Kids Cook Real Food Blog

When you start cooking early in the afternoon and have a professional firefighter running the pit…Mmmmm, mmmm, BEST meat we’ve ever tasted! Watching this video that my 14-year-old son Paul edited for us brings tears to my eyes, a smile to my face, and joy to my heart. It’s so special to connect with friends around food! Last summer we had an incredible opportunity to travel as a family around a big part of the U.S., and we’d like to share one of our favorite moments with you: learning REAL Texas barbeque from our friends, the Branch family, who do this competitively! I’m blessed to have gone to high school with Mrs. Branch, and we had the most special time [Read more...]

Why is my child holding all that food in his mouth? Just chew! Why does she play with her food for so long? Just eat! Why am I unsatisfied after certain meals? They’re perfectly healthy and filling! Mary Voogt, feeding expert and food allergy aficionado, joins us today to explain how she discovered the 4 Eating Styles and how they impact family dinners with less stress and better nutrition. You’ll hear her story of each of her children challenging everything she thought she knew about feeding children and learning to eat, and that the “HOW” finally opened up a whole new world of success (and nourished children). From picky eaters to kids running around the table, it turns out there’s [Read more...]

Could you choose “one thing” to do each day? “One” primary goal for your kids? Find out how “The One Thing” business and productivity philosophy relates to parenting successful children, and let’s start the conversation: What’s your “one thing” for your kids? I thought of applying this business strategy to parenting when I interviewed Michelle Anne about being a calm mom and mindful discipline. Check out her Healthy Parenting Connector interview, her “one thing” goal for her kids’ lives and how she tries to tackle “one thing” every day. No time to watch the whole video? Here are the notes! One Thing Video Time Stamps 0:13: Today we’re going to talk about a philosophy called “the one thing.” I started [Read more...]

“Eating is the hardest thing kids will ever do.” What?!?! Have you ever thought about what we do 5x/day like this? Dr. Kay Toomey was the MOST fascinating interview I’ve ever done, and it ran so long, we had to cut it in two pieces for you! Be sure to catch part 1 here all about the difference between picky eaters and problem feeders. If you think you have a picky eater, this part of the interview will help you understand WHY your kids are so wiggly at dinner, the special chair that could make all the difference, and more practical tips for kicking picky eating to the curb. According to Dr. Toomey, it takes real intentionality to help your [Read more...]

Plenty of parents complain about their kids being “so darn picky!” (including me, even though I know I shouldn’t use that word!). But what IS a picky eater, really? Did you know: Only about 1/3 of kids are actually picky, although 50% struggle age 2-3. Only about 25% of kids outgrow it. 5-10% are problem feeders and need professional help. Dr. Kay Toomey, the most fascinating guest on the Healthy Parenting Connector yet, explains how parents can determine if their “severity” meter is accurate when it comes to their kids eating. Do you have a problem feeder who is truly extreme? Or just a picky eater? These questions will help you determine! And the craziest part — it might not [Read more...]

Move over, boring “steamed broccoli.” You’re old news there, green smoothie. There are other ways to serve vegetables so that kids will eat and enjoy them! And there’s no need for cute bento boxes every time! (Although we do love our bento boxes at our house.) There’s really not a very big difference between a picky eater who won’t let a tenth of an ounce of a vegetable past their lips or one who will always eat the one or two bites you put on their plate. We don’t really want to raise our kids to be obligatory vegetable eaters, because as soon as they get a mind of their own and a kitchen of their own, all of that might [Read more...]

They say September is the new January when it comes to meal planning…and January always feels a lot like September when it comes to lunch packing! If you’re about ready for some new ideas, inspiration, and organization to help your kids keep up a nutritious diet all day long, you’ll love this interview. (And if an Australian accent is your fav like me, all the better!) 😉 Georgia Harding is a naturopath whose morning is my nighttime, summer is my winter, and got from health to blogging in the opposite direction as me as well, but on pretty much everything else we’re well-aligned! You’ll love her definition of S.L.O.W. foods ideas of what should go in the lunchbox and routines [Read more...]

Are you fed up yet with all the sugar your kids are served outside your house (or even inside)? This is a great time of year to step back and consider the impact of sugar, learn where it’s hiding, and begin to implement some “less sugar” palate weaning tips for your kids….before Valentine’s Day hits. :/ Today we’ll talk about mindfulness, boundaries, agency, and “why” plus practical ways to train the palate to appreciate less-sweet foods. No time to watch the whole video? Here are the notes! Less-Sugar Solution Video Time Stamps 0:40: After the “sugar-fest” of holidays we’ve just had I want to talk about cutting back on the sugar. It’s not about cutting out all sugar. It’s about [Read more...]

“If only this would change, then I’d be happier…” Ever found yourself thinking that and getting stuck in the “grass is greener” syndrome? Turns out only 10% of your happiness is based on what’s happening in your life. 😮 That’s good news though, because even without changing our situation (toddler tantrums over the wrong color shirt, whack-a-mole 6-year-olds who won’t stay in bed at night, a floor that constantly needs to be swept or a tween who is being bullied at school) — we CAN change our Happiness Set Point!!! Meet Margie Bissinger, a physical therapist who discovered that teaching happiness habits to her patients in chronic pain actually improved more than just their grumpy conversations. You’ve heard from her [Read more...]

This week we’re sharing a Healthy Parenting Connector interview related to stress mastery each day! Find the notes below and check back each day for an update! Stress is something we all deal with that can be hugely detrimental to our health and relationships but also something that’s often brushed off as “normal” or “not a big deal.” Have you ever heard a friend laughing off her stress as if it’s a joke to think she has time to deal with it? Maybe you’ve been there too. Even if we can see the negative effects of stress on ourselves and our families it can be so hard to actually make changes to reduce the stress in our lives. I’ve taken [Read more...]