Kids Cook Real Food Blog

Our interview guest today has been a journalist and writer for many years and earned herself the title of “Worst Mom in America.” I’m so proud to interview her because she earned that title when she let her 9-year-old ride the subway alone and wasn’t afraid to write about it in a major publication. 🙂 Growing wings from the firestorm that ensued, she published a book called Free-Range Kids and has been an advocate for letting kids grow ever since. She encourages legislation to protect parents when they are making wise choices for their children’s independence and even has a nonprofit offering curriculum to schools and families with the sole purpose of encouraging adults to step back so that children [Read more...]

People ask me all the time what we do in our family about desserts and sweets. I figured the last Healthy Parenting Connector before we take a break for the holidays is a great time to address the topic! FREE DOWNLOAD: 10 Snacks Kids can Make Today I’ll dig into: Why sugar shouldn’t be a free-for-all Our current dessert strategy and its pros and cons What special considerations we offer for holidays and special occasions Can’t see the video? Find out how often you should eat dessert on YouTube here! No time for the video? Here are the notes! Dessert Rules Video Time Stamps 0:08: Are you stressed out by raising healthy kids in a world of candy, sweets, and [Read more...]

No guilt, mamas…but you might be sacrificing your family if you keep putting yourself last. My guest today, Sam Shay, was raised by a mom who didn’t take care of herself, and he suffered for it. He’s passionate about reaching mompreneurs and other busy moms (um, who isn’t??) with the message of how moms can help their families by helping themselves. Grab your FREE Instant Pot Guidebook He’s a functional doc who not only looks at the whole person when seeking health, but he’ll share with us today why looking at the whole family is the way to truly “function” as a unit. May you be inspired to invest in yourself AS an investment in your family! Can’t see the [Read more...]

Remember when you were young – how did you think about your body? Did you want to lose weight? Did you try diets as a teenager? And did your mom talk about her own body or looks in negative ways? All of this can really impact growing minds, but now that WE are the parents, we want to raise kids with healthy body images and a great relationship with food. FREE DOWNLOAD: 10 Snacks Kids can Make Professor of psychology and author of “The Body Image Book for Girls,” Dr. Charlotte Markey, joins us today to talk about just that! You’ll learn: How celebrating kale can backfire What happens when we try to eat ice cream at 10:30 a.m. Why [Read more...]

If you put a bike helmet or a seatbelt on your kids to protect their bodies from harm…what’s the equivalent for their minds and emotions? I submit that it’s a strong family identity and family culture, built through traditions. Today we’ll talk about: 1. How traditions create a family identity 2. How having a strong family identity grounds children and increases emotional well-being 3. Why you want to be intentional about “who” your family is and how your kids feel about it 4. Perfect opportunities (holidays, seasons, COOKING!) to set up traditions and build that family culture that will protect your kids, give them something to cling to and return to, and not get tossed about on the winds of [Read more...]

Picky eating. It’s a bane of many parents’ existence, but it doesn’t have to be this way. I love how every expert brings their own perspective to the table when it comes to various root causes of picky eating, and Renae Fieck brings her experience as an occupational therapist to us today. We’ll talk about: How the feeeeeeel of food can impact how much and how well kids eat How to avoid micromanaging in practical ways Strategies to teach kids to know when they’re full, choose the right amount of food to eat, and listen to their bodies (many adults need these skills too!!!) FREE DOWNLOAD: 10 Snacks a Preschooler can Make Super fascinating explanation of how feeding actually follows [Read more...]

I love Mareya Ibrahim’s candid humor as we talk about why perhaps we shouldn’t be pursuing things that start with “die” like diets, why we don’t need to have a deprivation mindset to be healthy, and more. In this great interview with the bestselling author of “Eat Like You Don’t Give a Fork,” you’ll learn: How to love your food again What living the 90/10 rule really looks like The basic building blocks a chef prepares before the week starts to make meal planning a snap A mindset shift for parents when it comes to getting kids to eat veggies FREE: Reading Nutrition Labels Worksheet How to make friends with your greens What a “tastebud reset” might look like (and [Read more...]

My brain literally lit up with realizations during this interview, and I realized WHY I procrastinate and better yet, the simple solution to stop doing it. Learn from parenting expert Jacqueline Green why silly may be the new serious, why “ok” MUST be the new great, and how simplified parenting is the new measure of success. Calling all Type A mamas… Calling all overwhelmed mamas… Calling all mamas who would (and do) do anything for their kids… You need this wisdom. It comes from the trenches of a failed marriage, a battle with depression, and Jacqueline’s realization that “doing it all” wasn’t just her goal — it was her downfall. And it wasn’t serving her kids. FREE DOWNLOAD: 10 Snacks [Read more...]

Some doctors say the whole idea of PANS/PANDAS is a hoax. But when you talk to practitioners who have brought children back to being themselves again after late-onset ADD, unexplained rages or mental confusion that no one can diagnose — it’s clear that this mental and physical diagnosis is not only real but a miracle for many families. FREE DOWNLOAD: 10 Foods that Fight Depression I sat down with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a rockstar pediatric psychologist, to get the scoop for you on what PANS/PANDAS looks like, and why it might be the root cause of a host of very strange and concerning symptoms. We’ll cover: What PANS/PANDAS is and how it differs from other behavioral and physiological struggles kids [Read more...]

White sugar is ubiquitous in our society and wreaking havoc on our health. I’m thrilled to introduce you to my friend Madiha Saeed, M.D.. In this interview we get into: How refined sugar causes inflammation Why inflammation is the root of so many diseases affecting modern humans The insulin resistance problem FREE: Reading Nutrition Labels Worksheet The difference between white, refined sugar and natural sugars when it comes to our health The importance of gratitude to our overall health I guarantee you or someone you know is battling one of these diseases caused by white sugar, and I bet the doctor isn’t calling it out as a root cause. You’ll be educated and uplifted by this interview — you can’t [Read more...]