Veggies & Virtue

Latest Episodes:

62. Should you meal prep or buy pre-packages snacks? Spoiler: the answer isn’t always the same...so stop judging others (and yourself!) like it is. Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to a snippet from day three of my Back to School Bootcamp!

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.

61. Why you feel like your kids only want to fill up on carbs. Master THIS concept and find more freedom in how to fill your kids up! Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

So many parents confuse their role in the feeding relationship when their kids come home starving, head to get a snack, and then an hour later, want another...and another...and another.

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!

60. When I stopped sending bougie foods in my kid’s bento boxes... a real-life story about balancing how many love it, like it, and learning it foods we send to school Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

If you joined in for my Back to School Bootcamp, you know this story already.

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.

59. Have sport activities until dinner time? Try this quick + easy afterschool snack idea to fill your kids up until they can eat again Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

When we don't have the time to cook and offer an early dinner nor do our kids have time to eat simply more snacks, we have to get extra smart with optimizing each bite!
By layering the nutrition of bananas, nut butter, and added fats (like hemp hearts or a few chocolate chips for fun!), these peanut butter banana nachos are a great way to take your snack up a notch.

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.

58. At what age do you STOP doing a division of responsibility with feeding? 3 things to think about as you consider a responsive feeding style over the lifespan Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

Ashlee, a mom of a nine year old, submitted this listener question,

“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.

57. Looking for healthy new meals and snacks your kids will actually eat? Eliminate mental fatigue for mom by having your kids do this... Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

It can be such a challenge to come up with meal and snack ideas the whole family enjoys, especially if you have picky eaters at home. That's why, I love sharing this tip with families so that kids can get involved in an age-appropriate way, offering their suggestions and reducing overwhelm for moms.

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!

56. Picky Eating Hack for Packed Lunches: THIS small mindset shift will save your sanity, extend your food budget, and reverse picky eating! Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

Feeling in a rut and in need of new ideas for school lunches?

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.

55. Hate when produce spoils too quickly? Remember these TWO SIMPLE TIPS to fix moldy fruit, dried out veggies, and groceries going down the drain Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, I give you two tips that will keep your fruits and veggies from going bad before you eat them. Even if your weekly meal prep is less than 15 minutes, keeping this simple mantra in mind with transform how you prep your produce.

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.

54. 4 Things I Have Learned From Feeding My Four-Year-Old Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

It's easy to say what it will be like as a parent...when you aren't yet a parent.

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.

53. Which bento ranks the best? Find out which lunchbox is the most kid-friendly, easy to clean, affordable, versatile, and durable for your family. Aug 22, 2022

Show notes

Piggy backing on episode 52, this episode gives you the quick and dirty stats on how the six bento boxes that our family has owned over the last six years rate in terms of: being the most kid-friendly, easy to clean, affordable, versatile, and durable. Having had experience with each and all of them now, I wanted to share a synopsis of how these compare so that you can shop according to what matters most to your family and your feeding priorities.

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.

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