Episode 210: Solutions to Mealtime Meltdowns and Picky Eater Battles

The Better Behavior Show with Dr. Nicole Beurkens

My guest this week is Stephanie Meyers.

In this episode, Stephanie and I discuss mealtime meltdowns and picky eaters. This is one of the most common topics requested simply because we are eating multiple times a day. As parents we are inherently focused on what goes in our child’s mouth for their proper development, but what if we focus on what comes out of our mouths first? If we want to minimize mealtime meltdowns, or the all too constant “picky eater” battles, it has to start with the adults. It’s not about shaming or blaming ourselves, feeding can be one of the toughests parts of parenting, but what we say to our kids about eating while they're eating matters. Stephanie and I are going to share simple strategies you can use today to adjust your “table talk”. These tips are great tools for improving the dynamics during mealtimes and helping your kids (and adults too) develop the skills of healthy eating that they can use throughout their lives.

Stephanie is a dietician, nutritionist, and founder of Families Eating Well, a nutrition practice training parents to coach healthy eating habits in kids. She's also the nutrition manager in the Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and a former instructor in the graduate nutrition department at Boston University. Stephanie presents seminars worldwide on mindful eating, family nutrition, and cancer survivorship and has a new book called End the Mealtime Meltdown: Using the Table Talk Method to Free Your Family from Daily Struggles Over Food and Picky Eating.

Connect with Stephanie:

• Insta: @tabletalkcoach
• Website: https://familieseatingwell.com/

Episode Takeaways:

About Stephanie Meyers & Family Nutrition … 00:01:20

Adult Behavior Change Before A Child Can Change … 00:06:35

What Research Shows When a Child is Forced to Try a Food … 00:10:56

Learning is Anchored in Emotions and Relationships … 00:21:13

Common Types of “Table Talk” … 00:23:38

Feeding Therapy & Conditional Eating Table Talk … 00:29:58

Quick Start Today to Changing Table Talk … 00:38:55

Layering Foundational Techniques Regardless of Developmental Stage or Issues … 00:42:22

Resources and End the Mealtime Meltdown … 00:45:10

Episode Wrap Up … 00:46:07

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