Veggies & Virtue

Latest Episodes:

32. Juggling mom life, work life, and now SUMMER?! Try these SIMPLE systems to bring your stress level down AND give your kids something to do! [An Interview with The Intentional Edit] Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

On today's episode, I get the chance to chat with Lauren White, who is a mom and former teacher, turned business owner and professional home organizer.

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.

31. Fast & Easy Breakfast Ideas for Summer: a dietitian mom of three’s no-fuss, healthy AM menu ideas for next month Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

Summer is starting and it took me all of one morning with my kids home to realize: I need a plan to hit the ground running with each day!

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!

30. [Part III] Are you feeding fairly? What to do when both kids want more, but only one ”deserves” it (ie ate what was offered). The top 3 things you need to maintain a fair feeding approach Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

In this three-part series on how to handle seconds, we have reviewed what not to do and what is okay to do when it comes to giving your kids more of a given item.

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.

29. BONUS: Fun & Festive Snack Ideas for Kids! Avoid the food dyes with these dietitian-mom approved red, white, and blue ideas May 30, 2022

Show notes

For the months with five Mondays in them (like May), many of you had requested that I do a bonus episode on healthy desserts. So, although you can expect easy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas every month, I am excited to also share a special red, white, and blue episode here too!

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!

28. [Part II] My child wants more of ABC…but they haven’t eaten any of XYZ? The only THREE scenarios I advise limiting seconds – as a dietitian mom of three picky eaters. May 25, 2022

Show notes

If you listened to part I in this three-part series, you might be thinking I have lost my mind.

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).

27. Worried about the rising cost of groceries? 3 tips to stretch your food budget on coveted summer favorites, like fresh berries. May 23, 2022

Show notes

I think it was at least five years into motherhood that I ate a raspberry, and that wasn't because I hadn't been buying them. Rather, knowing that a $3 pint barely satisfied a single child, it seemed like something I better "save" for my kids to enjoy.

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!

26. [Part I] Can my child have seconds (or thirds) when they haven’t eaten everything else yet? 3 clues the parent is more of the problem than the child’s actual request for more. May 18, 2022

Show notes

The concept of "more" or allowing seconds can be tricky to navigate, particularly when your child hasn't eaten at least a little of everything they were offered. As a mom, I understand not wanting my own picky eaters to fill up on bread or fruit when there are many other nutrient-dense options available. But as a dietitian, I know that allowing my child to decide if/whether and how much they eat (from the foods offered) is imperative to establishing a healthy relationship with food.

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.

25. Do you and your husband enjoy [insert meal idea], but your child refuses to eat anything from it? Try this SIMPLE shift to make THIS into a crowd-pleaser all summer long. May 16, 2022

Show notes

In this Meals Made Easy episode on dinners, I talk about a meal that my husband and I love but my littles are still learning to like.

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.

24. Looking to kickstart your postpartum journey? Get empathy, encouragement, and some tough love advice for making healthy new habits happen! [An interview with Liz of The Tough Love Mom Podcast] May 11, 2022

Show notes

This episode features an interview with friend and fellow podcasting mom, Liz Henderson. Liz is THE Tough Love Mom of The Tough Love Mom Podcast, and she brings so much empathy, encouragement, and actionable insight to moms.

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!

23. The easiest lunch item for new ideas with ingredients you already have on hand! Find out how this kitchen tool MUST be repurposed for more! May 09, 2022

Show notes

On this Meals Made Easy Monday episode, we are diving right into one of my all-time favorite tools for easy lunches that are super impactful.

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!

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