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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
When You're Judged for How You Feed Your Kids
The holidays often bring more than just parties and sweets... they bring more people, more opinions, and a lot more eyes on how we’re parenting - especially around food.
For many parents, this time of year amplifies feelings of judgment around food: comments from grandparents, side-eyes from relatives, comparisons to cousins, or even the internal pressure we place on ourselves when our child eats differently than others.
In this episode, we’re talking about why feeding kids can feel so charged during the holidays, how diet culture and family dynamics play a role, and what it really means to feel confident in your approach - even when others don’t understand it.
We’ll explore how this work can feel countercultural, why judgment can bring up frustration, anger, sadness, or self-doubt, and how to stay grounded when you’re trying to protect your child’s relationship with food.
You’ll learn:
- Why judgment around food feels especially intense during the holidays
- Why this approach to feeding kids can feel uncomfortable - and why that doesn’t mean it’s wrong
- How your own experiences with food growing up can get activated in these moments
- The importance of getting clear on your values and approach with food
- Practical, non-confrontational ways to set boundaries or redirect comments
If you’ve ever left a holiday gathering feeling upset, defensive, or questioning yourself as a parent, this episode is here to remind you: you know what’s best for your family. And you don’t need anyone else’s approval for how you parent around food.
Want to connect? Send us a text!
Join the WAITLIST for NOURISH TOGETHER HERE!
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!