We all want our kids to try new foods. I mean, let's be real. It's soooo frustrating when they say "I don't like it" when they've never even tried it.

So a "no thank you bite" seems like the perfect solution:

You don't have to eat it, but you have to try it.

Just one bite, and then you can say no thank you.

It's low-stakes, it comes from the best intentions, and they might even like it. So why not do a "no thank you bite"?

I got this question twice from clients in the same week, so I know you might be wondering about it too. In this episode, I break down what the no thank you bite actually does at the table, what the research says about pressure and kids' eating, and why the concept itself isn't the problem.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What the no thank you bite is (and why so many well-meaning parents use it)
• The "finish your soup" study, and what it tells us about pressure at the table
• The real difference between a rule and an invitation
• Three paths forward depending on what's happening at your table right now
• Exactly what to do if you've been enforcing the bite and want to change the rules

If you've ever sat at the table wondering whether making your kid take that one bite is helping or hurting, this episode will give you a clear answer and a next step you can use tonight.

✅ Research: "Finish your soup": Counterproductive effects of pressuring children to eat on intake and affect (Galloway et al., 2006, Appetite)

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FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

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Navigating food during the summer can feel like a whole lot of stress. Vacations, eating out, swim parties, sweets galore, lack of structure... I get it!

I just got back from a two-week baseball trip with my family - managing tons of restaurants, games ending at odd times, italian ice at by the pool. It's a lot!

We had an eight hour drive to kick off the trip followed by four flights and two hotels in between.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to help your kid eat in a balanced way even when eating out all the time
• What to keep in your hotel room at the bare minimum (and the hotel tip I wish someone had told me sooner)
• How to think about your role at restaurants - and what to let them order or not
• Meal and snack ideas for on the go (especially when it's long periods)
• How to have a rhythm and hold boundaries around things like ice cream and soda
• What I packed that sent people into a frenzy on Instagram and what actually ended up happening

If you're in the middle of summer and wondering how to navigate the lack of structure and countless sweets, or if you're anticipating your next week away - listen in!

Want to connect? Send us a text!

CONNECT with Nicole:

FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

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If you know, you know... The more we remind, encourage, and gently push our kids to do something, the less they want to do it. Even when they already know. Even when we're right.

My daughter said it to me out loud last week. My husband asked her to clean her room before family came over, and she looked at him and said, "Ugh! know. And when you say that, it just makes me not want to do it even more."

She wasn't being difficult. She was telling the truth. And it's the exact thing that happens with food all the time. Except it's usually unspoken.

In this episode, I'm sharing a few things I've been sitting with lately, including a peek at what I've been building behind the scenes and two real moments from my family that might shift how you think about food with your kids.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why reminding, encouraging, and pushing kids to eat creates more resistance, not less
• What my daughter said out loud that most kids only feel quietly
• How my daughter tried tomatoes for the first time and then asked for them again 🙌
• Why my son now puts lettuce on his burgers at home, and how a Big Mac made that happen
• What the research says about kids who find pleasure in food versus kids focused on nutrition rules

Whether you have a "picky" eater, a kiddo you're worried eats too much, one who's obsessed with sweets, or all of the above - this episode's for you!

✨ DM me 'BALANCED' on Instagram and I'll send you the link to my free training!

Want to connect? Send us a text!

CONNECT with Nicole:

FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

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If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review.

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Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

When your child's weight goes up at their yearly physical, your pediatrician might comment that you should make some changes.

Or maybe you see a post on social media telling you what changes to make if your child has gained weight.

It can be really confusing. And it might leave you questioning what changes to make, or feeling like you should be cutting back on portions, or getting rid of "junk".

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why weight is one piece of data, not a diagnosis or a directive
• The questions worth asking before changing anything, including what might actually be driving weight changes that have nothing to do with food
• Why significant weight gain around ages 9 to 11 is often the body doing exactly what it's supposed to do
• How restriction, even subtle, can create the very eating patterns we're most worried about
• What to do when a provider tells you to make changes, and how to advocate for your child

If you've ever left a pediatrician's appointment feeling like something was wrong with your child's body, and nobody thought to ask how things were actually going, this episode is for you.

Want to connect? Send us a text!

CONNECT with Nicole:

FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

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If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review.

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Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

If you have a "picky" eater, you've probably already tried to encourage them to take a bite, bribed with dessert, or even had a standoff at the table over food. Or maybe you've just given up and you make them something separate because, let's be real, they need to eat.

And regardless of where you're at, chances are it doesn't feel great.

Most of us want our kids to eat a variety, to be able to go out to a restaurant and find something on the menu, to make one meal the whole family will eat.

So it's frustrating when you feel like you're stuck in the same patterns and not sure what else to do.

That's why I'm breaking down EXACTLY where to start if you're stuck in the "picky" eating cycle.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why kids are picky and how that matters in your approach
• How to support your child without unintentionally making it worse
• The first three steps every parent can take with food (even if you don't have a "picky" eater)
• What holding the boundary actually looks like - without creating battles at the table
• What to do when they skip dinner and come back hungry 30 minutes later

If you have a kid who won't try anything new and you want to stop fighting about food, this is for you!

Want to connect? Send us a text!

CONNECT with Nicole:

FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:

If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review.

Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight!

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

You've probably already heard that pressuring kids to eat backfires. It will likely make them more resistant to eat the things you want them to eat. But even when we know it - sometimes it's hard to not do it... even when it's not really effective.

But the thing is, it's not only that it's ineffective or that it will likely backfire. It's likely interfering with your child's long-term relationship with food and how they connect to their body.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why the short-term reactions we see are only part of the picture
• What's happening underneath the surface - and why this is actually the far more important consequence
• The long-term impact of controlling feeding dynamics, including what it looks like in adults
• Why your child's body cues are actually their best tool for a lifetime of healthy eating
• A simple check-in to notice where this might still be sneaking into your own mealtimes

If you've ever caught yourself saying "just one more bite" and wondered if it's really that big a deal - you'll want to listen to this one!

Want to connect? Send us a text!

CONNECT with Nicole:

FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:

If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review.

Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight!

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

You put broccoli on their plate and they won't touch it.

You try again. And again. And still nothing.

But what if you just don't have the right strategy yet?

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why more exposure alone isn't always the answer - and what else you need
• Tons of ideas for preparing, serving, and encouraging your child to try veggies without pressure
• Taste tests as a low-pressure, even fun way to build curiosity without expectations
• What to do when you feel like you're already standing on your head serving it 22 different ways
• Why it's normal to be frustrated - and how to make sure that's not accidentally turning into pressure at the table

If you've ever felt like you've tried everything and your kid still won't touch a vegetable, this episode will give you a few new things to try - and permission to keep going without needing to control the outcome.

Resources Mentioned:

✅ Give Your Kid a Knife with Heather Staller

Want to connect? Send us a text!

CONNECT with Nicole:

FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

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If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review.

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Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

You've read books. You've listened to podcasts. You follow experts on social media. And you understand, logically, why you shouldn't comment on what your kid puts on their plate or how much they eat. And then dinner happens, and something comes out of your mouth anyway.

Or you know how bad you feel when you eat too much, but you find yourself in the kitchen at 10pm doing the exact thing you swore you were done doing.

It's not because you don't know better. It's because knowing and feeling safe are two completely different things.

Stefanie Michele is a coach, writer, and nervous system educator who recovered from decades of binge-restrict cycles and now helps people understand the deeper forces driving their food struggles and why they can't just logic their way out of them.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why you can understand something completely and still not be able to do it - and what's actually going on in your brain when that happens
• How diet culture and wellness culture keep your nervous system in a low-level state of threat, even when you're not consciously aware of it
• Why binge eating keeps happening even when you hate how it feels
• How your own dysregulation shows up at the dinner table and drives the reactions you can't seem to stop
• Simple, body-based tools to bring yourself down a notch in the moment - before you say the thing you don't want to say

If you've ever felt like you know exactly what you should do and still can't do it - around food, with your child, or basically anything in life - this episode will finally bring some clarity and help you see why it's not willpower, and there's nothing wrong with you.

Connect more with Stefani Michele:

✅ Podcast: Full But Not Finished

✅ Instagram: @iamstephaniemichele

✅ YouTube: Stephanie Michele

✅ Website: iamstephaniemichele.com

Want to connect? Send us a text!

CONNECT with Nicole:

FREE Training: Raise a Balanced Eater AND Protect Their Relationship With Food

- Instagram: @nicolecruzRD

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:

If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review.

Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight!

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!