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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.
Episodes
46 episodes
It's Not the Sugar, It's the Shame with Crystal Haitsma
We think our reactions to how our kids eat are about the food. The sugar, the snacking, the fourth piece of pizza that makes us snap... "That's enough." But it's rarely (if ever) truly about the food.Crystal Haitsma is a life...
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Oreogate Isn't About the Oreos
We all have reasons for the foods we choose for our kids. Maybe you'd rather they weren't eating Oreos every day, or don't want to buy Doritos.But then they start kindergarten, or go to a birthday party, or come home from a friend's hous...
When Your Kid Asks If a Food Is Healthy
The other day my son asked me, "Mom, is my smoothie healthy?" And it would be so easy to just answer: Yes. No. Or, well, kind of, but it has a lot of sugar.But instead, I didn't answer him directly, because there isn't really a clean, ab...
"Unhealthy" Isn't a Fact (It's a Judgment)
Last week, as we were gearing up for back to school, I made a post asking parents not to label foods as junk, bad, or unhealthy. And people got fired up about it. Way more than I expected.The comments kept comi...
How Do I Change My Kid's Food for a Medical Reasons... Without Creating Stress or Anxiety?
We all want to take care of our kids' bodies. So when there's a real medical reason to change how they eat, whether that's adding something in or cutting something out, we want to do it to support their health and to help them feel good....
The Problem With the "No Thank You Bite"
We all want our kids to try new foods. I mean, let's be real. It's soooo frustrating when they say "I don't like it" when they've never even tried it.So a "no thank you bite" seems like the perfect solution:You don't have to e...
What I Actually Fed My Kids on Vacation (and how you can do it too)
Navigating food during the summer can feel like a whole lot of stress. Vacations, eating out, swim parties, sweets galore, lack of structure... I get it!I just got back from a two-week baseball trip with my family - managing tons of rest...
The Fastest Way to Make Your Kid Not Eat
If you know, you know... The more we remind, encourage, and gently push our kids to do something, the less they want to do it. Even when they already know. Even when we're right.My daughter said it to me out loud last week. My husband as...
Weight Gain Isn't the Problem
When your child's weight goes up at their yearly physical, your pediatrician might comment that you should make some changes. Or maybe you see a post on social media telling you what changes to make if your child has gained weight.&...
My Kid Won't Try Anything New - Where Do I Start?
If you have a "picky" eater, you've probably already tried to encourage them to take a bite, bribed with dessert, or even had a standoff at the table over food. Or maybe you've just given up and you make them something separate because, let's b...
How We Teach Kids to Ignore Their Bodies
You've probably already heard that pressuring kids to eat backfires. It will likely make them more resistant to eat the things you want them to eat. But even when we know it - sometimes it's hard to not do it... even when it's not really effect...
Why Your Kid Won't Eat Vegetables (and what you can do!)
You put broccoli on their plate and they won't touch it.You try again. And again. And still nothing.But what if you just don't have the right strategy yet?In this episode, we talk about:Why more exposure alone ...
You Can't Think Your Way Out of Food Struggles with Stefanie Michele
You've read books. You've listened to podcasts. You follow experts on social media. And you understand, logically, why you shouldn't comment on what your kid puts on their plate or how much they eat. And then dinner happens, and something comes...
When Other Kids Tell Your Child A Food Is Bad
You're being intentional. You're thinking about the language you use, how you talk about food at the table, what you allow and don't allow. And then your kid comes home and tells you that Joey said french fries are bad for you. Or you're standi...
Give Your Kid a Knife with Heather Staller
Have you heard that you should have your kid help in the kitchen? Probably that it will help expose them to new foods, feel more comfortable with different foods, create independence. But maybe it also feels like a big chore. And wh...
When the Joy Goes Out of Eating, Nutrition Suffers
Here's what I want you to consider: How does food actually feel in your home right now?Does it feel joyful, playful, connected? Or does it feel pressured, stressful, controlled?Because here's the truth that Ellyn Satter tau...
When 'Healthy Eating' Becomes Disordered Eating
We all want our kids to eat well, make "good" choices with food, and care about their health.So when they start choosing salads over pizza, or asking about ingredients, or saying they want to eat healthier - it can feel like a win.
Is It Bad to Let My Kid Eat in Front of a Screen?
"Is it okay to let my kid watch a show while they eat?""Should we be stricter about no screens at meals?""Am I creating bad habits if they eat in front of an iPad?"I get this question all the time... And the answer isn't a ...
Eating Whatever You Want Isn't Intuitive Eating with Katy Harvey
Are you familiar with Intuitive Eating? Maybe you take that approach with food yourself... or maybe you've heard of it.But when you think about actually doing it, you think: If I let myself eat whatever I want, I'd never stop. I'd on...
My Kid Wants a Snack Every 30 Minutes - What Should I Do?
You're in the kitchen getting snacks. Again. For the third time in an hour. Or you're staring at the dinner table watching your kid ask for seconds after already eating more than you did. Or maybe you're wondering if your child will ever eat a ...
Parenting Without Diet Culture with Oona Hanson
As parents, we're constantly bombarded with conflicting messages about food: avoid ultra-processed foods, watch out for seed oils, limit sugar, push the vegetables. And underneath all of it is this fear - that if we don't control what our kids ...
What to Do When Someone Else Gives Your Kid "Treats"
You know when you're at the soccer game, the birthday party, or picking up from school, and you see your kid walking toward you with a bag full of candy, chips, a sugary drink... And you think to yourself: Really? Again? Another treat?...
Is your kid an intuitive eater?
Your child is capable of listening to their body, eating a variety of foods, and not being obsessed with sweets.Yes, even if they seem to have "no off switch" around food. Even if they're extremely "picky". Even if it feels like...
A Third Way to Feed Your Kids: Beyond Pressure and Permissiveness
We all want the same things for our kids: to eat well, get the nutrition they need, and have a healthy relationship with food.But how do we actually make that happen?Most parents find themselves on one of two paths, or often bounc...
Are You Working Against Your Child's Eating Personality?
We're going to cut through all the conflicting advice and show you how you can help your child eat well without using pressure or bribes... or getting into power struggles or creating bigger food issues.You've heard the advice: ...