder and CEO of FullWell, a fertility wellness brand widely endorsed by top practitioners for its high quality, evidence-based supplements and educational efforts. On a mission to make the most current science accessible to the public, you can always find Ayla sharing through the Knowledge Well, FullWell's informational hub, supporting families with expert information and the power of choice.

Should moms be taking a supplement?

I knew as soon as the question came in, I wanted to have Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, LDN on the Veggies & Virtue show to talk about all things supplements.

For almost 20 years, Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, LDN, has advanced the health and empowerment of thousands of clients, patients, peers, and mentees by fusing her expertise in nutritional science, functional medicine, and evidence-based holistic solutions. While currently on sabbatical from private practice work, Ayla owns and serves as the practice director of Boston Functional Nutrition, an integrative, functional nutrition practice specializing in women's health and infertility. She is also a co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, leading the way in providing continuing education to healthcare practitioners. Most notably, Ayla is the founder and CEO of FullWell, a fertility wellness brand widely endorsed by top practitioners for its high quality, evidence-based supplements and educational efforts. On a mission to make the most current science accessible to the public, you can always find Ayla sharing through the Knowledge Well, FullWell's informational hub, supporting families with expert information and the power of choice.

That's why, on today's episode, I want to arm you with an accurate understanding of the relationship between sugar and behavior and how we can set our kids up for less of a sugar rush and more of a sweet time as we approach Halloween.

Let's be parents who are proactive about creating healthy relationships with food above and before fearmongering about a false-issue!

Instead, tune in literally and figuratively to an analogy that perfectly illustrates what it can often feel like when navigating the landmines of unpredictable yet endless candy in October.

I know for many moms, this isn't something we feel confident nor natural doing.

How are we to raise kids with healthy relationships to food when we, as moms, haven't healed our own?

Yikes.

A heavy question and yet one that I am continuing to see at the core of family's feeding concerns, challenges, worries, and struggles.

So sit tight and tune in, because this episode is going to help you posture yourself in the driver seat.

SHOWNOTES:

• How to Handle Halloween Candy with Kids
• Allergen-friendly, candy-free ideas for Halloween
• Learn how to support kids with food allergies through The Teal Pumpkin Project
• Ask me anything!
• Need help navigating all of this? Sign up for a free 30-min call.

It can feel like a real nightmare, and yet, it doesn't have to be. Because as we discuss in this episode, you might feel like you have no vision or plan for how a "healthy" Halloween season should look.

Is it an oxymoron we can't get around?

An area of our life where we do a funny dance trying to dodge a sugar-filled land mind here or there?

Or is there a way we can approach the innocence of childhood with the opportunity of all this season holds for small yet developing bodies and habits?

I believe so! And as a registered dietitian and mom of three navigating the upcoming few weeks alongside you, I am going to be sharing with you evidenced-based advice that will work amidst real-life.

Stay tuned to each of the upcoming episodes in October for your complete roadmap for handling Halloween candy with kids.

SHOWLINKS:

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Check out Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

Whether it be in healthy muffins or a meatball, I know firsthand how tempting it is. We feel like our best option is often to sneak healthy foods in the foods our kids do willingly eat, all in the name of "getting" our kids to eat the foods that they otherwise won't.

But is this best practice? Or does this backfire?

Fellow moms may feel it is innocent enough and the benefits of sneaking healthy foods outweigh the cons of getting caught.

That's why in this episode, I shed some light on what I advise as a feeding expert. I don't share this from a soapbox but rather from the trenches of feeding fussy eaters myself -- three for three, I understand this predicament firsthand with my own!

However, if we are going to raise up the next generation to value health and fuel their bodies accordingly, it is important for us to really look at the short-term impact of "getting" our kids to eat healthy foods versus the long-term implications of fostering intrinsic motivation towards eating healthy foods.

• Did you catch your kid with candy wrappers? How to handle hard situation (advice from a dietitian mom)
• Should you hide unhealthy snacks from your kids (like candy)?
• Sign up to work with me 1-on-1.

I hear from client after client, "I want my child to have a more colorful diet."And yet, beige wins the day for a lot of kids.

So while there are a lot of nourishing beige and brown foods to give us all the fall feels, today's episode is going to boost the vibes as we enter into autumn with 5 easy ways to get your kids to eat more vegetables.

Shownotes:

• Want in on nourishing, veggie-packed muffin recipes? Join us for the final few weeks of Muffin Club.
• Looking for one on one support with raising healthy eaters? Snag one of my last coaching spots so we can map out the final few months of 2023 for you.
• Have a question? Leave me a voicemail here for me to answer live on an upcoming episode.

If you, like many parents I speak with, feel like your child exists on carbs alone, this episode is going to give you some simple suggestions for ways to boost protein in the meals and snacks you are likely already offering.

I share 8 ideas to boost protein without relying on meat or sandwiches. Instead, I share eight kid-friendly ways to boost protein in meals and snacks, using the examples of protein-rich options in Muffin Club recipes.

Sign up for Muffin Club here.

SHOWNOTES:

How Much Protein Does My Preschooler Need?

Healthy, High Protein Snack Ideas for Kids

Snacks that Limit Grazing and Boost Nutritional Variety

Breakfast ideas with protein that aren’t eggs, yogurt, or a smoothie

As a pediatric dietitian and mom, these are ones I am thankful to have invested in early on and would quickly encourage anyone else to also!

SHOWNOTES: 

• Sign up for Muffin Club (it’s free!)
• Shop my Amazon favorites here

This episode is going to outline the simple steps needed to get started with your own at home garden for this fall, including:

• When to get cold-weather veggies planted by for a fall garden
• Where to put a pot or planter box to tend to as a family
• What fool-proof cold weather crops to begin with

SHOWNOTES: 

• Sign up for Muffin Club (it’s free!)
• Gardening Planning Calendar by zip code
• Gardening with Kids: June 2018 edition
• Gardening with Kids: July 2018 edition
• Gardening with Kids: August 2018 edition
• Gardening with Kids: September 2018 edition

Between early mornings out the door, packing lunches day after day, and attempting to get dinner on the table amidst everyone's busy schedules, it is a lot.

That's why, in this week's episode, we are going to hone in on how the freezer can make your back to school routine easier, effortless, and more efficient.

With simple strategies for utilizing ready-made meals, extending the life of items you already have on hand, and multiplying your efforts as a mom (without needing any extra energy!), this episode is going to give you some hours to your life back and your freezer a more front and center spot to your back-to-school survival strategy.

Plus, as the third and final episode in this back to school reset series, we are also about to kick off a 6-week series to add veggies to kids' lunchboxes. To find easy, kid-friendly ways to add vegetables to school lunches, you just need to sign up for the upcoming round of Muffin Club. With your registration (it's free!), I will send you six weeks' worth of healthy, veggie-packed muffin ideas you can toss in a lunchbox or send as a school snack.

Get easy, dietitian-approved recipes to add veggies to lunch boxes with tasty, kid-friendly muffin recipes. Sign up here!

Of course, we probably all have.

But the second our eyes aren’t taking over due to the aesthetics of it all, the logical side of our brain usually steps in to actually see all the reasons that just doesn’t make sense for the everyday mom.

What we crave in those fridges may be the foods, but I believe it is more the sense of order we are all after.

We want to open our fridge, and instead of being filled with stress as we stare at the same foods every week, we want to feel that sense of inspiration that is going to get us to pack lunches day after day after day.

That’s why, in this week’s back to school reset: refrigerator edition, I want you to consider the areas your family needs for back to school and how much autonomy you ought to account for.

Then, after you have cleaned out your fridge and get ready to fill it back up, you will have a clearer picture of how to put things back together using my 4F’s for organizing the fridge. These will make those clear acrylic containers we see something that actually helps you to clear the mental clutter we face when it comes to the meals and snacks. 

SHOWNOTES:

• See fridge reset reel here.
• Shop favorites for Kitchen Resets on my Amazon shop here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

But have you circled back since sending your child(ren) off to school to look not only at what they will need while there, but what you and your family need at home to be set up for the school year?

In today’s episode, we go over 5 simple action steps to reset your pantry for back to school. This is going to take that area of the house that likely didn’t get a first day of school photo and turn it into an area that works like a well-oiled machine as the school weeks go on.

This episode is quick and easy to implement. Your first step is to simply listen in! Then, once you do (or have), take 10 minutes to do the steps discussed. Tag me on social @veggiesandvirtue when you have worked through these five steps to a pantry reset so I can tell you, Great Job, Mama!

And if you want even more accountability and support, sign up for a free Back to School Reset strategy call with me. Here we will elevate the action steps you took to create a pantry and kitchen that truly streamlines your mental and physical clutter in a way that multiplies your efforts each and every day, Monday through Sunday.

SHOWNOTES:

• Find my favorite lunch packing supplies here.
• Sign up for a free, 30-minute family feeding strategy call here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Get my weekly newsletter here.

I get it!

Because whether it is adjusting to the new norms of a school year or sending your children off to school (maybe for the first time!), this is a big transition for everyone.

So let's talk about not just what to pack in that brand new bento for a first day of school photo, but instead how we can tuck in a little note of encouragement...with little to no extra effort on your part!

As a dietitian mom who's been packing lunches for 8+ years now, I have these ideals that I will 1) have the capacity to come up with something sweet to say everyday and 2) remember to actually send said note in their lunches. But the reality is, I need something that is sustainable and affordable.

That's why, on today's episode, I share 5 effortless ways to send lunchbox notes to school with your littles.

We recently purchased the first four, and number five is a free bonus that is so fun -- especially if you want something for proof of concept before you buy anything else.

Here are the lunchbox notes referenced in today's episode:

1. 101 Tear-off Lunchbox Notes, Laugh out Loud
2. Indescribable Tear-Off Lunchbox Cards
3. Lunch Box Notes for Brave Boys
4. Lunch Box Notes for Courageous Girls
5. FREE Printable Lunchbox Notes by Watercolor Wednesday

SHOWNOTES:

• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Let's lower the stress you have and your child may experience as back to school approaches with these five simple steps.

These are easy-to-implement prep steps that will familiarize you and your child with what challenges might otherwise arise once school is underway. Except, instead of wondering whether or not those BIG back to school emotions are at all related to hanger and having the "right" balance of foods, you can rest assured that you have thought through some of the things that cause the most challenges early on in the year.

Things like your child's likely new meal and snack schedule, and how long they are going between breakfast, lunch, snacks, and getting home (plus when their appetite tends to pique). Or, how to optimize the time they do get to eat so that they're as efficient as little people can be when it comes to eating their lunches. And, how you can work through some real-life role playing so they have a sense of what amount of time they get to eat amidst all the new and exciting distractions of school.

Even if we can't avoid all of the surprises that the start to the school year brings, I know that these five steps will help you and your little one(s) skip some of the hiccups that happen most.

SHOWNOTES:

• Get my FREE Lunch Packing Printable here.
• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Use community-only discounts from some of my favorite small businesses here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

So, on today's episode, I share with you the 5 best things to buy for lunch packing specifically.

Sure, there are a lot of novelty items out there (these are my favorites!), but you don't need those.

The five items I go over in today's episode are what I would consider the essential, however. You can find out more of the pros and cons specific to item one here and here.

So, tune in, then take a look at this link for more info, sales, and examples of my favorite lunch packing items for kids!

SHOWNOTES:

• Get my FREE Lunch Packing Printable here.
• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Score community-only discounts from some of my favorite small businesses here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Well, whether your summer is still in full swing or you are wrapping up to get ready for back to school, you will see how this episode offers you five simple strategies to healthy kids snacks.

Because whether you want something that will satisfy your kids requests for snacks all afternoon at the pool or you are hoping to find some healthy snack ideas to send with your child to school, the ideas offered in this episode are going to give you transferrable ideas you can use at the pool and later for school!

SHOWNOTES:

• Get my free Level Up Snack Guide here.
• Order your own Combination Cards in print or PDF.
• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Chances are, whether you send your kids to get their own snacks or you are there administrating the activity and offering, you and your child know how to operate on autopilot when it comes to snack.

If your autopilot approach to snacking is helping offer more healthy options, then you may have already mastered setting up a snacking system that supports your family's feeding goals.

However, if you are frustrated by your kid only wanting snack foods and struggling to get them to eat more easy, nourishing options, then this episode is going to be a big help.

Because, so often, we assume that simply offering healthy snack options to our kids is the answer. When in reality, this requires a major behavior change.

If you or them reach into the same package in the pantry every time they say they want a snack, it is going to require something new of you to go to the fridge instead for a healthier snack option.

That's why, with so many families struggling to reign in summer snacking, we are going to talk about how you can set up a kid-friendly snack drawer in your fridge. This could also be done to promote variety coming from the pantry, but you will hear through the advice and insights given how this works to reduce your mental energy of coming up with new snack ideas, promote age-appropriate autonomy, and to neutralize the food options between fresh produce, crinkly snack crackers, and a perishable source of protein, like yogurt or boiled eggs.

Be sure to tag @veggiesandvirtue on social using #vvsnackdrawer whenever you create this sanity-saving, health-promoting snack drawer in your own home!

SHOWNOTES:

• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

So come take a swim. You will walk away from this episode feeling refresh with a renewed perspective on common questions like, should you force your child to take a bite or try something new? Or how many times will it take for them to learn to like a new food?

SHOWNOTES:

• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Score community-only discounts from some of my favorite small businesses here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

Because whether you just found yourself standing in front of the summer sausages at the store stocking up for 4th of July barbecues or are looking for guidance on how to approach processed meats, like hot dogs, within your home (and elsewhere!), this episode is going to give you the advice you have been asking for.

Although hot dogs are among the foods that I exercise more caution around offering - both as a choking hazard and from a health perspective, my hope is that you will walk away knowing which ones the best ones are to buy, how often is "okay" to offer them, and what to do if your child is obsessed with them as an easy protein option.

SHOWNOTES:

• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Score community-only discounts from some of my favorite small businesses here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

Get the four key things you ought to look for in this episode! I translate the infographic that gets over a million views a month on my pinterest into audio that you can pop in your ear next time you are at the store and standing in front of a barrel of watermelons.

Because whether you are wanting a refreshing snack amidst the heat of summer or looking to pick the perfect watermelon for your next backyard barbecue, this episode is going to save you time, money, and the frustration of bringing home a waste of a watermelon.

This episode is a must-have in your feeding toolbelt for summer!

SHOWNOTES:

• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Score community-only discounts from some of my favorite small businesses here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

So, whether your real life “summer” coincides with the one on the calendar or not, I want to take today’s episode to address the seasonal shift we are entering into. Because, as I covered in the seasonal shift episodes for fall (episode 64), winter (episode 88), and spring (episode 114), there is a season for everything. So, let's try to sync our summer (figuratively or literally) with the rhythms and routines that are going to serve our families and ourselves in the best ways possible.

We can do so starting with the 6 questions outlined in this episode that you ought to ask yourself at the start of summer.

If you find yourself ready to act for 1-on-1 support and are in a season to do so, make sure to get on my calendar for a free 30-minute call. We can chat through what you would like to find more ease and order in when it comes to feeding your family and develop a personalized plan so that on the other side of summer, you feel like these weeks and months were well-spent building the strategies, systems, and skills that will serve you in each season moving forward.

Lauren White is a mom, former teacher turned business owner and professional home organizer, and simplicity enthusiast!  She is passionate about being organized, efficient and helping families find simplicity. 

She is the host of The Intentional Edit Podcast, a top 25 ranked podcast.

The Intentional Edit Podcast includes decluttering and purging strategies to eliminate the clutter in your home, get your kids on board with organizing, and so much more! 

Lauren’s mission is to help busy, overwhelmed moms find solutions that bring simplicity to their home and life, which result in less stress and more time spent doing favorite activities with their most cherished friends and family.

I know our conversation about organizational projects to tackle over summer is going to give you a manageable way to tackle different areas of your home in the coming months.

Be sure to follow The Intentional Edit Podcast for more helpful tips from Lauren!

Depending on your own relationship with food, maybe you find it hard to face the two extremes of being in "vacay mode" with endless trips to the ice cream store and your kids' diet being void of a vegetable to coming back home and trying to regain some semblance of structure and balance in the foods being offered.

Kids will often favor the former but as parents, we know - life isn't an endless vacation. The laundry must get done, the groceries must be shopped for, and the meals must be made.

So how do we tactically and practically reset as we return from vacation without perpetuating a perspective that we "cheated" while away or need to "be good" upon getting home?

How do we set up our home feeding environment so that they can bounce back without anything even really needing to be said to resume normalcy?

How do we handle our roles and responsibilities with feeding from the fun, careless feeling of being away to the responsible, routine nature of the day to day at home?

This episode will walk you through the 4 food-related things to do after your vacation is over. Save the episode for reference with future summer travel!

SHOWNOTES:

• Get your FREE Level Up Snack Guide here.
• Join the upcoming Summer Snacking Workshop here.
• Sign up for a FREE 30-minute Snacking Strategy Session here.
• Get on the waitlist for the next round of Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

So why do so many of us feel guilt or shame around reaching for those cute and crinkly packages, that offer a reliable crutch and a consistent product we know our kids will eat (without a fuss)?

Because, convenience foods are most often associated with those foods found in convenient stores, like chips, cookies, candy, and other highly processed options. Now, why these are easy to grab, they can make it increasingly difficult to help create healthy habits with when not used properly.

That's why, in this episode, we are highlighting how to redefine convenience foods as busy moms. By simply adjusting our expectations and becoming more intentional about what snack foods meet our criteria for convenience, we can begin to find more functional ways to fuel our kids without demanding time and energy we may not have.

SHOWNOTES:

• Get your FREE Level Up Snack Guide here.
• Join the upcoming Summer Snacking Workshop here.
• Sign up for a FREE 30-minute Snacking Strategy Session here.
• Get on the waitlist for the next round of Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

• Consistency and how not incorporating variety in the small things can add up to aversions elsewhere in the diet of picky eaters (part one; episode 134)
• Crutches and how we can stunt our family's growth and/or our child's development when we lean too much on a given love it food (part two, episode 135)

Now, as we dive into the third C that can perpetuate picky eating and poor nutrition, we get into the Crinkly & Cute nature of pre-packaged foods.

As a busy mom of three myself, I know that having foods ready to go is key to being successful at snack time. However, just as the consistency of these packaged foods can create challenges and over-offering them can create an unhealthy crutch, we need to tune into the risks that come with cute and crinkly packages as well.

Because beyond the nutrition that is often the assumed evil in snack foods, I see the marketing to our kids with such snack foods making an even bigger issue.

Tune in to the episode for some easy to implement action steps you can take immediately for healthier summer snacking.

SHOWNOTES:

• Want to get on the waitlist for Mealtimes Made Easy Method? Sign up here for more info when registration opens in June.
• Check out the YouTube video of this episode here.
• Get your FREE cheatsheet to 72 of my favorite healthy kids snack foods here.  
• Ready to take the next step in improving your family's meals and snacks? Schedule a free 30-minute strategy session with me here.

This episode dives into those foods that we may find ourselves using as a crutch. It is normal and natural to find ourselves doing so, but we can't rely on these staples the same way forever.

Doing so can perpetuate not only ongoing problems with our child's picky eating, but also prolong poor nutrition by crowding out other, more nutrient-dense options.

So whether you find yourself in a season of survival mode as a mom or are recognizing, it is time to get unstuck and to start developing strength around your child's snacking, this episode will give you some exercises you can begin working through.

SHOWNOTES:

• Check out the YouTube video of this episode here.
• Head here for a FREE cheatsheet to 72 of my favorite healthy kids snack foods.
• Ready to take the next step in improving your family's meals and snacks? Schedule a free 30-minute strategy session with me here.

We so often know these issues are happening but can't identify exactly what can be done about them to improve our child's picky eating and add variety to their diet.

That's why, I am going to go over 1) what is happening AND 2) what you can do about it so that your child's snacks no longer perpetuate picky eating starting with part 1. We will talk about how consistency in the type of love it food offered creates a sense of comfort that, when left too long, can create problems. Thankfully, there are five simple swaps you can make to your child's preferred snack foods to add variety, expand their list of accepted snacks, and add variety to the foods they enjoy.

SHOWNOTES:

• Check out the YouTube video of this episode here.
• Head here for a FREE cheatsheet to 72 of my favorite healthy kids snack foods.
• Order your set of my digital downloads or physical decks of Combination Cards here.
• Ready to take the next step in improving your family's meals and snacks? Schedule a free 30-minute strategy session with me here.

Does the idea of less structure and a different routine this summer make you wonder how you will ever put an end to the requests for another snack?

Do you wrestle with getting your kids to eat a well-balanced meal because all they ever want are the pre-packaged snack foods from the pantry?

These are common struggles! But as we dive into many episodes about healthy snacking for kids, it is important for us to first highlight some of our false beliefs around what the issue is so that we can begin to get down to the real problem and more importantly, what to do about it.

So make sure you are following the Veggies & Virtue podcast to find out when new episodes are added, and check out the links below for all the resources mentioned in today's episode.

SHOWNOTES:

• Get your FREE Level Up Snack Guide here.
• Join the upcoming Summer Snacking Workshop here.
• Sign up for a FREE 30-minute Snacking Strategy Session here.

Hopefully, many of us have also had the fellow mom or female in our life who stepped in - to offer the wipes, entertain a child, or share the encouragement. Because as moms, we are ALL learning as we go and growing in the process.

And as we learn how to do better, I hope and pray this is a community that helps pay that information, encouragement, and empathy from experiences shared forward. For that truly is the mission of Veggies & Virtue being about the mealtimes, messes, moments, and ministry of motherhood.

It is also why, in today's episode, I share one of the missions behind my newest free cheat sheet: 72 easy snack ideas for kids this summer! As a new mom, I too have had children demanding a snack in the minutes before a healthy meal was ready. I have found myself with a kid who is hungrier than the snack I packed. I have wondered, "Will this fill them up enough to...."

You fill in the blank with your example, because I know, we all have been there.

That is why, with my Level Up Snack Guide, I walk you through some easy examples of how to think about snacks. Not in a healthy/unhealthy way nor elevating some and demonizing others. Simply put, this is to nourish your children just a little bit better by planning snacks and eating opportunities around time spans and appetite levels.

You can grab the guide here (for free!).

Then, as you use it and find it helpful, please pay it forward and pass it along to a fellow mom. We ALL can appreciate a good mom hack that makes our lives easier!

• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

That's why, in this episode, I share the parallel between being a parent of a picky eater and a situation that came up with my 7-year-old at school. Hopefully, you will see that the courage in a child is actually quite similar to the courage we as parents must come up with to put a stop to the negative trajectory we face in feeding our families and how we can step out and step up to put a stop to the domino effect that is bringing us down.

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up for a FREE 30-min Strategy Session here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Get on the waitlist for the next round of Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

With many of you asking for the details from our trip, I thought I would give you a 20-minute recap of why we planned this, where we went, how we got there, what we did while away from our families for five days (and four nights), and the things that I thought were the highlights. This way, for any of your looking to plan your next girl's or couple's getaway, you have my advice on an INCREDIBLE option complete with a drag and drop itinerary to make your own.

I am a sucker for combing through every review on everything I book before a trip. So, seeing how it was my girlfriend's year to plan this trip and she blew me away with all the Best of's in Utah, I wanted to share my personal review to save you some time on future planning. I give this girls getaway five stars (but think it would be an amazing couple's getaway as well!).

SHOWNOTES:

Here are some of the local companies near Zion referenced in the episode:

• UnderCanvas - Zion National Park
• Cliffrose Resort - Zion/Springdale
• Amazing Adventures - Jared is the owner and was our guide
• I saved my Zion stories to highlights as well over on Instagram @veggiesandvirtue

Does the idea of their endless snacking stress you out?

Have you been wanting to offer easy, healthy snacks all school year long but always find yourself in the same rut with a rushed routine?

If so, today's episode is for you!

We are talking about 5 ways you can repurpose the common tray to make impressive and satisfying kids snacks feel truly effortless.

SHOWNOTES:

Looking for easy yet healthy snacks for your kids? Get your FREE Level Up Snack Guide here.

Missed your Lunch Packing Printable over the school year? Download it for free here.

Need help setting your home up for success this summer? Let me help! Book a free 30-min strategy session here.

The slowed pace of non-school nights and grilling outside as a family can offer a lot of expansion in a child’s diet. So let’s find out how to include a seasonal vegetable, like asparagus, as an opportunity to include new foods on our family’s meal plan and introduce our child to new seasonal vegetables.

In this episode, we talk through:

• How to pick asparagus out at the store
• My favorite ways to prepare asparagus for an EASY family meal
• Descriptive language to use (to replace, "ewww....that's gross!")

For more of the links shared in today's episode, see the links below!

• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here. Check out the book referenced in today's episode, 101 Descriptive Words for Food Explorers.
• Score community-only discounts from some of my favorite small businesses here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

Based on a sermon, shared with me by Cason of the Her Pursuit Podcast, that is titled, Don’t Stop of 6, I hope this episode will encourage you to keep going, keep praying, keep trusting, keep marching, friend. There is so much God has and IS preparing us for, so let's march it out together starting with this episode.

SHOWNOTES:

• Score 36% off with my birthday sale! Shop here. Use code BIRTHDAY at checkout!
• Need to find your way forward? Book a free 30-minute strategy session with me here.

That's why, in this episode, I share a real-life menu and mom-night from my home and family to you and yours.

I walk you through how I applied these 4 steps to overcome picky eating with my three kids and a menu that has long been their least favorite. And, I shared how these same 4 steps can be used with each and any meal idea you drag and drop an easy weeknight dinner idea into!

It simply takes perspective for how all the puzzle pieces fit together + practice, practice, practice.

SHOWNOTES:

• To learn more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method, read more here.
• Curious about joining the June enrollment of the Mealtimes Made Easy Method? Get on the waitlist here.
• Need one on one help to overcome feeding challenges in your family? Schedule a free 30-min call with Ashley here.

Exactly. Majority of us are guilty of that.

We are motivated and yet, we are too often intimidated.

That's why, in these fruit and vegetable of the month episodes, I hope you find yourself moving through many of the simple barriers to offering more fruits and vegetables to your family. With this, I know you will begin feeling more confident as the parent in how you feed your kids and more encouraged with what your kids are actually eating!

SHOWNOTES:

• Ask me a question on my pineapple-related posts over here!
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

As parents, we can feel that it makes sense to hide the candy and put it totally out of reach - for our kids sake and own temptation towards the pastel-colored candies. However, in this episode, we review 3 ways to set boundaries with leftover Easter Candy that promote a healthy relationship with all foods - Easter candy included.

In this episode, we will talk about:

1. Where to keep leftover Easter candy
2. Boundaries around when leftover candy is offered
3. How to promote neutrality in what foods you offer to foster a healthy feeding environment

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up for a free 30-minute 1:1 session here.
• Listen to episodes from the Halloween series on candy here, here, here, and here.
• Ask me a question here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

I get it! As a busy, Christian mom with three kids myself, I don't always (or often!) have the mental energy or physical capacity to come up with new, nutritious ideas day after day.

That's why, in this episode, we take 20-minutes to power through a meal planning exercise that will transform the way you look at your day, week, and month.

We talk about:

• How to identify the time blocks you have for making healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks actually happen as a busy family
• How to come up with your "Core Four" family-friendly meal ideas each week
• How to add variety without added overwhelm
• How to use those time blocks to adjust your menu ideas so you feel like your meal plan supports you (rather than it making you feel even more stretched thin!)

SHOWNOTES:

• Score 36% off using code "BIRTHDAY" on Combination Cards in April. Shop here.
• For more meal planning episodes, check out those from March, February, and January.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Because while we have been talking all about eggs this week, in this episode, we go over:

• How to do a Muffin Tin Meal Easter-style, using egg cartons and plastic eggs
• Supplies you need
• Foods that work well for easy, healthy kids lunch or snack options
• Friendly reminders to be cautious about choking hazards
• Leaving one egg empty, for fellow Christian families who want to incorporate their faith into this fun and festive lunch idea

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

That's why, on this episode, we talk about:

• What kinds of eggs should you buy?
• The nutritional impact of a hen's living environment and diet on eggs
• The pros and cons among conventionally raised, free-range, and pasture-raised eggs
• How to align your values with your food budget to get the most bang for your buck

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

This is a question that commonly comes up, and while it could be an episode all on its own (and maybe soon will be one!), for the purposes of today's episode, we are talking all about:

Should your child learn to like eggs?

Unless your family fits one of the first three criteria I share on the episode for why it makes sense to avoid eggs, then yes - eggs can be a nutritious option that is versatile, economical, and easily available for many families.

But how do we see eggs as an egg-cellent egg-xample for the feeding environment we as parents want to foster at large? There are so many ways to crack open this question.

Well, today we will take a step back to evaluate:

• Does your child love eggs? Or are they still learning to like them?
• How to approach non-preferred foods, like eggs, as well as add variety and overall acceptance as one learns to like eggs
• What kind of options you have for exposing your kids to new foods, like eggs, even if they won't eat them yet

SHOWNOTES:

• Concerned about possible food allergies to eggs? Access more information here.
• Need to create a Love it, Like it, Learning List of your own? Download the free template here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here. 
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

I still don't quite understand why exactly this episode about how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg has taken off exponentially more than any other episode in the 1+ year history of the Veggies & Virtue podcast. But it has!

So, in the spirit of Easter this coming weekend, I wanted to put it back at your fingertips. Plus, since I know a lot of us are going to be boiling eggs to dye with our families, it seemed like an appropriate time to talk about eggs, the nutrition we can get from them, and all the applications for learning to like everyday staples (like eggs).

To start, here's what you need to do:

1. Tune in to today's episode for more on what to expect this week.
2. If you didn't hear my favorite way to boil eggs the first time, go give it a listen here.
3. If you know and love this method as much as I do, use this link to share the episode with a family member or friend. I *promise* they will thank you for sparing them the annoyance of an egg that is a pain in the butt to peel.
4. Follow the Veggies & Virtue podcast so that you get bonus episodes each day in your podcast library. All you need to do is tap the top right corner of your podcast player and select "follow show" or "subscribe."
5. Last, if we aren't already friends on Instagram, let's change that. Follow me @veggiesandvirtue as I share visuals for each episode this week. Or, share a screenshot of you tuning into the show and tag @veggiesandvirtue.

Have an egg-cellent day, and I will see you back here tomorrow!

Whether you come from a fellow sports-loving household like ours or have no idea what I am referencing, you are going to get a fun, new idea out of today's episode.

In it, I share with you:

• What our family's March Madness Bracket Challenge looked like (circa March 2020)
• How you can create your own bracket challenge to introduce new foods, add variety, and incorporate more nutrition into your family's favorites
• Some of the steps and key takeaways to trying new foods with your family (picky eaters included!)

SHOWNOTES:

• Want to approach eating a new food more like my analogy with swimming? Listen to the episode here.
• Looking for the kid-friendly smoothie blog post I did after this challenge? You can find it here.
• Want to order The Smoothie Project Cookbook we used for our challenge? You can find it here.
• Not yet on my weekly newsletter? Get community-only insights, updates, discounts, and more here.
• Need a dietitian to coach you and your family in the arena of feeding? Reach out to work with me here.

That's why, in this episode, we discuss:

• Three ways to organize recipe ideas on daily, weekly, monthly, and annual meal plan ideas for busy families
• The pros and cons of each approach
• How to know if a method is working to help you be more consistent with healthy habits in all seasons of life

SHOWNOTES:

• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

And while we may know this to be true, I know that many parents are triggered by their child's tantrums - including those that happen at or around the table. So, instead of feeling scared about their food refusal or unsure how to handle it when you do expose a food and your child throws a fit about it, let's approach this common veggie of the month with a totally different vibe.

In this episode, we will discuss:

• How to help your child eat more vegetables, including one's like carrots
• Where to get started to minimize child tantrums and parental triggers
• How to help your child learn to like new foods with a patient approach to cultivating internal motivation to eat and enjoy real foods, like vegetables

SHOWNOTES:

• Get easy to try food play ideas with this free printable.
• Wondering when carrots are safe for kids? Check out this resource to minimize choking risk with raw carrots.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Ask me a question here.
• Register for Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

Well, I get it.

As a Christian mom of three juggling many of the same demands you are, I know how we can both want and value something and yet question why we aren't actually making the changes required to see the positive changes towards achieving it.

That's why, in this seasonal shift episode for spring, I highlight:

• What I learned through our bathroom remodel and how it relates to feeding our families
• What you need to do to get in a posture of expectation to healthy lifestyle changes
• How to prevent from prematurely pivoting on a plan
• What I found kept me accountable to see the healthy changes through
• Encouragement to identify the season you are in and use it for good growth that adds up overtime

SHOWNOTES:

• Curious about the hair care plan and products I used? Visit her post about it here.
• Have a question? Ask me here.
• Need one on one support? Sign up for a personal session here.
• Looking for a plan to make feeding your family feel easier? Learn more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Want to stay in touch? Join my email community here.

Nothing against a cadbury egg or jelly beans here, but as a Christian, mom, and dietitian, I know that I am often looking for more fun and festive ideas to add to my kids Easter baskets than candy alone.

That's why, in this episode, I share with you easy and healthy Easter basket ideas for kids. These are tried and true Easter basket ideas that I have rotated through over the years with my own three kids. None of these are necessary, of course, but any one of the items mentioned may be a fun additional to your family's Easter celebration.

SHOWNOTES:

• My 50 Favorite Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas

• Candy-Free Easter Egg Filler Ideas

• My Amazon Shop: Easter Baskets

• Find items mentioned on my Amazon storefront here.
• Score community-only discounts from some of my favorite small businesses here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

You will walk away knowing both my advice and experiences as a dietitian mom of three, so that you can rest assured that time away travelling doesn't have to ruin your child's diet. Instead, tune in as we cover tips for how to feed your family easier and healthier, even when at a restaurant or on a vacation.

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

Between the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, we feel that our kids aren't getting what they need if not from that food group.

Thankfully, there are things we as parents can do to raise healthier eaters. And no, I don't mean bribe, force, or coerce our kids to eat more veggies!

Instead, as parents we ought to rest assured that fruit offers a lot of the same nutrients vegetables do. So, keep expanding on the variety of fruits your child eats and enjoys, while they learn to like a wider range of vegetables - including with this fruit of the month!

For March, we are talking about all things mango. Mangoes are a particular favorite with my three kids and have endless ways to be enjoyed. Tune in to learn how to pick out, cut up, and offer mango to your kids as an easy and healthy snack or side item.

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

That's why, in this episode, we breakdown the objective definition of "easy" when it comes to easy family dinner ideas. Because whether you are a busy mom with several kids in extra-curriculars or you are a postpartum mom with an infant on your hip and toddler at your ankles, we all need easy dinner ideas!

In this episode, I walk you through:

• The act of time-blocking when meal planning
• Assigning a number to what your capacity is to pull off healthy dinner ideas
• How to work backwards from time to idea (instead of the more common opposite approach)
• Why you need to give yourself permission for "off" nights that don't require a lot of energy
• Utilizing your seasonal meal plan amidst any month's schedule or demands

SHOWNOTES:

• If you would like access to my one-week of quick & easy dinner ideas, click here.
• Need some one-on-one support? Sign up to work with me here.
• Have a quick question? Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Searching for a feeding framework that works? Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

And because some of the non-feeding stuff of motherhood seems to really resonate with you, like the Valentine's love notes featured in episode 100, I wanted to take a minute to stop and share this idea with you...as I am so thankful my girlfriend did with me!

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

There are so many reasons kids can take a long time to eat. Thankfully, there are also a lot of productive strategies parents can implement. That's why, in this episode, we will talk about:

• How long is too long for a meal to go on?
• Factors that may be contributing to extra-long mealtimes
• The verbal and visual cues that do and don't help a child "eat faster"

SHOWNOTES:

• Does your child barely stay seated long enough to eat? Listen to this past episode here.
• Need a visual cue for the table, like a sand timer? You can check out some of my favorites here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

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:

• Highlight kiwis as the fruit of the month for February
• Talk about how to pick out a good kiwi at the store and why you would even want to
• Go over low-effort yet very-effective ideas for how to offer it to your kids
• Walk through the learning to like it process with a fury yet fun new food, like kiwi
• Encourage and equip YOU, mama, that you can do this...one fruit at a time, one month at a time, one mindset shift at a time.

SHOWNOTES:

• Check out my favorite book of smoothie recipes here.
• Order my friend Dani's awesome book with 101 Descriptive Words for Foods here.
• Stock up on some kids safe knives here.
• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Join my email community here.

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 you can do as a parent to see if investing in additional supplementation might be merited, and if so, what vitamins even make sense to offer.

For more info on the links shared on today's episode:

Sign up for discounts on high-quality supplements here.

Sign up for a one-on-one consultation with Ashley here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

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 shop with me. We walk through what to think about when grocery shopping for more specialty food items, as well as where you can find these (and for the best price!).

So, whether you are looking to help get things going in your home (figuratively or literally!), the three ingredients we shop for today are nourishing, natural staples for any family.

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up to work with me 1:1 here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Join my email community here.

• Misconceptions about frozen foods
• Considerations for what your goals are with freezing more food
• What container types keep frozen food tasting the best and to have the best nutrition
• Some of my favorite foods to freeze

SHOWNOTES:

Join my email community here.

Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Work with me 1:1 here.

To simplify the grandiose goal of getting kids to learn to like vegetables, we will focus on one fruit and one vegetable each month during the year of 2023, starting with Cabbage for the month of February. Emphasizing seasonality for produce you might have the easiest and most economical access to, we will talk about:

• How to pick a good head of cabbage
• How to store cabbage
• How to offer cabbage to your kids
• How to expose your child to cabbage (even if they won't eat it yet!)
• How to enjoy cabbage (as a catalyst to learning to like cabbage lots of ways!)

This is by no means an all-inclusive list and doesn't even begin to touch on all the ways to enjoy cabbage. But, I know that it will inspire you, encourage you, and hopefully, prompt you to take action exposing your family to a new veggie each month.

SHOWNOTES:

• Episode 34: How to keep the tone at mealtimes comfortable and yet still push our child out of their comfort zone
• Join my email community here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Work with me 1:1 here.

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 you love them a latte!

12 Fun & Festive Candy-Free Ideas for Kids to Pass Out for Valentines

1. Crayons: You color my world
2. Bubbles: You blow me away
3. Crazy Straws: You are X-straw special
4. Stampers: Your friendship is stamped on my heart
5. Keychains/Pop-it Keychain: You make my heart pop
6. Pencils: I think you are SHARP
7. Pens: You're the one WRITE one for me
8. Whoopie Cushion: WHOOPIE! It's Valentine's Day
9. Ruler: You RULE!
10. Sticky Hand (or Stickers): I am STUCK on you!
11. Puzzle: I love you to pieces!
12. Maze (or coloring page w/ a fun coloring item): I am aMAZEd by you!

SHOWNOTES:

• 9 Clever Non-Candy Ideas (on the Veggies & Virtue blog)
• Join my email community here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
  Work with me 1:1 here.

Take that a step further, and something I talked about during my free workshop in January is how buckets are really the vehicle that drive inspiration into action.

Well, whether you use my DIY Dinner Bin system or not, we are going to spend today’s episode meal planning for February.

In this episode, I will show you:

• How to take the simple step of menu bucket ideas and adjust it for fit and function (after January being a test-drvie of sorts)
• Real life rescheduling strategies for what menu ideas are most functional and/or dysfunctional for our family
• How to come up with 20+ menu ideas with very little mental fatigue (and how you can repurpose this with a seasonal menu concept in years to come!)

SHOWNOTES:

• Join my email community here.
• Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.
• Work with me 1:1 here.

The idea is that for these first two weeks of February, you will use these hearts as a simple way to share 14 reasons why you love and adore your little one. Using whatever "hearts" you have or create, add words of encouragement that resonate with you and your child. Then, each evening, after tucking your child in, add another heart to their door. They will wake up feeling SO loved for the day!

50 Words of Encouragement for Kids:

1. I love watching you learn new things
2. I love how determined you are
3. I love how you set goals and reach them!
4. I love seeing you use your imagination
5. I love how much effort you put into things that matter to you
6. I love your willingness to try new things
7. I love how helpful you are
8. I love what a kind friend/sister/brother you are
9. I love watching you be patient with yourself and others
10. I love how you put others first
11. I love how much you care about people
12. I love your desire to do good in this world
13. I love that you ask me for help when you need it
14. I love that you never give up
15. I love that you are a problem solver
16. I love watching you learn
17. I love spending time with you
18. I love how you consider the needs of others
19. I love who you are and who you are becoming
20. I see you working really hard, and I am proud of you
21. I know you will do amazing things
22. Your giggle brightens my day
23. Your smile always makes me smile
24. Your jokes are so fun
25. Your hugs make me feel so loved
26. Your kindness makes a difference
27. Your prayers encourage me
28. Your laughs is one of the best things about you
29. You have great ideas
30. You are a great leader
31. You are loved
32. You make me smile
33. You are gifted
34. You are so talented
35. You are courageous
36. You are beautiful inside and out
37. You make others feel special
38. You make people feel so loved
39. You make everyone feel included
40. You make others feel important
41. God has created you to do great things
42. God has created you to make a difference
43. God has given you the gift of ________________
44. I am so blessed to be your mom
45. I have never known a joy like you veg
46. I delight in you as my son/daughter
47. Starting my day with you is my favorite thing
48. Spending my day with you is my favorite thing
49. Ending my day with you is my favorite thing
50. Snuggling with you is my favorite thing 

SHOWNOTES:

Join my email community here.

Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Work with me 1:1 here.

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 creation of my flagship course, Mealtimes Made Easy Method.

Often bouncing ideas off of Heather from both a professional and personal perspective, I was honored when she invested as an early adopter in my course. Now, she comes to today's interview not only knowing the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the course creation but also the evidenced-based and grace-laced feeding advice that is integrated throughout to help families feed their families better.

SHOWNOTES:

Ready to join Mealtimes Made Easy Method? Join TODAY!

Are you a social seller? Check Heather out online or on her top-rated podcast, Called to Lead. She offers amazing resources for those looking to replicate their results, grow their team, and find renewed joy through their network marketing businesses (without using social media). 

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 family's picky eating struggles, Emma and her husband knew it was time for a change. Emma was frustrated always trying to come up with a kid-approved meal and her husband was annoyed that their son wouldn't touch anything new. Plus, with another child then in the picture, it was time for them to begin changing the way feeding was approached once and for all.

Emma and her family have found a lot of freedom in no longer having to bribe a certain number of bites but instead fostering a feeding relationship that isn't a constant power struggle. Listen in to hear how you also can get rid of mealtime arguing, annoyances, and endless requests for something else.

SHOWNOTES:

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method.

Leave me a question for an upcoming episode.

Join my email newsletters for weekly updates and helpful links.

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 Made Easy Method to share with us what her experience has been so far in the program.

With 20% of the program complete, Deidre shares how she is already getting the accountability and tools she needed to go from feeling unprepared and overwhelmed every day to make more healthy foods accessible and the mental load of meal planning more manageable.

She also honestly shares about the initial “sticker shock” from this kind of investment to the intentional conversation and ultimately decision her and her husband made to invest in mealtimes being a more pleasant experience for everyone.

SHOWNOTES:

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method.

Leave me a question for an upcoming episode.

Join my email newsletters for weekly updates and helpful links.

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 why, I am to thankful to have longtime listener, Ellen, on the show today. She joined my Mealtimes Made Easy Method this past fall while she was still in the early days of postpartum. However, instead of making excuses that life was too crazy, she was too sleep-deprived, or was on maternity leave (and the financial hit that can insinuate for some families), she didn't.

She saw it as an opportune time to hit reset - as a family.

So, although I think there are seasons of life to say "no" (as I shared in episode 94), I know that some of you might need just this little nudge from Ellen's story to say YES to something better.

SHOWNOTES:

Join the workshop - happening January 18th!

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method.

Leave me a question for an upcoming episode.

Join my email newsletters for weekly updates and helpful links.

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 it comes to how we both do no harm AND advocate for good with our child's weight and overall emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.
• A candid encouragement for parents to address their own relationships with food so that the way they food parent will be less inclined to perpetuate generational cycles around disordered eating, chronic dieting, and body image issues.

SHOWNOTES:

• Join the workshop - happening THIS Wednesday, January 18th!
• Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method.
• Leave me a question for an upcoming episode.
• Join my email newsletters for weekly updates and helpful links.

Other Helpful Links:

• Executive Summary: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)
• Executive Summary: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity (PDF)
• National Eating Disorder Association
• Addressing your child's weight with the Satter Division of Responsibility
• Article by Ellyn Satter on "Child and Weight"
• Eating Competence, Food Consumption and Health Outcomes: An Overview
•  

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 freedom in that. And, as many of us know, it becomes nearly impossible to move the needle forward in our goals when we live in this kind of inaction.

That's why, in this episode, we talk about excuses we make from a place of fear versus the discernment we gain from a place of wise decision making. I also share some examples from my own life where I have seen the fruit of moving past my old excuses and taking action to become more disciplined.

Also, as I talk about in this episode, there are many reasons as moms that validate the need to say "no." But also, there are so many reasons why January's ambitions don't continue on to be a journey year after year after year.

If you want an easy, FREE impetus to stop making excuses, make sure you sign up for my upcoming workshop here.

SHOWNOTES:

Have a question? Leave me a voice memo.

Want to join my upcoming workshop? Register here (it's free)

Wondering about my current morning routine? Check out my highlights here.

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.

How do we deal? We know we can’t get into the habit of always making our kids something different, or maybe that is something you have been doing and now find yourself stuck and stressed because not only does your child only accept a few foods, but you are all the more exhausted making multiple meals every night.

I don't blame you!

That’s why, in this episode, I am going to tell you how to create crowd pleasers AND accomplish ease with weeknight dinners. We talk about: 

1. Adjust your expectations
2. Accepting everyone’s plates will look different and that’s okay
3. Accommodating with my Love it, Like it, Learning it framework

SHOWNOTES:

Have a question? Leave me a voice memo.

Want to join my upcoming workshop? Register here (it's free)

That’s why, in this episode, we are going to chat about 4 ways you can cut the time and energy you put into meal planning and prep by half...without compromising the nutritional quality!

I walk you through four simple mindset shifts that will make you wonder why you haven’t already been approaching meals this way sooner. So, get ready, as you are about to save yourself SO much time and energy!

Also, because I know meal prep isn’t for everyone, be sure you are signed up for my upcoming workshop! In it, I am going to give you a simple roadmap so you can reduce mealtime overwhelm … EVEN WITHOUT MEAL PREPPING. Sign up here.

SHOWNOTES:

Have a question? Leave me a voice memo.

Want to join my upcoming workshop? Register here (it's free)

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 are rushing home to make dinner for hangry kids, one of the number one trends I see us all secretly searching for is: convenience.

That's why, in this episode, we talk about how to meal plan the month ahead with simple strategies and a straight-forward system that fits YOUR schedule!

SHOWNOTES:

Register for my free, online workshop here.

Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Work with me 1:1 here.

SHOWNOTES:

Have a question? Leave me a voice memo.

Want to join my upcoming workshop? Register here (it's free)

Have questions about my PPD/PPA journey? Read the OG blog post

SHOWNOTES:

Join my upcoming workshop here!

• What it looks like practically and tactically to give yourself grace
• How to come up with a "baseline" that survival mode can operate off of and future habits can stack off of (as energy allows and seasons shift)
• The concern over "variety" (or lack thereof) in seasons when you are barely making it (and not offering the variety you aspire to give your kids)

For more on the "Rhythms of Real Life" Bonus Blueprint, check out Mealtimes Made Easy Method (enrollment opens again in January 2023!).

SHOWNOTES:

Sign up for my upcoming, online workshop here.

Join my email community here.

Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Work with me 1:1 here.

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 problem
• Adapting when our attempts aren't effective
• Accepting help when it is offered and available

This episode is going to leave you with a visual you likely find yourself stuck in often. But by the end, you will see how to overcome any bump in the road with little physical disruption or emotional frustration.

SHOWNOTES:

Sign up for my upcoming, online workshop here.

Join my email community here.

Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Work with me 1:1 here.

1. Habit stacking
2. Setting up systems in your home that help simplify mealtimes
3. Creating sustainable habits so that the never-ending task of feeding your family doesn't feel quite so exhausting
4. Learning how to develop the necessary skills so that you have the muscle it takes to continue to feed your family from a position of a really healthy relationship with food
5. Considering what a good support system looks like in our digital, access to everything world

So, as we wrap up this season's worth of healthy snack ideas for kids (in the form of muffins), I want you to think through the three questions covered in this conversation. Each will lend insight to what about Muffin Club worked for your family, made feeding feel easier, and gave you a springboard for healthy habits at the start of the New Year.

SHOWNOTES:

Sign up for the final week of Muffin Club here.

Register for my upcoming, online workshop here.

Join my email community here.

Leave me a voice message to be answered on the podcast here.

Find out more about Mealtimes Made Easy Method here.

Work with me 1:1 here.

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 piecemeal, grab as we go, random, haphazard approach, we aren't making momentum month after month, year after year.

The reason we struggle in the same ways is because we don't have systems set up nor the skills built nor strategies in place to actually create healthy habits. We also are turning to all the wrong people and places for support.

That's why, in this episode, I am going to challenge you to evaluate some of the reasons that you may be feeling stuck and what may be adding to your overwhelm. With this, you can walk away with a clearer perspective on how to best take action come the New Year!

SHOWNOTES:

Read the transcript

Sign up for the free workshop in 2023

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 percentile (which, not to worry, is NORMAL!), then you (and your child) may be particularly subjected to these kinds of comments.

So how do we respond appropriately without reacting in our rightful annoyance? It is natural to feel defensive, and yet like many areas of parenting, some people really aren't open to a conversation; their comments are simply there to take and do what you wish with.

That's why, in this episode, we are talking about the three components to a healthy response to unhelpful comments that come in. We will address how you can advocate for your child, stand behind your feeding approach, and outsource to an expert when more back up is needed and/or requested.

SHOWNOTES:

Read the transcript

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 that you might be making and ONE thing you can do to not fall into those traps.

SHOWNOTES:

Read the transcript

Sign up for the 2023 Workshop

In this episode, we chat about 10 of the best gifts I have ever received:

1. Vitamix
2. Air Fryer
3. Vacuum
4. Ruggable
5. Three months of one-on-one coaching and accountability calls with me to kick off 2023
6. The watch I wear (and love!)
7. Horacio Planner + favorite pens
8. Cooking classes (super fun date night)
9. Personal coffee mugs with pictures  and coffee gift card (permission to get it)
10. New running shoes, workout clothes, balega socks (stocking stuff must have) 

Not in the environmental sense, but rather in how we eat, move, and nourish our bodies. The weight loss industry is expecting millions of people to failed at sustaining their goals from 2022, so you know what they will do? Try to sell you again.

That’s why, in this episode, we chat about:

1. What are sustainable habits for feeding your family
2. How do both achieve them and continue them
3. How to decide on which healthy habits you should adopt in 2023

We are halfway through Muffin Club and have already seen what a microcosm it is for using simple meal and snack ideas, setting up healthy systems, and operating in a sustainable way. Let this be the impetus to finding how you can start small yet make BIG strides in the upcoming year.

That's why, in this episode we are chatting about what systems you have set-up in your home to:

• Remove the confusion of coming up with what to offer
• Avoid having a full fridge but the feeling that there is "nothing to eat"
• Turn the physical and mental energy of coming up with countless combinations from complicated into consolidated
• Curate doable meal and snack ideas your child will actually eat
• Help you feel more confident with feeding your kids

With Muffin Club running right now, you might think that I am going to suggest that that is the answer. However, on today's episode, I talk about how Muffin Club is simply a microcosm of a system set-up to function for my family and me and hopefully you and yours too. 

In this episode, we chat about how you and your family can do a "dress rehearsal" of the actual gathering, family dinner, or holiday meal and how this can set you and your child up for a more enjoyable time - mealtime included!

In this episode, we chat about how we can:

• Save ourselves from the countless hours spent scrolling social media
• Translate recipe ideas into healthy habits
• Learn to habit-stack, even in seasons of survival mode

You can still sign up for Muffin Club to get your hands on one, actionable recipe each week. Join us here!

Have more questions about Muffin Club? Get them answered here.

Knowing that some of you have done this every year with me since 2018 and others of you might be new to it and wondering what all the hype is about and having a little bit of FOMO about this random thing called Muffin Club, I am going to do a quick rundown on what Muffin Club for Moms even is.

In this episode, we chat about:

• How it started
• Why I think it stuck as the #1 offer I have ever done
• What you can expect (it's fun & free!)
• How to get signed up

If you want to review some of the FAQs from the past few years of running this free club, you can check those out here.

In this episode, we chat about:

1. What one thing you need to start doing now
2. When you know you need to start doing it
3. Why you need to start doing it
4. How to start doing it with real life examples and action steps

Shownotes:

Have a question you want answered on the show? Leave me a voicemail.

In this episode, we chat about:

1. Why, as parents, we assume dessert should be served after dinner
2. Why research shows offering dessert with dinner can be a more effective approach for raising kids who have healthy relationships with all foods
3. How to begin offering dessert with dinner (and how to counter your own rigid food rules as you practice normalizing this new routine)

SHOWNOTES:

• Sign up for Muffin Club here.
• Get one-on-one support talking through topics like those that came up on this episode. Schedule a session here.
• Work through your family's relationship with food using the Mealtimes Made Easy Method. Learn more here.

When life throws you pumpkins, make pumpkin pie!

On the day of this recording, I had two of my three kids home from school sick. Recovering but still needing to make sure she didn't spread any unwanted illness, my oldest came down into the office while my youngest napped.

Together, we decided we would go ahead and take the content I had planned to record for this episode day (sans kids at home) and create it together!

And you know what? I think the episode is SO much better this way.

Because instead of you just hearing my take on how we handle Halloween in my home, you get to hear it from my oldest daughter.

She is eight years old and since a very young age, she has been my child who has the biggest sweet tooth in the family. As I mentioned in a former episode how uncomfortable and insecure this used to make me as a first time mom, it was fun for me to hear her take on how we handle sugar in our home - particularly because this is something that year after year, Halloween after Halloween, we have tried to neutralize and normalize as a family.

So, hear how my daughter talks about:

• Reframing “how much is too much” with “how much is enough”
• How this shifts between people, on different days, and as a normal part of life
• What you can do to help reinforce intuitive eating in your kids and family this holiday season

Tune in for this honest, open-book episode with my 8-year-old!

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

What do you do with all that's left?

In this episode, we chat about:

• Places you can donate candy in your community (and how to transition to a spirit of Thanksgiving in doing so)
• Ways to repurpose unwanted candy (so that mom can save money on candy come Christmas)
• Swapping the unwanted candy for other fun rewards (using the Switch Witch)

Before you decide how your family wants to approach all of the excess Halloween candy, be sure you know how to share the joy (instead of stealing it...via your child's candy).

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

In this episode, we chat about:

• Your action plan for once you and your kids get home with all of the Halloween candy
• How to help your child self-regulate after trick-or-treating
• A simple approach to step in as a safety inspector instead of a food cop
• The three-part framework to lead your kids through when deciding what candy to keep (and giveaway)

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

On Monday's episode, I addressed the first part of her question with the HOW we approach this. In this episode, we will get into spelling out the structure you may want to schedule into the days surrounding Halloween. With a clear approach to discerning how much candy to allow, you will walk away confident (instead of annoyed) the next time your child asks, "Mom, can I have candy?!"

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

If you have listened to the other episodes in this series on Halloween, you know that discerning how much is "too much" with how much is "enough," isn't always a black and white answer.

However, HOW we approach this is rather straight-forward. Rather than feeling the need to excessively control and restrict or uncontrollably let our kids have at their candy (in a way that disrupts their appetite for other foods and eating opportunities), this episode will walk you through how to add structure and predictably to a request that can otherwise escalate into an issue.

This how-to will help you to work together with your child to come up with a plan for how much and how often candy is enjoyed. This will lessen any stress, annoyance, and uncertainty on both sides of the feeding relationship.

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

With that, I made the assumption that many of you might also like to know some non-candy options for Halloween.

I'm going to give you some really fun novelty ways that you can still enjoy the holiday with less sugar offerings. So if you are wanting to minimize the amount of added sugar that's being passed out from your house or given to your kids or you are looking for more allergen-friendly ideas, this episode is going to be right up your alley.

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

The Teal Pumpkin Project: support kids with food allergies

For most adults, we assume so. We blame the candy, cupcakes, or sugar-coated culprit for being the root of our child's behavioral problems.

But what data do you have to support this? Observationally and anecdotally, most moms I speak to could come up with a laundry list of examples. So does it surprise you that studies looking at the association between sugar intake and hyperactivity are considered "case closed?"

With the exception of a small subset of children who have diagnoses ADHD, the research shows that sugar is NOT to blame for patterns of poor behavior in kids. Conversely, we see that often it is the perception of sugar as the problem that leads parents to defer accountability on what they can control (being what, when, and where a child is offered a variety of meals and snacks, including those that are sugar-sweetened).

To pinpoint the problem AND have a more accurate depiction of what you can do about it, this episode is going to force you to pivot with pointers on how to problem solve the ever-so-common concern of "sugar highs," right before Halloween gets here.

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

But for a lot of us, whether it started in childhood, came about in adolescence or early adulthood, or presented more once becoming a mom, we may have less-than-fond memories that are triggered this time of year by ghosts from our pasts.

Memories where we made ourselves sick on candy. Felt out of control around all the holiday treats. Experienced shame, guilt, or regret because of an unhealthy relationship with all the sweets and treats.

Or we grew up being so micromanaged around Halloween candy that we still don't feel the freedom to trust ourselves around it. And in that, we haven't learned how to trust our kids with it either.

Through these memories and the messages that have been engrained in us, we have learned that sugar is a less-than-friendly foe. It is the guest no one wants around and yet everyone invites, especially this time of year. It is the party crasher every parent resents and thus, often restricts. And it taunts us - especially at Halloween time.

But it is time to confront the very things we believe about sugar. Starting with,

Is sugar your friend or your foe?

No matter your past, present, or future relationship with food, I want you to walk away from this episode knowing that you hold the power; not candy. That you have the potential to rewrite the script around sugar in your family and for the next generation of trick or treaters. You have the ability to make impact - on healing old hurts and helping form healthy new habits.

And it starts now.

It can feel like a real nightmare, and yet, it doesn't have to be. Because as we discuss in this episode, you might feel like you have no vision or plan for how a "healthy" Halloween season should look. Is it an oxymoron we can't get around? An area of our life where we do a funny dance trying to dodge a sugar-filled landmind here or there? Or is there a way we can approach the innocence of childhood with the opportunity of all this season holds for small yet developing bodies and habits.

I believe so! And as a registered dietitian and mom of three navigating the upcoming month alongside you, this month is going to begin to show you how to have a healthy approach to the upcoming month(s). 

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

I don't just mean literally with expecting a child, but it might just be that we're expecting change, or we're expecting our plans to pivot, or that our responsibilities will shift, that people will come and go, or that life will just be a little different than we know it now.

As we welcome fall (literally, last week), I want to ask this question because this is something I address within the bonus blueprint of the Mealtimes Made Easy Method. I want families to see that no matter what season of life you're in, you can still make healthy habits happen.

BUT...this is a big but...you need them to be ones that function for your family and where you.

Because our greatest action steps are not the lofty aspirations that get us what we think we ought to do or have, but they are those that help us get closer to becoming and to raising the children and the families that we have imagined in terms of fostering a healthy understanding of how to fuel and nourish our bodies.

So in this episode, we are going to go over four steps I suggest you take if you're in a season of looking ahead. Maybe you can see that there might be some potential change or challenges on the horizon and you want to do what you can now in anticipation of those events so that you can be as set up for success as possible as a family when that next season comes. Or, maybe like me, it is more just being intentional about the discipline of "preparing" so that if and when life throws you a curve ball, you will already have the habits in place to support you AND sustain you in it.

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

That's why, as we welcome the fall season, I want to help you see the small yet significant opportunities right in front of you. These start with what you're already doing. Find out how this one simple mindset shift will set your future self up for success! It is one of the best times of year to begin doing this one thing so that you can effortlessly habit stack more health goals as we get closer to the new year.

SHOWLINKS:

Join Mealtimes Made Easy: www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com

Schedule a session to chat one-on-one with Ashley: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/schedule

Leave Ashley a voicemail: www.veggiesandvirtue.com/ask

In this episode, I share part of a discussion we had on day three of three about deciding what your priorities are amidst the season you are in.

For some of us, meal prep is essential. For others, leaning more on pre-packaged meals and snacks is what makes our world operate with a little less chaos. There is no judgement for what you choose to do, but there is some insight, advice, and encouragement tucked into today's episode so that you can consider, What is your capacity currently? and which action steps will help you best accomplish your goals in the season you are in.

Instead of honing in on WHY this is happening and what we can do about it as the parents, we begin to try to limit or restrict them from how much they can eat of these given foods. That's why, in this episode, I teach parents about the concept of volume versus density and how you can begin to "level up" your kids meals and snacks so they stop grazing and are able to actually work within the meal and snack structure that helps them eat better at meals and fill up less on snacky foods.

This episode comes as a clip from day two of my Back to School Bootcamp. For more on this resource, go to www.mealtimesmadeeasy.com for all-access to this amazing resource and others like it!

But for you that don't, it seemed like it should have a permanent place on the podcast.

Because outside of wanting to empathize with the woes of sending school lunches our kids don't eat, I wanted you to have a bit deeper perspective on how I came up with Love it, Like it, Learning it®, how it shaped what I send to school then vs now, and the way I know this approach can empower you in coming up with what a "healthy" lunchbox looks like for your child.

So tune in for a short clip from day one of my Back to School Bootcamp. I touch on the homework we did to work through creating lists of foods that were school- AND child-approved! The best part is, so many moms have since shared what a helpful exercise this was to work through. You can begin the work too starting with THIS clip from my Back to School Bootcamp.

Quick, easy, and economical to make for as many people as you need, this is a simple way to fill your kiddos up afterschool. Plus, with some many kids peanut-free at school, this is a great way to get in the nutrition of nuts in the safety of your own home.

“At what age do you stop doing a division of responsibility in feeding?"

Whether you are new to this feeding approach or a veteran now and wondering when your roles in feeding shift to allow your child some age-appropriate independence, this episode will walk you through the basics of a responsive feeding style at each age and feeding stage.

Eliminating mental fatigue of what to plan and prep each week is a must during the busyness of back to school, so don't miss my secret to doing so as a busy mom of three myself!

Whether it is your first-time packing school lunches or you are a few weeks in and already feeling stuck, this episodes offers a simple mindset shift EVERY parent needs (myself included!). It is an easy concept to forget but also, one of the easiest shifts you can make to save your sanity, extend your food budget a bit further, and reverse picky eating tendencies that can easily occur.

Listen in to how this ONE THING can perpetuate so many solutions to other common feeding issues with kids.

Make it so your kids are no longer turning their noses up to moldy berries, dried out veggies, or groceries that go bad before they're even offered. Instead, tune in for these simple tips and start saving money, enjoying more fresh and healthy foods, and wasting less each and every week.

But now, four years into being a mom of three kids, I am taking a quick minute to reflect on four key things I have realized as we move into our "oldest youngest's" 4th birthday. As we celebrate Owen this week, I open up about how our season as a family is finally changing, how my capacity feels like it is finally expanding again for things like letting my kids back in the kitchen again, and how the systems we have set up since Owen was born have legit saved my sanity and helped me to be more consistent in meeting our family's feeding goals.

Come join me for some real-life mom talk, including real-life interruptions.

If you have wondered about any of the following lunchboxes, see how each of these rank in comparison to the other:

Easy Lunchboxes, Yumbox, Bentgo, LunchBots, OmieBox, and PlanetBox.

And while you shouldn't need to get a new bento box each year, I am in the business of testing these out. Both as a dietitian and a mom, I like to test out each and every product I share with my clients and community. So this episode will do just that!

Sharing with you what I like (and what I don't), I dive into the pros and cons of each of the bento boxes we have owned over the years. I also highlight how this has evolved as our number of children has grown, taste preferences have changed, and health goals increased.

So listen in for the clif notes on each of the following brands of bento boxes: Easy Lunchboxes, Yumbox, Bentgo, LunchBots, OmieBox, and PlanetBox.

And even though our needs versus wants as adults are a bit more significant than the yearning for more art supplies or a new backpack in little kids, we too have to discern our needs versus wants - especially when it comes to back to school shopping. That’s why in episode 50, I shared the top 5 things I would invest in when it comes to lunch packing supplies for school.

These are the items I find essential to packing lunches for our family, or rather, the items we NEED the most.

In this episode, we are going to highlight Our 9 Favorite Novelty Items for lunchboxes - including all those fun, cute, and added items for the days you are feeling a little “extra.” You don’t need these items, but these are those that I am most often asked about when families want something to spice up a bento or bring a little added joy to their child’s lunchbox.

As always, you can access these items and more Kids School Lunch Packing Favorites in my amazon shop: bit.ly/veggiesandvirtue.

In this episode, I share the numbers of what I spent so you can get a sense of what kind of investment to expect, what I like about each of the recommended options, plus the links and coupon codes you want to grab these items yourself (should they be a good fit for you and your family budget). As always, you can see all of my favorites on Amazon here.

I always enjoy hearing from you and appreciate when you ask me questions via voice memos. You can go here anytime you have a question you want to ask!

That's why, in this episode, I want to give you my three-step plan to take BEFORE that burnout hits so that the variety you want and the foods your kids crave can coexist well into the school year. These tasks don't take a lot of time now, if you work through what I outline in this episode as you listen! Instead, take these five minutes being proactive before the lunch-packing season is in full swing to save your sanity and your child's stomach before back to school.

More specifically, I want you to get these items in your child's hands. Because bento boxes, snack packages, water bottles, etc. can offer both opportunity AND excuses for why our kids do or don't eat well when they go back to school. They are great tools for fueling our kids during the school day, but that begins with them being able to open them and use them to their potential.

So whether this is your child's first time to preschool, they're starting kindergarten and have all the normal nerves, or are returning to class with a fresh lunch set up, tune in to this episode for five things you can do to help them get tactically and practically ready for school.

You can find all my favorite lunch packing products, as mentioned in this episode, here.

That's why in this episode, we talk about how to handle things like negative body image and/or inappropriate comments that are made in front of our toddlers and children. While kids are still forming their views on body image and their own relationships with food, we know how they can be impacted by some of the things that people around them say or do.

So let's highlight two things every parent can do to respond when situations like these that play out - with extended family, in laws, or as we get back into the school year and kids hear things from others. We can't always avoid our children hearing these things being said, but we can control how we respond to such situations.

While I will do another episode on how to handle this in a school setting, in this episode I teased out some of my family's favorite dairy-free snack ideas. These are options that are fun for anyone, including the child with food allergies or intolerances as well as siblings, friends, or the mama who often plans to share their snack (like me!). And while my goal is always to provide you with nutritious options, I also touch on how finding options such as these are important to more than just the child's physical health but also that of her social and emotional well-being in adjusting to life after being diagnosed with a food intolerance.

So beyond the basics of goldfish crackers or a string cheese, this episode highlights some easy dairy-free snack ideas for playdates. Each of these items are shown on my Combination Cards too (if you would like visual reference for the items mentioned). You can get the snack deck for 20% off right now, or the breakfast, lunch, and snack deck bundle for 30% off now through the end of August.

Like episode 16 on soda, this is a bit of a hot button topic. As a mom, I can relate to hot dogs (and the like) being an easy, affordable, fan favorite - especially during the summer months. But as a registered dietitian, there are a few foods I exercise more caution around offering. That's because, some foods have more evidence-based reasoning to avoid rather than to include in our diets. Hot dogs and other processed meats are among such foods.

So join me for this episode where I dive into the research and official recommendations to help you translate if, how many, and what type of hot dogs to feed your family (plus a tip on what I do with mine).

Without creating a dynamic where our children grow up to be hyper-focused about sweets, I share what I would focus on at each of the first three ages and stages of development to help your family build a healthy foundation to including all foods - including sweets and treats.

Listen in to this episode where I answer a mom's voice memo asking me about just this. How should you handle it? Is it on a case-by-case basis or as a consistent part of your meal plan? How do you get in this habit WITHOUT creating new, bad habits as a result of a bedtime snack?

We cover all this and more about kids, bedtime snacks, and establishing a clear, consistent approach to feeding your family on this episode.

Except, I know a lot of people don't feel confident in picking out the perfect watermelon. Don't waste another minute thumping melons at the store. This episode covers 4 fool-proof tips that work every time and 1 trick that doesn't make a difference.

With food costs on the rise and summer produce at its peak, this is an episode you are DEFINITELY going to want to listen to!

I recognize that I am not alone in this, especially considering how many times I have seen parents carefully make a plate with the 1-2 foods their child *may* eat.

Besides the distractions of other kids making it hard to sit still and the foods that are likely prepared differently than what's offered at homes, kids -- especially picky eaters -- can really struggle with what to eat when at summer gatherings.

Our kids struggle is our stress, so let's lay down some ground rules for your next summer potluck. With a clear understanding of your role in the feeding relationship and how this applies to social scenarios outside the home (like backyard barbecues or picnics), your family can head to these gathering with a plan and peace of mind that isn't dependent on if and what your picky eater eats.

Since sharing about this on Instagram, I have gotten several questions about this drawer, how it is used (or could be abused!), and more on the logistics about keeping the food fresh.

That’s why in this episode, I am going to help you to create a kid-friendly snack drawer of your own. I will walk you through where this ought to be in your specific fridge, several healthy snack options to put in it, and how to ease your family into using it. After the episode, you will know just how to set your kids and family up with healthy snack habits that don't have them heading straight for the pantry any time you hear those words, "Mom, I'm hungry!"

Because with our schedule, and I know with so many other family schedules, there are a million moving pieces in the summer. No matter how hard we try and establish a routine, things just don't feel as streamlined as they do during the school year. But with this, there's this flexibility and freedom in the summer. The sun is up later and whether your dinner time is the same time every day or gets pushed a little bit later, or you're eating outside, or the kids are playing in the yard while you're preparing dinner, there's this element that we want to enjoy dinner a little bit.

But that doesn't take away the fact that dinner is still work. It's still a job to come up with the menu, to make sure we have the groceries, and to actually prepare the food. That's all in hopes someone will even eat it!

So in this episode, I want to walk you through some really easy weeknight dinner ideas, using ingredients that you already have on hand using a seasonal menu.

You can get my seasonal meal plan here for one that's been done for you. Or tune into this episode for my tips on how to come up with your own rotating meal plan that helps lessen mental fatigue, capitalize on crowd favorites for dinner, and expand on for added variety to ensure easy summer evenings all season long!

And as much as we might wish a sink or swim approach would work when introducing them to new foods, the frustration many parents face each day reiterates that forcing them to take a bite isn't a sustainable nor stress-free approach.

Instead, much like taking our kids to the pool, there are some steps we need to go through in order for it to be a fun experience for everyone. These are SIMPLE and something that we often do without thinking when it comes to packing the pool bag and applying sunscreen before teaching our kids to swim. But too often, we speed past these steps and disregard their importance when it comes to teaching our kids to eat.

So if you like analogies, this episode is going to translate all of the professional feeding jargon you need to know to help your picky eater find breakthrough. Using the "Steps to Eating" as the evidenced-based approach, Ashley gives you clear advice that is as obvious as the sunscreen that hasn't been rubbed in on your child's cheeks. This is an episode you want to dive into!

Because while we may not have to pack lunchboxes each and every day of summer, the daunting feeling of feeding our kids (plus any neighbors or friends that come to spend the day with us) can threaten our fun.

That's why, in this Meals Made Easy episode, I want you to get out this ONE kitchen tool to making your summer lunches truly easy for all. You can make it and take it outside to share with any number of others, or you can pack it up more quickly and easily than making everyone their own individual lunches.

In doing so, there is a restored sense of spontaneity, flexibility, and fun for summer...even when it comes to feeding!

This episode comes from a segment I did with my friend, Jennifer, over on The Families That Stick Togather Podcast. You can listen to the complete episode here.

I love Lauren's approach to simplicity and how passionate she is about being organized, efficient, and helping families find simplicity. There are so many parallels that with the work that Lauren does over at The Intentional Edit and the work that I do in feeding at Veggies & Virtue.

I know that you all are going to find a lot of really valuable nuggets for how you can simplify your summer routines, get your kids involved in a way that lowers the stress for you and creates some family management, and systems that will help make your summer more enjoyable for you and your kids.

So join Lauren and I in this interview, as she helps busy overwhelmed moms find solutions that bring simplicity to their home and to their life.

Whether you find yourself still heading out to work but with kids now heading to childcare or you are at home and busy coordinating summer sports, camps, and such, how we start our days matter! Even when it comes to the new and "not normal" routine of summer.

That's why in this episode, I am sharing my current menu for fast and easy breakfast ideas. I am telling you the exact dietitian-mom approved menu we are working off of each week so that you can take it and copy it for your own use, or so that you can hear what I am doing as some inspiration to get you started with when coming up with your own weekly rotation of breakfast ideas.

So reheat that cup of coffee and make sure that you come up with a menu for your morning rotation as summer gets started. You can swap in and out new ideas at any point as you see tweaks are needed, ingredients are out, or plans change. The main point here is to start your day with one less thing to think about, since summer brings enough added coordination of kiddos already!

But if you listen back to the mom’s initial question, you might remember that she spoke specifically to how to handle the request for seconds with one child versus the other?

As with many families, we may have one child who eats everything and then still wants more. That seems to not rock the boat for too many parents as we associate it to true hunger and a larger appetite. But with other children, particularly those with more particular appetites (i.e. those who are “picky”), we as parents can fumble on how to respond to their requests for more of a given food when they haven’t eaten any of the other ones offered.

Should our response be the same to both kids? Why, when one is clearly eating “better” than the other? How do we do the things we ought to do and not the things we are not to do when it comes to feeding kids with very different appetites and preferences?

This episode will address just this.

Running through the final three things to set your WHOLE family up for success, we will wrap up this three part series with 3 tips to maintaining a fair feeding approach among picky eaters, great eaters, and any kind of other eater.

To help get us ready for the summer months, celebrating things like Memorial Day, and the 4th of July, this episode will give you EASY ideas you can involve your kids in whether you want to make it fun and festive or are searching for ideas that are food-dye free for families.

I am always looking for an excuse to have a little extra fun with food. Particularly with the given nature of doing more patriotic things and incorporating red, white, and blue foods, summer can be a fun time to start experimenting with food, practicing having more fun with your food, incorporating your kids in the kitchen, and getting them a little more hands-on with what items you might be offering.

So whether you're hosting some sort of a festive holiday gathering or bringing something to a potluck or a party, this episode will give you healthy dessert ideas the whole family will enjoy. Each are fun, festive, and food dye free!

Not limiting our kids from having more seems so counter-intuitive at times, especially when they aren’t even touching the other things being offered.

As a mom, I understand this and have felt your frustration first hand more times than I can count. But as a dietitian, I also know the impact of having a positive and pressure-free feeding environment on raising kids who truly are amazing eaters…in their due time.

So in this episode, we are going to review when it is okay to say no to seconds. There are three main reasons you might find yourself needing to limit extra helpings, and I want to review each of these so you feel empowered and equipped when the answer really does need to be, “no.”

However, with each of these situations, I compare and contrast how the message you are reinforcing isn’t one of pressure or restriction, but rather of values like learning manners, money-management, and mindfulness with their body’s response to food.

This is a must-listen episode for any parent who struggles with how to respond when their child asks, “Can I have seconds of ABC?” (even when they haven’t eaten any of XYZ).

However, as fresh berries come into season and become a bit more accessible for families to enjoy, I am sharing three tips to stretch your food budget so the whole family can enjoy more of the coveted foods in your cart, like berries. You will find how you can incorporate fresh berries in more affordable ways so that there are enough for everyone!

That's why in this episode, we will dive into three clues that the parent is more of the problem than the child's actual request for more at mealtimes. These are common responses and often feel counter-intuitive to not do in situations like your child asking, "Can I have seconds?"

So come hear me out for part I of III on the subject of allowing more at family mealtimes.

I know there are many families who struggle to make one meal be a crowd pleaser for all, especially with picky eaters at home or parents that have preferences very different from their kids. That's why this episode is going to tee you up for summer and walk you through the thought process I go through to make easy weeknight dinners for my family - even when what is on the menu is something I know my kids don't particularly want.

Journeying from being a Division I athlete to a mom of two littles, Liz shares how moms of all different personality types and fitness pasts can accomplish healthy, sustainable habits in motherhood. From finding your Kickstart Habit to actually making it happen, Liz brings the consistency and community I know a lot of moms are looking for.

So get ready to listen in, and then to exercise your follow through muscle in response to this episode!

That is, the muffin tin! It can be so tempting to just eat the scraps off of our kids plate for whatever they didn't eat at lunch. But take a quick minute and think about not only what that does for you and your own mental and physical health, but also what teachable moments may be missed here.

You are likely eating excess of their love it foods or more than likely, their learning it foods. What if you had a way to eat from and enjoy these foods alongside them in an effortless way AND you could use up the random ingredients you have on hand in the process?

You can, and this episode will walk you through the details of when, how, and why!

This week's Meals Made Easy Monday episode shares just that! With five fast and easy hacks to add more protein at breakfast (without relying on eggs, yogurt, or smoothies), you will walk away from this episode with new ideas in your AM arsenal.

It has been FAR from what I thought would be my family's story and professional journey with feeding kids as a pediatric dietitian. And yet, I am so thankful to take a hot second to reflect and share with you all an open and honest glimpse at it all.

Thank you for being a loyal supporter of this business and community! I truly could not do the last five years without moms like you.

So listen in to why THIS is one of the go-to items in my kid-friendly snack drawer this spring (and summer). You will walk away knowing how to curb a common pitfall with picky eating AND how to boost nutrition with barely any extra effort.

This episode comes after a conversation I had with a fellow mom, following a presentation I gave to her MOPs group. Since it was a situation like one I had faced in my own home; I knew many families must be wondering – what do we do when our children hide food, specifically candy? Particularly when we, as parents, think we are being proactive about promoting food neutrality, this can feel like an embarrassing discovery and awkward situation address.

So, let’s get this conversation out in the open! These are the four things I have done as a dietitian mom and encourage other moms to do too when they find sneakiness around food.

This is a friend I know well, and I know both her deeply rooted desire to feed her children healthfully and yet the rut we can still find ourselves in when we find something that just works! Easy wins are a saving grace in motherhood, but how can we also make sure that the ease they offer doesn't end up creating bigger issues like picky eating? This episode addresses just that!

With advice for the parent who may offer the same kind of noodles multiple times a week, consider what simple swaps you can make to add variety but with zero extra effort. These will gradually help add variety to your child's diet without compromising what your kid loves about go-to's like buttered noodles.

Ashley loves getting listener-submitted questions, like this, so thank you Sarah for submitting this message. You can send Ashley a voice memo here.

In this episode, Ashley walks families through how to make decisions around what your family's approach is to things like soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Ashley challenges you as the parent and nutritional gatekeeper to identify what your family may be doing or need to begin doing with their beverage choices from the perspective of building healthy habits. Lastly, Ashley shares sample dialogue on how you might want to approach talking about things like soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages with you kids. This gets to the bottom of Sarah's question: How do we talk about these with our kids in a way that doesn't give them emotional value or label them good, bad, unhealthy, healthy, but instead equips our kids to handle sugar-sweetened beverages.

Hear how to cook the most PERFECT hard-boiled egg with Ashley's 5-5-5 method. It will quickly become your new go-to, meat-free, no-fuss, prep-ahead protein to add in at lunches...and as a bonus, it is easy enough for even a toddler to peel. This way, you and your family can start enjoying hard-boiled eggs straight out of a bento box or with your favorite snacky lunch.

So whether your child refuses most animal products (and complete proteins for that matter) or is on a saying "no" to sandwiches streak, this episode has you covered.

With a kid-friendly form of protein that is easy to make and even easier for them to peel independently, this method is going to be a game changer for you and your family this Easter season (and in all those that follow).

Ashley spells out safe and easy ideas to fill eggs with that don't lack fun, plus festive ideas that fall into one of Ashley's core four categories for filling an Easter basket. These are tried and true by this dietitian mom and are sure to add some egg-citing additions to your family's upcoming festivities.

So pop in your airpods on the way to Target and take note of a few things you may want to pick up while there!

In episodes that are 10 minutes or less, I will share a breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas with you each month (plus a bonus on the months with five Mondays!). I hope these help you begin adding in some EASY variety with the ingredients you already have on hand or during the grocery shopping you are already doing.

So, appropriately in time for Easter, we are going to kick things off talking about EGGS and why you shouldn't get too stuck on serving them just scrambled every day. Instead, take advantage of the Easter season to try one of the five ways I share here, and help your child learn to like eggs LOTS of ways!

This can be a perpetual problem that really pulls on a mom's heart strings. Because although we want to connect with our child and feel like the most loving thing to do might be to allow them up to sit with us, boundaries can quickly get crossed and meal time expectations quickly take a turn for the worse. We may assume our child will eat better if we let them back up also, but Ashley outlines how this isn't actually an effective approach for eating competence.

That's why in this episode, Ashley outlines how to discern if how you are responding is showing love or setting limits. Through three different value-based considerations, Ashley helps you walk through how to handle the season you are in with compassion and yet clear boundaries so that everyone is able to eat and enjoy the meal.

This listener submitted question asked how she could get her kids to stay at the table and engage in the family meal. To help with both the listener's 18 month old and four year old, Ashley shares how to GET S.E.A.T.E.D.!

This episode defines each of the steps in GET S.E.A.T.E.D. so that you:

• know exactly what to do to bring your child to the table
• set appropriate boundaries and expectations around meal times
• offer your child(ren) the social, emotional, and developmental support they need to not just survive but thrive at meal times

Have a question you want to Ask Ashley? Record it here, and she will answer it live on an upcoming episode!

Tune in to this episode for real-life dietitian mom advice and encouragement on:

• How to handle ordering out for our kids (or letting them choose!)
• Important considerations that you as the parent can control (even if/when your child doesn’t eat what they ordered)
• Keeping a big picture perspective of navigating nutrition during an occasional meal away from home or when on an extended vacation

For all of your families who need a night off from cooking or are packing for spring break, this is an episode you will definitely want to make sure to tuck in the diaper bag to take with you!

As a mother of four and a wife of 18 years, she understands how everyday distractions can impact face-to-face communication and threaten the strength of our relationships. She has found a way to help us all to gather with easy meaningful, and fun communication in real-life in the small moments we already have. The mission of Togather™ is to protect the strength of communication within families so that we can protect the strength of the Family the way God intended. 

Jennifer has been in the trenches of just trying to get dinner made to now making sure her whole family can find a time to all eat together (amidst afterschool sports and activities). And although her challenges have changed, Jennifer opens up about how she made small yet intentional moments happen in the early years to set her and her family up for the teen years.

In this episode, Ashley shares her go-to solution for moms who don't plan on nor want to do a bunch of meal prep on the weekend, but who do need easy dinner ideas that are doable day after day. This system works without requiring a bunch of extra ingredients or energy (because who wants to make a last minute run to the store for something they forgot...NO MOM DOES!). Instead, this episode walks you through how to go about gathering all the goods so that when you are ready to cook (or assemble) dinner, you have everything ready in one simple, straight-forward swoop.

Learn how you too can decrease food waste, use up random ingredients you otherwise might not know what to do with, and make your family's dinner meal ideas that much more straight-forward and simple come 6:00 pm (or whenever you do dinner).

So join Ashley in an episode where she introduces the five pillars for meal planning. Even amidst all of the systems she has used and shared over the years, they all come back to these five pillars. Applying these to your life, you will find how to come up with a practical plan that fits your unique family. Ashley also gives a little dose of dietitian mom advice for how to pivot when life happens and plans change. Hint: it doesn't have to derail all of your dinner ideas!

• How filling in the blank is holding you back, "I have my own stuff, but for my kid I just want _______________."
• The unaddressed insecurities you may face in your own relationship with food (and how they may be impacting your child)
• The anxieties about feeding you feel, your child experiences, and the ineffective interplay you may be experiencing when worry and anxiety impact appetite
• What you can do to move forward (without getting ahead of yourself)

This isn't the easiest episode to listen to nor apply, but tuning in with your head and your heart can be one of the biggest impetus to change if you're ready to go there with Ashley in this episode.

• How to create a firm foundation for feeding your family and raising a child who has a healthy relationship with food
• The roles you and your child each have at and around the table
• Establishing healthy boundaries for more peaceful mealtimes (instead of living with the stress that comes from switching roles)
• Creating consistency with a big picture approach amidst the minutia of meals and snack

This is an episode you will want to reference often, so be sure to subscribe to this podcast so that you can easily pull it up any time you need!

Connect with Ashley
On Instagram: @veggiesandvirtue
Online: www.veggiesandvirtue.com
By email: info@veggiesandvirtue.com

In this episode, Ashley shares her word for the year in 2022. She also opens up about how God has been moving in her personal and professional life to include launching this podcast and :

1. Recognizing the pace of the present day and current season of parenthood

2. Recovering from perfectionism and reclaiming a place for flexibility, fun, and freedom

3. Living more disciplined than distracted with our time, including on social media

Ashley is excited to use this place and space to serve you better. Come pull up a stool at her kitchen counter!

Connect with Ashley

On Instagram: @veggiesandvirtue

Online: www.veggiesandvirtue.com

By email: info@veggiesandvirtue.com