87: Jennifer Anderson on How to get Picky Kids to Eat Healthy Food

Jennifer Anderson is a mom, wife, registered dietitian, and creator behind the brand Kids Eat in Color. When Jennifer was a new mom, she learned that feeding kids is sometimes tricky. When her first kid fell off the growth chart, she realized how much effort can go into feeding a child.With a Master’s of Science in Public Health, in International Health and Human Nutrition from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Jennifer completed her dietetics coursework through the University of Northern Colorado. Through the same institution, she organized her own dietetic internship, focusing on policy and organizational management in the Washington DC metro area.Jennifer is passionate about teaching parents that they’re doing a great job – regardless of whether their kids eat their veggies (or whatever food) today – and to enjoy their kids and their mealtimes instead of feeling angry, defeated, and frustrated. Today, Jennifer shares some wonderful insights into how we, as parents, can improve our child’s feeding while holding a loving, firm boundary around meals, and how we can feel more connected to our kids – because our connection to our family and our children is so much more important than whether they eat a carrot or not!In this episode, you will hear: First foods you can introduce to babies and how to prevent picky eating The importance of high-iron foods What happens when your child doesn’t eat what you put on the table? How to teach kids to eat more than just comfort food Snacking tips and giving bedtime snacks Not using food as a punishment or reward What degrades progress towards picky eating How to offer dessert and why you need to get them off the pedestal The chocolate chip or M&M experiment to diminish kids’ obsession with treats  The importance of having a detailed meal plan and sticking with it Incorporating vegetables and introducing new things Other common issues parents are struggling with How to improve food security in your child’s feeding Where to find food resources when you don’t have enough food for your family The impact of family meals on your kids’ growth Supporting Resources:Jennifer can be found at:Kids Eat in Color: https://kidseatincolor.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kids.eat.in.color/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kids.eat.in.color/Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Episode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.