Season 2, Episode 1: Creating Better Family Mealtimes
Creating Better Family Mealtimes
Parents often ask Natalie Muth, MD, what the best thing is they can do for their child. As a pediatrician and dietitian, she says: eating family meals together. Dr. Muth is the author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ book Family Fit Plan: A 30-day Wellness Transformation. She shares her thoughts on how we can make home cooking easier and healthier for our families. Then we’re joined by Allison Rinehart, a cooking instructor who helps parents expand the horizons of picky eaters for less stressful mealtimes. She’s sharing her creative approaches to those things kids love to hate — veggies!
MEET OUR GUESTS
Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RDN, CSSD, FAAP, FACSM, is on a mission to help families thrive. She does this through many roles including as an award-winning author, pediatrician and registered dietitian, and educator. She helps families improve health in five key areas (nutrition, activity, sleep, stress management, and screen-time limits) as the founder and director of the Children's Primary Care Medical Group W.E.L.L. nutrition clinic and Walk with a Doc-Carlsbad. She helps pediatricians optimize their care for children affected by obesity as the Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity. She teaches college students about nutrition as an adjunct assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Allison Rinehart is passionate about fostering polite, inquisitive eaters. She’s all about making food FUN for the whole family, and in the process, making individual connections to the foods that nourish our bodies. As the owner of Lil’ Pinkies Up! in California, she teaches cooking classes and consults with families who want to transform their picky eaters into more polite, adventurous kiddos.
Episode highlights
0:16 – Dr. Natalie Muth’s top parenting tip
3:51 – Dr. Natalie Muth’s story
6:28 – Mealtime maker: changing the environment
12:12 – Benefits of cooking at home
16:45 – Kitchen Questions
23:18 – Allison Rinehart on getting kids to eat vegetables
26:35 – Closing Thoughts
Our favorite quotes from the episode
“We have a lot of evidence that shows that kids who grow up eating with an adult or a couple of adults together, whether it's breakfast, lunch, dinner, it doesn't matter, but that the act of sitting down and eating a meal together, those kids not only have healthier nutrition and overall healthier eating habits, but they have a stronger relationship with their parents or the adults that they're spending that time eating together with.” — Dr. Natalie Muth
“Kids who help to cook or helping to put meals together — and there's lots of age-appropriate ways you can do this — we know that those kids end up eating better.” — Dr. Natalie Muth
“The meals do not need to be elaborate and you don't have to have lots of ingredients, and it doesn't need to be perfect.” — Dr. Natalie Muth
“Good enough is OK.” — Dr. Natalie Muth
“Let's not even start with vegetables at mealtime, because that might be too scary for some kids. Just start playing with vegetables.” — Allison Rinehart
Show notes and LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Follow Dr. Natalie Muth:
WEBSITE: https://www.drnataliemuth.com/
TWITTER: @drnataliemuth
INSTAGRAM: @dr.nataliemuth
FACEBOOK: @howtoraisehealthyeaters
Purchase Dr. Muth’s Book
Follow Allison Rinehart:
WEBSITE: www.lilpinkiesup.com
INSTAGRAM: @lilpinkiesup