Love Eat Thrive

Worry About Feeding Kids?

Feeding kids can be one of the most emotionally loaded parts of parenting, and before we even realize it, worry about nutrition, growth, or volume can start running the show. Worry around kids’ nutrition and food choices is almost universal for parents. We know that parents care deeply because food matters, your children rely on you, and the pressure to “get it right” can feel constant, especially in a world full of fear-based nutrition messages and picture-perfect plates online. 

 

As parents, our ability to feed our kids often feels tied to our identity. Add in social media, family comments, and endless advice about what kids should be eating, and it’s easy to slip into comparison mode. That worry cycle can quietly take over mealtimes, shifting our focus from connection to counting bites and from enjoying our child to managing numbers and nutrients. 

 

This week, Jeni and Heidi are sharing some helpful reminders: 

• Food is often framed in extremes (good vs. bad), which fuels fear and pressure. Kids don’t learn to eat well through fear.
• Worry can cloud the ability to see who your child actually is and what they truly need.
• Pressure to eat doesn’t lead to long-term healthy eating. In fact, research shows it often does the opposite.
• There is huge variation in how healthy children eat. Their preferences, portion sizes, and pace all differ. 

 

What helps counterbalance feeding worry: 

• Put your oxygen mask on first. Caring for yourself (eating, nourishing, managing stress) matters more than perfection.
• Model, don’t manage. Kids learn by watching how you eat and how you relate to food and stress.
• Curate your information. Follow voices that support responsive feeding, body respect, and flexibility rather than pushing fear or “perfect” plates.
• Zoom out. Look at your child as a whole person, not just a single meal or day.
• Prioritize the relationship. Trust, comfort, enjoyment, and exposure matter more than hitting nutrition trends. 

 

Remember that how we feed kids matters more than what we feed them. When focusing on quality interactions and connection, we're create the foundation for lifelong healthy eating. 

 

** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.**  

  

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com  

Questions About Your Kid's Food Variety?

“My child only eats five foods! Should I be worried?” If picky eating and lack of variety feel stressful, Jeni and Heidi are here this week to explain what is normal, what kids actually need, and how to support variety without pressure. 

 

Concerns about variety are incredibly common and understandable. Parents want to set their kids up for a healthy relationship with food, but adult nutrition advice often clouds what truly matters for children. Kids aren’t small adults. Their bodies and brains have different needs, especially in early childhood. Many parents worry when their child seems to prefer only carb-heavy foods. In reality, children’s brains are developing rapidly and rely heavily on carbohydrates for energy. That preference for bread, crackers, or sweets is rooted in biology, not bad habits. Many of these foods also provide protein and other nutrients, and most children meet their nutritional needs in much smaller portions than parents expect. Picky eating is also a normal part of development. As toddlers and preschoolers grow, it’s common for food preferences to narrow as children assert independence. This phase doesn’t mean something is wrong and often eases with time, typically as kids get older. Variety matters, but it doesn’t need to look perfect. The goal isn’t forcing bites, rather, it’s creating opportunities to learn about food while protecting trust at meals.  

 

Helpful ways to support variety include: 

• Offering familiar, safe foods at every meal 
• Letting kids see and interact with other foods without pressure 
• Modeling a variety of foods yourself 
• Staying predictable and patient over time 

Kids learn about foods long before they eat them, and pressure often slows that process down. When meals feel safe, predictable, and pressure-free, variety has room to grow. Supporting your child’s pace today helps build a healthier relationship with food tomorrow.

 

** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.** 

 

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com  

The Clean Plate Club

Many of us grew up with the clean plate club: being told to finish everything before leaving the table. Maybe you heard it at home, from grandparents, or in your community. It usually comes from a loving place: parents want nourished kids and don’t want food wasted. Some of this even traces back to real periods of food scarcity when finishing meals truly mattered. But today, we know more about feeding kids and how they actually learn to listen to their bodies. Requiring kids to finish what’s on their plate teaches them to ignore hunger and fullness cues. Instead of tuning into their bodies, they start eating to please adults or “perform” at the table. That can increase power struggles, worsen picky eating, and reduce willingness to try foods in the long run. 

 

Why the clean plate club isn’t helpful: 

• Kids tune out internal hunger/fullness cues
• More pressure → less curiosity and less willingness to try foods
• Can backfire into power struggles
• Eating to “finish” replaces eating to feel satisfied
• Research shows pressure today affects food enjoyment into adolescence/adulthood 

What to do instead: 

• Adults decide: what, when, and where meals happen 
• Kids decide: whether and how much to eat
• Respect “I’m full,” even if it’s after three bites
• Offer small portions and allow seconds
• Always include one familiar/safe food at each meal
• Keep mealtimes as calm and low-pressure as possible 

Helpful mindset shifts 

• Intake will fluctuate day to day and meal to meal — totally normal
• Look at nutrition across the whole week, not one dinner
• Portion sizes for kids are much smaller than most parents expect
• Curiosity thrives without pressure 

Try to keep in mind that a clean plate does not equal a well-nourished child. Our job is to provide structure, food, and support; their job is to listen to their bodies. When we move away from the clean plate club and toward helping our kids tune into their bodies and what they need, kids can learn to trust themselves, and that skill lasts far beyond the table. 

 

** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.** 

 

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com  

What Restricting Food Really Teaches Kids

If you find yourself hiding candy or not allowing cake in the house, you are not alone.  Many parents have a natural desire to limit their kids' access to foods that are less nutritious in order to help them discover and enjoy a greater variety of the foods they wish they would eat. The trouble is that restricting food may actually have the opposite effect.  Today, Jennifer and Heidi are talking about what actually happens when we restrict kids’ access to certain foods, why it often backfires even with the best intentions, and what we can do instead to raise kids who feel calm and confident around all kinds of foods.  

 

They discuss: 

• Why restricting foods can actually make them MORE appealing  
• How restriction undermines your child's ability to eat all foods in moderation 
• How labelling foods "good" or "bad" doesn't cause kids to change their desires, but instead adds feelings of shame or guilt to their natural food preferences.   
• How food restriction can add to power struggles 

 

Jennifer and Heidi also give clear suggestions about what to do instead of restricting foods that will help your child become less dependent upon you to control the foods and more in tune with their own body's cues.   

 

** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.  Consult with your doctor before starting feeding therapy.** 

 

Still have questions? Reach out to share your thoughts or questions for future episodes! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com  

 

Feeding Kids with Bribery, Tricks, and Rewards

If you’ve ever begged, bargained, or sweetened the deal at the table, you are not alone!  It likely came from a genuine desire to help your child eat well but may not be accomplishing what you think. In this episode, we explore how some well-intentioned strategies can accidentally work against the very goals you’re trying to support. 

 

It’s everywhere in our culture: language such as “just one more bite,” “eat this and you can have that,” sneaking foods into sauces, or swapping foods without kids knowing. While these strategies can feel harmless (and sometimes work in the moment), they can quietly chip away at something really important: trust. Kids do best with food when mealtimes feel predictable, safe, and supportive. When a child expects one thing and gets another, or realizes they were “tricked,” it can make them more cautious, suspicious, and less willing to explore new foods over time.  

 

We also dig into “hidden foods” and sneaking ingredients. Cooking with vegetables is great, but doing it with the goal of hiding foods from your child is different. When kids only experience certain foods blended, masked, or disguised, they miss the chance to learn about those foods on their own terms. And if they discover something was hidden that they didn’t like, it can feel unsettling and undermine trust. It’s helpful to check in with yourself: am I cooking this way because it aligns with my values and tastes, or because I’m trying to get something into my child without them knowing? The goal here is to give kids a solid, honest foundation so they can explore food with curiosity instead of pressure. 

 

We also talk about bribery, rewards, and praise and how they often work in the short term but can backfire in the long run. When kids are asked to eat “in order to” get something else, their attention shifts away from the food itself and toward the reward. Over time, this can lower their interest in the food and increase focus on the prize. It can also drown out a child’s ability to listen to their own body cues, which is a skill we want to protect and strengthen in childhood, and into the future. Eating a specific food is not an emergency. Kids don’t need broccoli (for example) in the same way they need medicine or safety, and taking the urgency out of mealtime helps support self-regulation and bodily autonomy. 

 

Finally, we unpack praise. Praise isn’t bad! It can become pressure if it’s manipulative, over-the-top, or tied to amounts eaten or foods “achieved.” Kids are incredibly perceptive and can sense when praise has an agenda. Instead, praise tends to be most helpful when it’s sincere, specific, brief, and focused on effort rather than outcome, just like with other skills kids learn. When we rely too heavily on external motivators, we risk crowding out a child’s internal motivation and the positive experiences around food we’re trying to build. While these shifts may make feeding experiences and expansion feel slower, we're preserving the idea that it’s about raising eaters for life! 

 

** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.  Consult with your doctor before starting the weaning process.** 

 

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com  

Feeding Kids and Navigating the Holidays

Welcome to Love, Eat, Thrive: The podcast designed to help parents nurture confident eaters today and raise healthy eaters for tomorrow. We are Heidi and Jennifer, feeding therapists who’ve been in the field for a few decades. We’ve seen it ALL when it comes to kids and food, and we’re here to help you make sense of it. As the winter holidays approach, many parents and caregivers feel the mix of excitement and stress that comes with packed schedules, disrupted routines, and a season full of special foods. It’s easy to get caught up in the details, but stepping back and zooming out can help bring the focus back to connection, enjoyment, and shared experiences. We're here to remind you that, during the holiday season especially, kids don’t need perfect meals or ideal nutrition. Instead, they need presence, flexibility, and support. Prioritizing the bigger picture makes space to enjoy what truly matters.   Holiday mealtimes come with unique challenges, especially when sweets and treats are more abundant. Restriction often backfires by increasing a child’s desire for certain foods, but also by interfering with their ability to tune into and pay attention to their own body.  Children learn through experience, including moments when they may eat “too much” and feel the natural consequences. Those consequences are an important part of developing internal cues. On the flip side, pressure to try or finish foods can sometimes work, but more often leads to greater pushback and dislike of those foods, sometimes in a very vocal way.      The foods themselves are just one piece of the puzzle. Kids also pick up a lot from the atmosphere around them. Talking about diets, body size, or “good” and “bad” foods can make meals feel stressful or confusing for kids who are just learning about food and their bodies. Helping shield them from that by setting gentle limits with family, steering the conversation elsewhere, or chatting together afterward, goes a long way in building a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. During the holidays, a little planning can make everything feel calmer: making sure there’s at least one food your child feels safe eating, thinking ahead about travel and timing, grabbing small moments of one-on-one connection, and remembering to take care of yourself, too.  In the end, it’s not about how much or what your child eats. It’s about everyone feeling supported, connected, and able to breathe a little. You’ve got this! Happy holidays, from our table to yours!    ** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.**    Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com  

When Kids Don't Eat What You Serve

Welcome to Love, Eat, Thrive: The podcast about Responsive Feeding. We are Heidi and Jennifer, feeding therapists who’ve been in the field for a few decades. We’ve seen it ALL and we’re here to help you make sense of it. In this episode, we're sharing some ideas about what helps kids eat well over time: consistent, calm mealtime experiences built on trust, not pressure. Variety and adventurous eating don’t happen in a single meal. They grow slowly through predictable routines, shared food experiences, and plenty of low-pressure opportunities to explore. Whether it’s deconstructing meals, keeping portions manageable, or talking about something other than food, small adjustments can make mealtimes feel safer and more comfortable for your child. Even if your child can see you enjoying a variety of your own food and offering a reasonable selection across the week, you’re off to a strong start!

 

When your child refuses to eat what you’ve lovingly prepared, it can feel confusing, frustrating, and discouraging. This is such a universal challenge, yet many parents are left without guidance about what to do in the moment. Refusal can spark power struggles. Do you hold firm, offer something else, or wait it out? Responsive feeding begins by understanding why kids say “no.” Young children are actually wired to assert independence, and mealtimes are one of the few places where they can genuinely express it. Layer in emerging preferences, sensory needs, changing schedules, and prior experiences, and it becomes clear that refusal isn’t just normal, but is expected and often developmentally imperative.

 

A child’s “no” is information, not a failure. When that “no” is accepted within reasonable boundaries, children learn that mealtimes are predictable, safe, and can be free of pressure, which are conditions that allow them to eventually say “yes.” Everything from temperament to timing to environment affects how ready they feel each day, and those factors change as children grow. It's important that YOU, the parents, become curious detectives and consider who your child is, what influences their eating, and how to create a setting that supports comfort, connection, and long-term success at the table.

 

** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.** 

 

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com

The Way We Feed Our Kids Matters

Welcome to Love, Eat, Thrive: The podcast designed to help parents nurture confident eaters today and raise healthy eaters for tomorrow. We are Heidi and Jennifer, feeding therapists who’ve been in the field for a few decades. We’ve seen it ALL when it comes to kids and food, and we’re here to help you make sense of it. In this initial episode, we will begin to explore why the way we feed our kids matters just as much as what we feed them. Parents today are bombarded by nutrition advice, conflicting information, and pressure to get everything “just right.”  While food choices are important, many of the strongest predictors of a child’s long-term health have little to do with vitamins, macros, or perfectly timed food introductions. Instead, they come from the quality of a child’s interactions with food and with those who are feeding them.

 

We're zooming out and looking at the big picture: What actually supports lifelong well-being?  Kids thrive when they feel comfortable, connected, and confident at the table. When they trust their caregivers, feel safe to explore, and get to experience the “I can do this!” moments of managing food on their own, they build the foundation for healthy eating and self-regulation. These experiences can easily get lost when mealtimes become about pressure, perfection, or power struggles rather than relationship and skill-building. 

 

Feeding and eating with children relies upon creating routines and environments that balance structure with independence in a way that allows children to tap into their own internal cues for eating and develop competence and confidence with food.  This is often called Responsive Feeding and is backed by decades of research and recommended by many national and international health organizations.  However, even though Responsive Feeding research is done for and about kids and families, the message itself is often overlooked or diluted when it comes time to share it with parents who are in the thick of it, helping kids learn to eat.  Our goal is to help fill that gap, offering ideas for getting started, tools for connection and tips for repair along the way. Come along with us as we explore what feeding kids is really about: building connection, confidence, and fostering a lifelong love of eating, one meal at a time. Come along with us as we explore what feeding kids is really about: building connection, confidence, and trust at the table for today, tomorrow, and years to come.  

 

** Please remember this podcast is NOT meant to replace the support and guidance of your child's medical team.** 

 

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more helpful information @Thrivewithspectrum on Instagram and Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics on Facebook. You can also find out more information about the programs we offer at www.thrivewithspectrum.com