The My Little Eater Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Bonus: Mom Burnout – What it is and How to Stop it with Dr. Brooke Weinstein May 08, 2021

Show notes

In this special bonus episode of the My Little Eater Podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Brooke Weinstein, an Occupational Therapist turned Mom Coach. She is on a mission to help moms deal with the wild ride that is motherhood, and shows them how they can create a life they truly love, while continuing to be the amazing mother they already are! Today we chat about mom burnout, something that I know a lot of mothers are familiar with, have experienced, and may actually be going through right now in fact. We talk about the signs of burnout, how to recognize it, and what to do about it. She even provides her top tip for effectively using self-care to fill your cup. I know that I’ve been there before, I’ve experienced the sheer exhaustion of burnout, and I have felt that helplessness of not knowing what to do and how to make things better. I promise you, this episode will help you with all of that, I learned a few things that I’ll be using myself as well. So as we wrap up self-care week here at MLE, please take a moment to listen to this episode, and share it with another mom who could benefit from hearing what Dr. Brooke has to say. And as always, please head over to whichever platform you listen at and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! Remember to go to Apple Podcasts in order to leave a rating and review as well, I appreciate it so much. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: The Little Eaters Club has officially launched…. Yay! You’ll have access to baby and toddler friendly recipes that the whole family will enjoy and an ever-growing video library covering common feeding challenges and FAQs. As well as access to resources and guides to make feeding way easier, monthly coaching calls, and a community of supportive parents! Join in on the fun today! LITTLE EATERS CLUB: https://mylittleeater.com/little-eaters-club/ If you’re looking for more information on working with Dr. Brooke, or just want to check out some more of her content, you can connect with her here: https://www.brookeweinstein.net/ INSTAGRAM: @brookeweinst IGTV on Perfectionism in Motherhood: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CObBB0ojE-d/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link MEET DR. BROOKE: Brooke Weinstein OTD, OTR/L is here to get real about Mamahood, tips, and tricks to childhood development, and how to live in your mama truth. Brooke is a Doctor of occupational therapy. With over a decade of experience, Brooke built a thriving business in New Orleans called Therapeutic Learning Center which focused on treating the child and educating the entire family on coping skills and strategies to manage the societal challenges children face. With life experience, having two preemies, running a business (and household), Brooke began to feel the struggles of motherhood, being stretched too thin. This ultimately led to Brooke selling her business, stepping away to readjust her priorities, and focus more on her own family at home. “We as mothers need support and guidance to get through this life. It’s simply too much to do on our own. Having support as a mother is what our children need most in this world to thrive.” Brooke’s expertise in child development, sensory regulation, and parental connection, led Brooke to begin coaching Mama’s and families through this difficult phase of life. Brooke helps Mama’s tap into their individual strength, teach them how to trust their gut, and support growth in building emotional connections with their children and family they’ve always longed for. DM Brooke with any questions or comments (see her Instagram above). Start your journey towards thriving today! SKIP TO... Welcome Dr. Brooke! (1:58) What is mom-burnout? (10:13) How to recognize the signs before it’s too late (13:17) How to balance what you want to do with what’s good for you (19:06) Advice for moms struggling during the pandemic (24:29) Self-care tips (30:23)

#51: How to keep and make new mom friends with Danielle Bayard Jackson of Friend Forward May 06, 2021

Show notes

In this first episode of Season 3, I have the pleasure of speaking with Danielle Bayard Jackson, publicist and friendship coach. She is also the founder of Friend Forward, a membership for women aimed at creating better female friendships. Maintaining my friendships has always been a struggle for me, particularly since becoming a mom, and I find I often overthink everything to do with these relationships. And after speaking to a lot of other moms, I found this was super common! So to kick off our self-care week here at MLE in honour of Mother’s Day coming up, I decided to chat with Danielle all about the changes that happen to friendships when you become a mom, how to cope with those changes, and most importantly, I think, how to reframe friendships in our mind to realize that they are actually a necessity, not just a bonus. This was a huge one for me personally, I find that I tend to push, not only self-care, but time with my friends aside in favour of getting more checkmarks on my to-do list. Learning the research behind why friendships are actually crucial for us really helps me to prioritize them and stop looking at them as a “nice to have, if I have time”. Please head over to whichever platform you listen on and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And remember to go to Apple Podcasts in order to leave a rating and review - this is so important to ensure that this podcast can continue, and can reach more parents like yourself. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you are looking to join a community of parents that are going through the same journey as you, as far as feeding goes anyway, make sure you take advantage of the Little Eaters Club! It’s the new membership community at My Little Eater™. You’ll have access to our wonderful, non-judgmental community, get support, and get all the answers you need to your feeding questions. There’s a huge, and ever-growing, library of resources, monthly recipes, monthly coaching calls, teachings from guest experts, and more! If you’re interested, join now. LITTLE EATERS CLUB: https://mylittleeater.com/little-eaters-club/ If you’re looking for more information on how to join Friend Forward, or want some tips from Danielle herself, you can find that information here: https://www.betterfemalefriendships.com/ INSTAGRAM: @friendforward MORE ON MOM FRIENDS: https://mylittleeater.com/mom-friends MEET DANIELLE: Danielle Bayard Jackson is a certified friendship coach and national speaker dedicated to teaching women how to create and maintain meaningful female friendships. A former high school teacher, Danielle founded Friend Forward, and now uses her skills as an educator to coach women through ways to navigate common friendship conflicts. Her book, Give it a Rest: The Case for Tough Love Friendship, outlines her framework for creating platonic intimacy through difficult conversations, and it has been shared in several women’s media outlets. Danielle shares her insight weekly on The Friend Forward Podcast, answering women’s most pressing questions about navigating conflict in female friendships. Danielle is a member of the American Sociological Association, and she studies the latest research in the areas of social science to create practical ways for women to better understand each other when operating in positions of leadership, friendship, and mentorship. SKIP TO... Welcome Danielle! (1:23) How to make time for friends as a mom (5:41) Tips on maintaining friendships with women who aren’t moms (12:00) Advice for if you “overthink” friendships (17:16) Changes in friendships after entering motherhood (25:10)

#50: Gardening with Kids: How it can help your picky eater and how to get started now Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

In this final episode of Season 2, I bring on my dietetic intern, Caitlin, to chat about gardening with your toddler. She shares about why she decided to start gardening with her son, what the benefits are, changes that she’s seen, and her tips on how to get started. I know it sounds like a daunting task to have your toddler help out with such a big activity, but it really does have so many developmental benefits, not to mention the benefits that can be seen if your toddler is picky around certain foods - particularly veggies! Remember how I’ve shared in the past all the positives that can come from food exploration for your toddler? Gardening is a really fun, hands on way to get that exploration in, without any pressure to eat - it’s just a fun way for them to play in the dirt, and help you at the same time, two things toddlers love! As always, if you get value from this episode, please remember to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. AND make sure you subscribe so that you get a notification when I’m back for Season 3! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re looking for more information on what and how to feed your toddler, including a complete breakdown of the benefits of food exploration and other ideas to try with your toddler, it’s time to enroll in my Feeding Toddlers online course! Get access to all the foundational information for feeding your toddler, plus all my best strategies for preventing or reversing picky eating, now! (https://mylittleeater.com/feeding-toddlers/) FOOD EXPLORATION: https://mylittleeater.com/food-exploration/ GARDENING TIPS: https://mylittleeater.com/gardeningtips/ ABOUT CAITLIN: Caitlin is a soon-to-be Registered Dietitian, and is currently completing her dietetic internship through Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax with My Little Eater. Caitlin’s passion for dietetics began when she took an interest in eating healthier herself, and realized she wanted to help others do the same. She has a passion for supporting local and sourcing her food products as close to home as possible – which led to her passion for gardening! Aside from her professional activities, Caitlin values family above all and you can typically find her spending any free time she has with her husband and her five-year-old son, Asher. Some of her favorite activities include hiking, gardening (of course), and spending time enjoying local cuisine. Having a son of her own, she knows firsthand the challenges that come along if picky eating sets in. One of her areas of interest is infant and child nutrition, and learning how to make mealtimes more manageable for families. SKIP TO... Welcome Caitlin! (2:04) Caitlin’s experience feeding a picky eater (3:54) How gardening has helped her with picky eating (9:30) How Caitlin’s son helps in the garden (14:23) Tips for beginners (20:22) What can you easily grow indoors? (28:40)

#49: The different types of parenting styles and how they affect feeding Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

In this episode of The My Little Eater Podcast, I have the opportunity to chat with Dr. Shanna Alvarez and Dr. Jenna Elgin from Helping Families Thrive. These two are a breath of fresh air in the parenting world, they have a mission to bring the true research to parents, minus any fear mongering, and strive to help parents find that balance of what the research recommends and what will actually work for their family. Today, we’re talking all about parenting styles - what are the different styles, what are we aiming for, and how are these styles going to affect feeding your toddler. They even share their top tips for working towards the end goal of an authoritative parenting style, and provide a couple of scripts you could use when your toddler protests at the dinner table. As always, if you enjoy this episode and get value from it, please subscribe, rate and review it at Apple Podcasts. And be sure to give Helping Families Thrive a follow, you can find all of their info below! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re struggling with your toddler’s mealtimes, and want to learn about how to set your toddler up for success in feeding, or want info on preventing or reversing picky eating, check out my Feeding Toddlers online course! (https://mylittleeater.com/feeding-toddlers/) MORE ABOUT HELPING FAMILIES THRIVE: Drs. Shanna Alvarez and Jenna Elgin are the two child psychologists behind Helping Families Thrive. Their mission is to bring parenting science to the real world. As moms of 3 kids each, they relate to the struggles and joys of parenting. They want to bring the gap between the information most parents have access to and the rigorously researched tools they have from their training to bring parents real peace of mind. To achieve this goal, they’ve created Parenting Essentials, a comprehensive parenting course for children 2-10 that puts the power of the most studied evidence-based parenting programs in the palms of parents’ hands. For more information on Helping Families Thrive, or to enroll in their Parenting Essentials course - take a look here: www.helpingfamiliesthrive.com And don’t forget to use code HFTLITTLEEATER for 20% off your purchase! Find them on Instagram: @helpingfamiliesthrive SKIP TO... What are the different types of parenting styles (8:54) Tips for authoritative parenting (19:55) How to respond to toddler protests at mealtimes (24:39) Using praise during mealtimes (31:15)

#48: Is it ever ok to limit food for your baby/toddler? Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I’m answering a question from the audience, and it’s one that I get A LOT! “If my toddler (or baby) eats all of their favourite food, but doesn’t touch anything else on their plate, and wants more of their favourite...do I just give it to them?” And the short answer to this question is: yes! Your toddler gets to decide how much of what is offered that they want to eat - including none at all. However, there are exceptions to every rule...so when would it be okay to actually place some limits on their food intake? I chat about that in this episode, and explain what we want to consider before placing those limits. I go over the idea of limiting food from a parent’s perspective, and from a toddler’s - this helps to understand why limiting foods can be harmful in certain situations. As always, if you get value from this episode, please subscribe, rate and review it at Apple Podcasts! And I’m currently doing a giveaway as well (because it’s almost the end of Season 2!) - so if you write a review, include your Instagram handle in it because I’ll be entering you into a draw for a $100 gift card to Amazon. Giveaway is closing April 4th, 2021 - so don’t wait! And be sure you’re following me on Instagram (@mylittleeater) because I’ll announce the winner there! (https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-my-little-eater-podcast/id1505907186) ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re looking for more information on what and how to feed your toddler, including a complete breakdown of the division of responsibility and how to build a good relationship with all foods for your toddler, it’s time to enroll in my Feeding Toddlers online course! Get access to all the foundational information for feeding your toddler, plus all my best strategies for preventing or reversing picky eating, now! (https://mylittleeater.com/feeding-toddlers/) THE DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY: https://mylittleeater.com/dor/ EP. 9 - THE ONE FEEDING STRATEGY TO CHANGE MEALTIMES FOREVER: https://mylittleeater.com/9-the-one-feeding-strategy-that-will-change-mealtimes-forever/ LIMITING FOOD: https://mylittleeater.com/controllingfoodintake/ SKIP TO... Why parents have a natural need to limit foods (2:55) The 3 scenarios when you can limit (19:28) What about dessert? (24:30)

#47: Everything to know about eggs for your baby & toddler Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I’m sharing absolutely everything you could ever need, or want, to know about serving eggs to your baby and toddler! I go into the differences between various types of eggs on the market, the amazing nutritional properties of eggs, how and when to serve them to your babies and toddlers, and so much more! Eggs are honestly my favourite food - if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be eggs! There are so many benefits to them, nutritionally, plus they’re so easy to cook, and super versatile, so they’re a great way to add some variety into your weekly meal rotation. Listen in to get all the details, and a few new ideas on ways to safely serve them to your baby and toddler. As always, if you get value from this episode, please subscribe, rate and review it at Apple Podcasts. Share this episode with a friend that is also parenting a baby or toddler, I’m sure they’d love to know all these details too! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re looking for my top recommendations on nutrition for your baby, and on how to safely serve all types of foods - it’s time to enroll in my Baby Led Feeding online course! My new revamped version recently released, and until March 31st you’ll get access to a 30 day meal plan where I show you exactly what to serve your baby (with over 60 recipes - including the egg muffins I mention in the episode). After that, the bonus will cost extra, so enroll now to save! (https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/) TOP 8 FOODS FOR STARTING SOLIDS: https://mylittleeater.com/11-my-top-8-foods-for-starting-solids/ TEXTURE TIMELINE™ EPISODE: https://mylittleeater.com/42-textureprogression/ THREE REASONS TO SERVE TEXTURES ASAP: https://mylittleeater.com/babyfingerfoods/ BABY LED FEEDING INFO: https://mylittleeater.com/babyledfeeding/ BEST FISH EPISODE: https://mylittleeater.com/46-safefishforbabies/ THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EGGS: https://mylittleeater.com/eggs/ SKIP TO... Why I love eggs for babies/toddlers (3:29) The difference between various types of eggs (8:07) Do you need to wash and refrigerate eggs? (18:25) Is there a limit to eggs for babies/toddlers? (19:29) How to serve eggs: 6-9 months old (20:16) How to serve eggs: 9-12 months old (24:32) What to consider when serving eggs to your toddler (26:24)

#46: The best fish for your baby (and which to avoid) Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I’m revealing the extensive research I’ve done on the topic of fish for babies. I include what I find out about which fish is the safest, which should be avoided completely, and how often certain fish can safely be served. Fish has many nutritional benefits, and it’s a top allergen, so serving it beginning at 6 months of age is definitely the recommendation. But certain fish are better options than others, and trying to figure out which you can safely serve can be a bit overwhelming. I’ve done all the research for you, examined a huge variety of fish, looked at mercury levels, and created a complete outline for which fish to serve most frequently, which to serve sometimes, and which to avoid altogether. You can find my complete cheat sheet for this listed below to download! If you get value from this episode, please remember to subscribe, rate and review it at Apple Podcasts. And make sure you share this with your friends, there’s a lot of misinformation floating around out there when it comes to fish for babies, so this research needs to be available to more parents! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re looking for my top recommendations on nutrition for your baby, and on how to safely serve all types of foods - it’s time to enroll in my Baby Led Feeding online course! My new revamped version recently released, and until March 31st you’ll get access to a 30 day meal plan where I show you exactly what to serve your baby (with over 60 recipes). After that, the bonus will cost extra, so enroll now to save! (https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/) FISH GUIDELINES FOR BABIES DOWNLOAD: https://courses.mylittleeater.com/fishguidelinesforbaby THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE SAFEST FISH FOR YOUR BABY: https://mylittleeater.com/bestfish/ DO YOU REALLY NEED TO WORRY ABOUT SALT FOR BABIES? https://mylittleeater.com/44-saltforbabies/ SKIP TO... Benefits of fish (3:55) Concerns around fish (8:14) Wild vs. farmed (11:09) Canned, fresh, or frozen (15:00) Recommended guidelines (16:38) My Little Eater’s™ guidelines (22:24) My Little Eater’s™ fish picks (26:50)

#45: Understanding the readiness signs for starting solids: Purees & baby led weaning Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I’m dissecting all of the readiness signs for starting solids! These developmental signs are crucial for your baby to be ready to begin eating solid foods. I’ll even start by busting one myth now, the signs are the same for both puree feeding and baby led weaning. It doesn’t matter how you’re choosing to start feeding, your baby needs to have ALL of these signs, before you begin, to ensure their body is ready, and that feeding will be as safe as it can be. After I go through all of the signs, I’m also going to dive a bit deeper into the signs that usually result in a lot of questions from parents. Some of them can be confusing, and there’s certainly no shortage of explanations available online, and not all of them are correct, so I’m also going to be busting some more myths on this episode too! As always, if you get value from this episode, please subscribe, rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. And share it with your friends who are also starting solids with their baby, the more people that have easy access to this info, the better! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re looking for my top recommendations on nutrition for your baby, and on how to safely serve all types of foods once you know they’re ready - it’s time to enroll in my Baby Led Feeding online course! My new revamped version recently released, and you now have the option to purchase a 30 day meal plan separately that works perfectly with the course (with over 60 recipes included).(https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/) READINESS SIGNS DOWNLOAD: https://mylittleeater.com/lead-page/ IS YOUR BABY READY FOR SOLID FOOD? https://mylittleeater.com/readyforsolids/ SKIP TO... What are the readiness signs? (4:27) Clarifying “sitting up independently” (8:52) What is meant by a diminished tongue thrust reflex? (13:40) Reaching for objects but not food (15:49) What about if they’re at a higher risk for allergies? (17:07) Other myths (20:47)

#44: Do You Really Need to Worry About Salt for Babies? Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Lily Nichols, RDN. She’s known for challenging common guidelines when it comes to nutrition and dietetics, by delving into the research and really getting to the heart of the matter. She dedicates her time to finding out the true meaning of the research on many topics, and today we’re talking specifically about the research around salt for babies and how much they can really handle. I hear from clients all the time that are concerned about how to limit the salt intake for their baby. The current guidelines just seem so difficult to follow, and often unrealistic given how much salt can be found in common foods. We’ll be talking all about those guidelines, and why we feel there isn’t a need to stress about this as much as some may have you believe. We’ll talk about how your diet at home may influence how much you need to be concerned about salt for your baby, what the research really says when it comes to what harm may be caused by salt, and what this means for you when serving solids to your baby - hint-hint: you definitely do NOT have to stress as much about this as you may think! As always, if you get value from this episode, please subscribe, rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. And share it with your friends who are also starting solids with their baby, let’s take a bit of stress off everyone’s shoulders! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re looking for my top recommendations on nutrition for your baby, and on safely serving all types of foods, introducing allergens, gagging vs. choking, and more - it’s time to enroll in my Baby Led Feeding online course! My new revamped version recently released, and it comes with the option to upgrade to include a 30 day meal plan where I show you exactly what to serve your baby (with over 60 recipes). (https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/) THE TRUTH ABOUT SALT FOR BABIES: https://mylittleeater.com/salt/ If you’re looking for more information on Lily Nichols’ work, you can follow her on Instagram, @lilynicholsrdn and also check out her post on salt for babies here: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/salt-baby-food-infant-sodium-requirements/ LILY'S BIO: Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and unapologetically critical of outdated dietary guidelines. She is the author of two bestselling books, Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. You can find her work at LilyNicholsRDN.com SKIP TO... Welcome Lily! (0:52) Myths regarding salt for adults (8:01) Myths regarding salt for babies (13:25) The official guidelines for salt intake for babies (21:54) The main takeaway (35:12)

#43: The Best Bread for Baby Led Feeding Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I’m going very specific and sharing my top recommendations for choosing the best bread for your baby! Believe it or not, I actually get asked this question A LOT! Bread can contain a lot of sodium, and some even have harmful ingredients for babies, such as honey, so choosing the right type of bread can be tricky. Plus, have you been in the bakery aisle lately - there’s literally hundreds of choices! I’m not only sharing my expert recommendations on what breads I prefer for babies (I’ll share specific brands I love), but I’m also talking about what to look for in the ingredients in case you can’t find exactly the ones I recommend. AND I’m going to share how to safely serve bread to your baby. Hint-hint: you cannot serve fresh bread to a 6 month old! If you get value from this episode, please remember to subscribe, rate and review it at Apple Podcasts. And please share this episode with a friend who’s starting the solids journey with their baby! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: If you’re looking for my top recommendations on how to safely serve all types of foods to your baby, and for all the info on nutrition for your baby, introducing allergens, gagging vs. choking, and more - it’s time to enroll in my Baby Led Feeding online course! My new revamped version has released and you can upgrade your course to get access to a 30 day meal plan where I show you exactly what to serve your baby (with over 60 recipes) and the plan takes into account allergens, high iron sources, omega 3’s, and texture progression to ease you into this journey! (https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/) ALL ABOUT BREAD: https://mylittleeater.com/all-about-bread-for-babies/ INTRODUCING ALLERGENS: https://mylittleeater.com/introducinghighlyallergenicfoods/ BEST FIRST FOODS FOR BABY: https://mylittleeater.com/11-my-top-8-foods-for-starting-solids/ HOW TO TOAST BREAD: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFUho6MFH-Z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: @mylittleeater SKIP TO... When can I introduce bread? (3:08) Best types of bread for babies (4:00) What ingredients to look for in bread (6:17) My favourites! (10:13) How to serve bread (12:28)

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