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The Intentional Table
Feeding kids isn’t just about what’s on the plate - it’s about raising them to feel confident, capable, and at peace with food and their bodies.
The Intentional Table Podcast is here to help you break the cycles of guilt, shame, and mealtime stress so you can raise kids who eat well and feel good about it.
Hosted by Nicole Cruz, a registered dietitian and mom of three who has coached thousands of parents, this podcast gives you the tools, structure, and mindset shifts to create a positive, empowered eating environment at home.
With guidance, compassion, and strategies that really work, you’ll feel more confident and less stressed while supporting your kids through 'picky' eating, 'overeating', struggles with sweets, and everything in between.
The Intentional Table
How to Encourage Your Child With Food... without pressure or bribes
Have you ever said something like, “Good job eating your broccoli!” or “Just two more bites and then you can have dessert”?
It probably felt supportive, encouraging, or like you were helping your child eat well.
But what if those well-meaning bribes, praise, and rewards are actually making mealtimes harder and disconnecting your child from their own body cues?
In this episode of The Intentional Table, we’re looking at why praise and rewards seem like they work in the moment, but often backfire in the long run. You’ll learn how these approaches can create pressure (even when they feel positive), increase a child’s fixation on dessert or certain foods, and shift eating into something they do for approval instead of for hunger, curiosity, and satisfaction.
Most importantly, we’ll talk about what to do instead - so your child can eat with confidence, connection, and internal motivation over time.
You’ll hear:
- How praise and rewards can turn eating into a performance
- Why this can disconnect kids from hunger, fullness, and satisfaction
- The subtle ways pressure shows up, even when we don’t think we’re pressuring
- Why dessert and “finish your food” become power struggles
- What to say instead of “good job” (simple, neutral language you can use today)
- How to support exploration without pushing or motivating
- What actually helps kids become confident, curious eaters in the long-term
By the end, you’ll know how to encourage your child with food without pressure... so meals feel calmer, more connected, and more enjoyable for everyone. And no, you don’t have to be perfect. Awareness creates change.
Want to connect? Send us a text!
CONNECT with Nicole:
- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD
- Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call
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Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!