In this blog series, I am sharing the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we cover C, which stands for Create delicious and nutritious meals and snacks.

In this blog series, I am sharing the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant that was titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we will cover E, which stands for a mealtime Environment that encourages children to practice healthy behaviors.

In this blog series, I will share the key principles from materials I created with a Team Nutrition grant that was titled RECIPE for Growing Healthy Children. In this post, we will cover R, which stands for role model what we want children to be, say, and do.

A great children’s book has captivating pictures, a wonderful message, and words that are fun to read for adults and fun to listen to for children. Great books for children about food have relatable themes and create fun opportunities for learning. In this post, I will share 10 of my favorite food books for kids and how they enhance learning.

The book Food Positivity, by Dani Lebovitz and Diana Rice, is reviewed and summarized in this blog post. Learn ways to ditch diet culture, food guilt, body shame, and fear about food and eating, and replace them with safety, trust, joy, and whole-child well-being.

Would you like to create food and nutrition experiences that young children love and are fun to teach? You can. Try the simple formula I created more than 30 years ago. It’s as easy as ABC. Begin your “lesson” with A – assessment and anticipation, follow with B – building blocks for learning, and end with C – closing and commitment.

Over the years, we may use different tools to teach, but the principles of effective nutrition education are timeless. Let’s explore what those are. In this week’s post, I will share what I believe are the three most important concepts children need to be exposed to and the three overarching principles of teaching young children.

This post shares ideas for parents and teachers to go with the story, Who's Home for Dinner?, a short story for children about eating together.

Cooking together as a family is not only fun and relationship-building, but can also result in healthier meals, teach important lifelong skills, and build self-esteem and confidence. This post shares the two recipes featured in the story, Who's Home for Dinner?

It was my dream to write a children’s book about family meals. My sister was the expert in writing for children, and I was the expert in family meals. This post shares the result of our collaboration.

If I’ve learned something about food and nutrition professionals, it is that we aspire to be life-changers. We don’t enter this profession because it will make us rich or famous. We entered it because we wanted to make an impact. A positive impact. A life-changing impact. However, reality happens. We don’t have the impact we desire. Clients don’t show up. Audiences stop following. Our messages seem to fall on deaf ears. We get disheartened. We get burned out.

Each year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics selects a theme and key messages to promote healthful eating and physical activity. This year's theme is "Discover the Power of Nutrition."

As an Intuitive Eating dietitian, I recommend that my clients also meet with a therapist regularly. Our relationship with food is tied closely to our mental health, so having a therapist to turn to when difficult topics come up is crucial for my clients in making progress. In this post, I share 3 things therapists need to know about Intuitive Eating.

In this post, I make the case that as credentialled nutrition professionals, we are the superheroes for food and nutrition. We can rise above the conflict, remain true to the science, provide realistic and actionable guidance accounting for individual and cultural differences, and advocate for positive change within federally-funded programs.

In this post, we will look at what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s ugly about the newest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

This post looks at the history of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including their purpose and process of development.

The new year. An opportunity to start fresh, to open a new calendar, bursting with potential. New beginnings are invigorating and exciting. To start fresh, we must wipe the slate clean. Don’t carry old burdens into the new year. Leave them behind.

This season, when one year ends and another begins, can be one of the best for downsizing and decluttering. At New Year’s, when you think about downsizing and decluttering, think beyond your stuff: Downsize your goal list; Downsize your calendar and time commitments; Downsize your stress – build margin in your life, schedule time for self-care and connecting with others, ask for help; And, yes, declutter your stuff…

Downsizing is a good way to think about managing holiday expectations and, in turn, reduce stress. Think about it. When we put too many demands on our time, too many events on our calendar, too many gifts on our shopping list, and more, we become overwhelmed. It’s time to downsize.

Creating a habit of gratitude can transform your life.