Veggies & Virtue

Latest Episodes:

122. Kid-Friendly Menu Ideas for April! How to save time and energy meal planning each month Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Do you feel like you quickly fall in a rut with what meals or snacks to make your family?

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.

121. Easy, Kid-Friendly Lunch Idea for Easter: A Healthy, Egg Hunt Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

Are you looking for a fun way to switch up the menu this week? Then, look no further than this episode.

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.

120. What kind of eggs should you buy? How to make an informed choice in the egg aisle Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

Are you overwhelmed with the number of options there are with eggs these days? For a single ingredient food, there are so many marketing terms added to cartons of eggs that easily confuse any consumer.

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.

119. Should your child learn to like eggs? How to address egg allergies or aversions to eggs with kids Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

Are kids ever allowed to just "not like" something?

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.

118. Guess my most popular episode ever... Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

I know, it seems crazy right?!

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:

Tune in to today's episode for more on what to expect this week.
If you didn't hear my favorite way to boil eggs the first time, go give it a listen here.
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.
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."
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!

117. Don’t know how to expose your kids to new foods? How to do your own March Madness bracket challenge Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

Are you a March Madness fan?

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.

116. What is the best way to store recipes? Eliminate mental and physical clutter around meals Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

With this listener submitted question, we discuss how to eliminate mental and physical clutter around meals as busy moms. Many of us were raised to store everything in a recipe box, but now, with electronic, app-based, and an ongoing appreciation for hardcopy cookbooks, it can be hard to organize healthy meal ideas for our family.

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.

115. Are you triggered by your child’s tantrums? How to overcome this feeling towards offering new foods. Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Does your child need to eat more vegetables? If they are like most typical kids, of course they do!

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.

114. Do you have a plan? What ’6 weeks left until Spring’ taught me as a busy mom of three Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Do you find yourself wanting to improve your family's diet and expand on the healthy choices you are making, but as a busy mom, you just don't feel like you have the capacity to do the things you need to do?

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.

113. Candy-free Easter Basket Ideas for Kids: tried-and-true Easter egg and basket fillers from a Christian dietitian mom of three Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Looking for Easter basket ideas for kids that aren't candy?

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:

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.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected