12: Does the way I talk about food actually matter?

Most parents spend a lot of time thinking about what to put on their child's plate. But what about what we say about the food once it gets there?In this episode, feeding therapist Sarina Murrell breaks down how the language we use around food — the names we give it, the words we use to describe it, and the emotions we attach to it — shapes how children feel about eating in ways that go far deeper than we realize.In this episode:Why naming food specifically matters — and why "Costco nuggets" and "McDonald's nuggets" are not the same thing to your childWhy hiding vegetables in food often backfires — and what to do insteadHow to introduce cultural foods and unfamiliar food names in a way that feels approachable, not scaryWhy "good food" and "bad food" labels carry more weight than we intendThe truth about "just one more bite" and why it can work against usWhy using dessert as a reward can actually increase kids' obsession with sweetsHow commenting on how much (or how little) a child eats can get in the way of them learning to listen to their own bodySmall shifts in the way we talk about food can make a real difference in how children feel at the table — and this episode is full of practical, easy changes you can start making today.