if they outright refuse to eat your healthy meal, thinking they're just going to have a snack later. They are manipulating you. It's most likely subconscious. They're not doing it in a malicious way, but they're testing the boundaries. They've had snacks before they know that that's a quick hit. Right, but they're testing to see what the real expectations are. They're learning. That's what a toddler does. They're looking for consistency. They're looking for reinforcement.
Hello, and welcome to Talking Toddlers, where I share more than just tips and tricks on how to reduce tantrums or build your toddler's vocabulary. We're going to cover all of that, but here, our goal is to develop clarity. Because in this modern world, it's truly overwhelming. This podcast is about empowering moms to know the difference between fact and fiction, to never give up, to tap into everyday activities so your child stays on track. He's not falling behind.
He's thriving through your guidance. We know that true learning starts at home. So let's get started. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Your toddler refuses to eat at mealtime. But asks for a snack right after lunch is all cleaned up. You notice he's asking for crackers or chips cookies or any so-called healthy bar. All day, every day. And it's very clear. She prefers snacks over any meal you cook, and she's not afraid to tell you. Yuck. This is gross. I'm not eating it.
I admit we all can get sucked into these tug of war over eating because of several noted facts. One, we don't want them to be upset. God forbid a meltdown in the middle of the day with a toddler is a nightmare. Or two, we don't want them to go hungry. That's a bad reflection on us. And we don't want them struggling. Or you're trying to get things done and you just simply need five or 10 minutes without whining. And here's the big one. You're simply worried that they're not eating enough.
And therefore eating something is better than nothing. Right? Well, these scenarios have become such a common cycle in this modern world that it's now considered the new quote unquote norm for most families. And I just want you to try to recognize that just because something is common, does not make it healthy, optimal, or worthy. So what if I were to tell you a few little changes that you could make in your day? And that most of these challenges would go away.
In this episode, I'm going to dive into why toddlers end up snacking or grazing all day. And then give you strategies to combat this so-called new normal. With the main goal being to help you get your toddler or any kid at any age. To sit down at the table. At mealtimes and be ready. And that's correct. I'm saying to be ready to eat. So let's first think about what are these typical snack foods, goldfish crackers, chocolate chip cookies. Cheez-Its Doritos packaged bar of any kind.
All you have to do is walk down the middle of one of those aisles in the grocery store. And it's packaged food after packaged food. But here's the truth. These so-called foods. Are really designed to create and addictive behavior by all of us designed to make us want more. And we've all done it, right? A bowl of popcorn or a bag of chips. As we sit down to watch a movie, or we sit down at our desk to surf the net, What about those girl scout cookies?
I don't think I really even have to explain that one. Right. But if you need hard evidence, I want you to check out the book, the Dorito effect. The surprising new truth about food and flavor. It was written by this gentleman named mark Schatzker S C H a T Z K E R. It's about eight years old now, but I heard him speak in 2019 and I was stunned. At the calculated effort that these food companies put in to change the way that all of us and it starts with our kids. With all of us, how we eat.
And if you don't have time right now with your busy life. To read this book. You can look up Mark's interviews on YouTube. there are several pretty remarkable ones. It's going to blow your mind to. Because in a nutshell, He studies the trends with industrial food production. And how it starts. How it might start with corn or wheat, some kind of quote, unquote plant form. But that it's so ultra processed, all the way to the point that there's actually no flavor.
So their goal is to make it up by adding artificial flavors that act like real food. And these quote unquote products are designed. In the lab. To fool the body into believing is actually receiving nutrients that may or may not actually exist in real food. In a nutshell, it's a chemical trick on our brains and it's all done in a lab. And it started way back, I think in the fifties and sixties.
And the truth is my idea for this episode, isn't to dive down that particular rabbit hole, but I wanted to give you evidence. And that's just one of the many books that I have perused over the years that it's, it's not designed, these food products are not designed, to keep us healthy or nourished; they're designed to keep us chemically addicted to going back to want more. And the point is if you already have a picky eater, these snacks or food products feel safer to them.
And you might think to yourself, well, what the heck does that mean, Erin, to feel safer? Think about it. Every goldfish cracker tastes exactly the same. And if we contrast that with blueberries or strawberries, some are sweet. Some are sour, summer crunchy, some pop in your mouth, but others are a little bit, little bit too ripe. And so they're, they're kind of smushy. And your kid says, yuck, this is gross and it's highly unpredictable and your toddler pushes them away.
And he'll do that, especially if he knows the packaged snack foods that are highly predictable are readily available to him. So let's be clear. Yes, snacks, purposeful snacks have their place in an overall healthy eating routine. Because, you know, this already, that little toddlers have smaller stomachs. They don't last as long between meals like you and I do.
Therefore, their eating window is two to three hours and that's better for them because it levels out their moods, it steadies their energy. It also builds their ability. To self-regulate. All of this, making them available to learn, to engage with their environment. To build their cognitive skills. But if they're so called snack foods or snack choices are full of non nutrient empty. calories. It's not going to serve them. And so we need to be mindful and purposeful and plan ahead.
I know that we've all heard of the term hangry, right? You know, we're, we're angry and hungry all at the same time and we're not able to think straight. That's what happens with your 1, 2, 3, 4 year old. So now. I'd like to take a closer look. At two main problems with all of the snacking and grazing all day, and it's just two main problems and they do then cause this domino effect. But if we focus on these two. Then when I give you the strategies, it'll make more sense. So the first thing.
Is that it messes with their appetite. And what that means is that they will limit their ability to be hungry at meal time because they're just grazing all day long. They never get the chance to feel hungry. And if you're not hungry, you're not going to be interested in anything anybody prepares. So please acknowledge also that if they do feel hungry between their main meals, it's not an emergency, hunger is okay. The goal actually is to help your toddler learn.
How to feel hungry so that when he comes to the table, he's ready and more likely to try new foods. And he's also more open to eat a full meal. So feeling hungry is not an emergency. So the second problem with this grazing all day is that it limits their nutrient intake. Like I just described that highly processed food products, not real food. And recently I heard someone, I can't remember. Uh, otherwise I would give them credit.
But they refer to snacks like crackers and cookies and chips as CRUNCHY AIR. Right. It doesn't really serve us. Because these ultra processed foods are full of additives and chemicals. There's really no healthy nutrients. It's just empty. Even if the box says organic, no gluten, no soy. If you look, if you have to turn the box over and you read. You know, a whole paragraph of unpronounceable chemicals that make up this pretend food.
So our kids will burn through whatever low grade quote unquote fuel it does give them that quick hit, right for 10, 15, 20 minutes. And then they're back for more. They, they want something else because their, their body is not being nourished. And I know you've heard me say this before, but. Our brains and our bodies need healthy fats and protein much more than they need these empty process carbs. And we have to help.
Teach our toddlers, our preschoolers, how to appreciate that and how it feels when we're really satisfied with a healthy well-rounded meal. So then also keep in mind that the carbs that we do feed our family, our young children need to be real food. And I always say one ingredient. Think about broccoli, or sweet potato, tomatoes, green beans. Or on the protein side, it's chicken thighs or steak or cheese. It's one ingredient. So snacks, therefore. And that word has taken on a new meaning, right?
Snacks should just be a small meal between the main meals for your little kids, but snacks should be a combination of those single food ingredients. Like the egg McMuffin that I've shared in previous episodes, right? Heavy on the eggs. A little flour or a little, binder, some cheese and chicken or a meatball, right. With a simple binder and some salt, and then you can dip it in catch-up. But you find catch-up with no added sugar. Yes. That does exist. Right.
But we have to be open and willing to take the time and read the labels. And I know it's hard, but we have to do this in order to support healthy growth and nutrition. I used to refer clients to this website called ditch the carbs by Lily Jenkinsons and she's from New Zealand and she was a former pharmacist and she really. 10 12 years ago, I think built this remarkable platform and it was for parents and practitioners to navigate. Healthy eating habits.
And she had three little kids at the time who she used as her taste testers. And I really have been referring clients and friends and family actually to her site for a number of years. But in preparation for this particular episode, I learned that just this summer she sold her business. But if you Google Ditch The Carbs, 'Thinlicious' pops up. So you're in the right place.
I think these two businesses just merged and Libby for whatever reason is moving on, doing something different, but all of Libby's interviews, her recipes, her guide, she had a lot of guides to help moms with busy. You know, lives and their little children, I help. Help the kids transition from heavy, heavy process snack foods to real foods, right. And how to pack your lunches and how to prepare together and getting the family involved in the whole process.
So you can still find a lot of her work also on her podcast called ditch the carbs. And, I'd really recommend that you go check that out because it's, it's a wealth of information and great ideas. I highly recommend it. there's also a few other sites that I refer people to. One is called the Diet Doctor, by Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt E N F E L D T. And he has a couple of articles. If you just do a search low carb kids. and I don't want you, I'm going to stop here.
I don't want any of you to go wonky on me. When I use phrases like low carb with kids or the word diet I know there's debate and a lot of pushback and controversy over. You know, this quote unquote diet and that diet, I'm not talking about that. I'm really using the term diet as what are the food choices, the primary food choices that you and your family have on a daily basis, right? And that the term low carb.
is just really looking at exactly what type of carbs you as the mother, as the father, as the primary, cook in your home, what are you, what food choices are you making. And so, I am not saying anything differently here in this episode, or in any episode that the American academy of pediatrics don't say on their site. And if you go there, you can see that they highlight. That parents need to focus on cutting out quote unquote, bad carbs, which they identify as sugary drinks.
Sweets and other highly processed foods that are quote low in nutrients. In other words, the pre-packaged in a box, in a bag. So. You know, don't go wonky on the terms because that's not what is important. If you've, you know, spent the first six months nursing your baby or giving them the best quality formula milk that you could, and then you really tried to help them transition into solid foods. Maybe you used bits and pieces or the whole method of baby led weaning.
And now they're, you know, eating for the most part, whole foods. You know, it's after their first birthday and you realize that they're turning into a picky eater or that they prefer these pre-packaged snack foods, much more than any meal that you prepare. And that is, that has become the norm, like I said, and I want to challenge you, encourage you, inspire you to stop and take an inventory and see how you can reshape this.
And I've shared before that current data suggests 70% of the food that our American children eat is ultra processed. And that's average 70%. That means some kids only eat ultra processed foods. So another phrase that I borrowed that can kind of help you is. No naked carbs. And what that means is without adding protein, fat and fiber into the mix into the plate of your baby, your toddler. Your preschooler.
That, without that balance, they're going to be back asking for another snack within, you know, 10 minutes and they want that chomping down of crunchy air. That again, doesn't serve them. Most of the time. It doesn't even require chewing. And I've covered that concept in a previous episode, I think it was number 34. So now You're probably asking, okay, I get the picture. I realize how we've been duped right into believing that this was food or that, because it said organic or, low carb could.
be healthy or healthier. Now you're probably asking how in the world can I stop my toddler from grazing? Right. You're kind of getting the message. So what can I do? So I want to cover five simple steps that can get the ball rolling. The first one is you need to schedule create a schedule for meals and snacks and be consistent with that. That data shows that family meals boost the health and general wellbeing for everyone.
And I've shared in a previous episode, how we have to teach our babies and toddlers. How to chew and bite and swallow that they need models. And that through baby led weaning and between six months and 18 months that it's, it's a learning process and they're really not good chewers or mature chewers until closer to their second birthday and two and a half right 30 months. So make mealtime a social experience. which then will enhance verbal communication. And you can talk about the food itself.
Like, oh honey, look at these green beans. We bought that together yesterday in the store. Remember aren't they yummy, you helped me wash them and snap the ends off. They're so good in my tummy. Yummy yummy, yummy. I have green beans in my tummy and that makes me feel so good. You know, be silly they need encouragement to understand what this food is for us, right? It's a social event is nourishment. You can also talk about you know your day. Hey honey, what did you build in the sandbox today?
Or you can talk about the future. Maybe after lunch, we can check the weather for tomorrow and make plans. Right today. It's sunny. I wonder if it's going to be sunny tomorrow. Also I've shared how meals or snacks are on two levels, right? It's like two sides of the same coin. You as the meal preparer, as the parent. You decide when you're going to eat right. The schedule and what you're going to eat. And sometimes you can give them a choice, but. It's all within your parameters.
They the flip side of that coin, your baby, your toddler, or your preschooler, they decide. If they're going to eat it. And if so, how much? Right? We can't force feed them. We can't. You know, coarse them into it. But if they outright refuse to eat your healthy meal, thinking they're just going to have a snack later. They are manipulating you. It's most likely subconscious. They're not doing it in a malicious way, but they're testing the boundaries.
They've had snacks before they know that that's a quick hit. Right, but they're testing to see what the real expectations are. They're learning. That's what a toddler does. They're looking for consistency. They're looking for reinforcement. And they're wondering, Hmm. If I wind again, like I did, you know, an hour ago, will she cave? This is non-conscious, it's just like, them sticking a stick in a light socket over and over again. And we have to be consistent with say no, that's dangerous.
No, let's go put the stick in the stick pile or build. offense over here or whatever you have to redirect them. And letting your toddler be a little hungry because they refused a healthy meal. Will not hurt them. And that's really, really hard for a lot of parents to wrap their minds around feeling hungry. Is not an emergency. And I heard this from a nutritionist years and years ago, and it made so much sense to me. That it's not an emergency and that's helping them and I'll explain further on.
But number two of these techniques or strategies. So you make a schedule and then you create an open and closed kitchen policy. And you're thinking really. In this day and age. Well, back in the seventies and eighties, families were a little bit more structured. Especially around mealtimes. And I know today our modern society.
That we've seem to have food available 24 7, and it's become a very dangerous lifestyle for all of us, not just your toddlers, but your teenagers and your college kids and you and me. So I'm suggesting, a bold suggestion. To let's nip it in the bud. With your toddler, so look at a one-year-old who has two naps still? Right? So they're going to have breakfast at seven o'clock. And then a snack with real food. At nine 30. 10 o'clock that go down for a nap? 12 o'clock they wake up and have lunch.
At two 30, they have another snack with real food. At three o'clock they'll have a nap. And then at five 30. They'll have dinner. That's just. A rough estimate. You make it happen in your family, but have open and closed kitchen hours. For a two year old with one nap. It'll be slightly different, right? Seven 30. Say you have breakfast. 7, 7 30, 10. O'clock you have a snack with real food. 12 o'clock you have lunch? Then at 1230, you have a nap.
And then at three ish, whenever they wake up from their nap. They have a snack with real food. But not too much. Because around six o'clock you have dinner. you'd start to, to learn what their hunger looks like. But you find some consistency and you build routines. That's key. Number three. Learn to say no, sometimes. And you're like really. Yup. It's okay. You can say things like. We can have a snack after we finished playing with your blocks. That's a nice distraction.
Get them re-engaged show them engagement with you. Let them get a little more hungry. Maybe there, they just got bored or they, Want to do something different and they don't know what else. So they're saying I'm hungry. Mommy. I'm hungry. I have. Crackers. Or you could say. Yes, we're going to sit down for lunch after we finished the laundry and then read your special book. Oh, you want to pick out a different book or do you want your special one?
Again, giving them a little distracted, but showing them that there's a routine to the day. And that you can't just eat Willy nilly. Or you could say something like, yes, honey, we can have a snack after we get the mail. I need your help walking out to the mailbox. Do you think the mailman came yet? Let's look out the window. Do we hear him? Do we see him? Because you look at the wind or you look at the clock and you realize, huh, it's not quite time for snack.
So you're saying no, but you're actually saying yes in a little while. You're validating. Yeah. You're helping them tune in to their hunger. And then they can tune in to their and that's really important. I'm starting to feel a little hungry too, honey. I'm so excited. We're going to have lunch in about 20 minutes. And so you're, you're helping them differentiate between mindless eating I'm bored, or I want to do something different, or I didn't have enough breakfast, so I am getting hungry.
And I don't know what to do with this hunger pain. Right. Versus mindful eating. And I mentioned again in previous episodes about that we have eight sensory systems and the five that are most common, right? The sight, the hearing taste, smell, touch. Those are the main five that we're all familiar with. But then we have three hidden sensory systems. And there's the proprioceptive and the vestibular, but the eighth one is called interoceptive. And that's being in touch with our internal organs.
And it takes a lot of conscious. Learning to understand what that means. And physical and cognitive development. Right. And that being in touch with our internal intro septic means like, oh gosh, my bladder's getting full. I have to go pee. Or, gosh, I feel a little, you know, full. I might have to go poop. I bet. Go now. So I have. 30 seconds to go to the bathroom and I don't have an accident in my pants. Right. Or you can help them understand when they're feeling tired.
After they had a big, play date or they went on a hike with you. I'm feeling so tired. We were out in the sun and we ran and we laughed and we climbed. That makes me tired. Ah, Or maybe your heart is racing when you walked up to a big hill after you went and got the mail, right? Oh, feel my heart. I feel your heart. Yeah. That's or maybe you're feeling excited because your grandma's coming, in the afternoon to visit. I'm kidding. Excited. It's hard for me to concentrate. Or the simple, basic.
Human needs where you're getting thirsty or you're getting hungry. You're getting in touch with your internal organs and how it feels to be in your body and interact in this environment. And what your human basic needs are. But we can't develop this attunement. If they're always eating on the fly. Or if they're running around between bites that take a little bite here and a little bite there. They have to be able to feel and get in tune. And by having a schedule.
And routines that helps them slow down their day, get organized and get in a groove. So number four. In these tips would be to sit down at meals and snacks. Right. So you have a schedule. You have specific times where the kitchen is open and closed. And it's okay to say no, sometimes. In 20 minutes, we're going to. have our snack or have lunch. And then number four to sit down right. Because the number one problem or the concern that parents often share.
As they transitioned their babies from breast milk or, or formula. Into solid foods is that they're going to choke. And sitting down. Is the best way to reduce that risk. So if your lifestyle right now is that, they're a Grazer. I'm going to share some quick ideas to help break that cycle. And it's really about sitting down and letting them know that there's a new schedule and if you're excited and you're positive, then they will be too.
Because with this better routine, we're going to have more time to play. Right. And we can plan this together. And the, one tool that I always recommend and I've recommended it my entire career, is for parents to get a red timer with a visual countdown. And you can just Google it. And Amazon it's like 10, 15 bucks. You can get a big one or a small one. I, used to have a couple at my office. two different sizes, but it's just, 60 minute counter is quiet.
Doesn't make any noise or anything, but it's a visual reminder. And they can help you, to push the little circle around to 15 minutes. Oh, in 15 minutes it'll be lunchtime or 30 minutes. Let's finish playing. And then intermittently you look at the red clock and then they begin this internal sense of time because otherwise when you say, oh, in 15 minutes, they have no idea.
But that visual cue helps their body know that it's not this open-ended willy-nilly I have no idea what mom means by 15 minutes. Right. But kids love this little red timer. and I highly, highly recommend it. So the other piece is that recognize that toddlers appetites are somewhat variable. And so. You have to look at a whole week or even 10 days. When I had my private practice, I would have parents. Come in with a food list.
But to take it over seven to 10 days, because it, there it is variable, especially with toddlers. And so you need. To look at not only the food lists, but when we're in how right. So. If you're sitting down with them five times a day. Three meals, two inter meals, right. Or snacks. For seven to 10 days, that's a lot of data you're gathering. And then you'll be able to see patterns and you'll be able to adapt according to what your sh your goal is.
Your goal is for them to eat healthy, to stop grazing all day, to have consistent energy, right. To build and learn in this environment with good nutrition. You can adapt if you see that. Oh, maybe when he first wakes up, he's not all that hungry. And so you just have something little. Or then the snack at whatever nine o'clock could be more robust. Part of my deep dive into history, around food and meal time and baby food. And all of this is that breakfast Break Fast, right?
To break that fast through our sleeping night. Before the 1920s, it was just simply leftover dinner. But then there was this gentleman called Mr. Kellogg who introduced boxed cereals. And trust me when I say that that's a real dark rabbit hole for another day, or if you want to do it, you can, but you can just look up. Mr. Kellogg and he had a brother and there was some interesting business dynamics between those two, but. His whole thing in the mid to late twenties was that he introduced.
Cereals boxed cereals. And to me, it has always been one of the worst products that was ever put on the market for all humans, in my opinion I didn't have it when I was growing up because we were so poor every once in a while we'd have Cheerios. And that was actually a treat. And in hindsight, that was probably one of the best perks my parents ever gave me. and because I didn't grow up with cereal, I didn't introduce that to my daughter. And so she had no idea until she was much older and.
She w we are with our cousins and, you know, she was probably six, seven, and they're dumping out the cereal and pouring milk over it. And she's like, what the heck is that? And, fortunately she never got the hang of that cereal. But. By sitting down with them and collecting this data. You can gain a lot of information on how your child is eating one and where his hunger peaks and valleys. Right? And then you can help him get in touch with that.
Or maybe, he's waking up earlier and earlier in the morning, because dinner is too early and he, can't sustain it for that 10, 12 hours. But that's information that is very, very powerful. help them understand that we sit down together and share this meal together. And when we sit down, we're supposed to feel hungry. And then we stop eating when we're full. Right? No, honey, you don't have to finish everything on your plate. If you feel full.
You can just sit there for a couple more minutes and see how you're telling me feels if it's really full or if it's just taking a break. And then it's also important to pace the meal. So his hunger hormones can begin to communicate with his gut, right? The brain gut connection. So we have the ghrelin hormone, which tells us when we're hungry and then the leptin, which tells us when we're full. And there's that.
Kind of, you know, myth or there is a little science to it that it takes 20 minutes for our brain to communicate with our gut, to tell us when we're full. So if you pace the meal and if it's a social event and if it's relaxing, And there's no real rush and every meal isn't going to be perfect like this, but this is what your, your goal is. This is what you're striving for, especially. When they're young because you're building.
That healthy relationship with eating and food and social communication. And, but it takes time to practice and you're going to have rushed days. Like I always say, it's the 80 20 rule, right? If 80 percent of the time we can hit our mark. Then the 20% is going to be off and that's, that's just human nature. And then number five to round this out is really to prioritize. Uh, well rounded, healthy, balanced meals and snacks.
And how you simply do this, and this is the big, the big bomb for for this episode, stop. Buying junk food. And that's what it is, is junk food in a box, in a bag. I know that's a big, huge statement, but go check out. The Dorito effect, check out Mark's interviews. It's pretty wild when we realize what this ultra processed food quote unquote is. Right. It's just these snacks are crunchy air. And then on top of that, you also have all the pureed foods or the drinkable sugary crap.
All the juices, the dried fruit roll-ups, which, you know, I was a big purchaser of. And then these pouches that kind of popped into our world about 10 years ago. That's another big dark story. But applesauce and all the flavored yogurt. I mean, I love raw natural, unflavored yogurt, but has really, really, really hard to find you go into any grocery store from Vermont to New York to California. To Florida. I mean all of these high-end grocery stores, it's really hard to find plain yogurt.
And the other processed foods or what in my industry, what we've talked about and joked about, but there's a lot of truth to, is the white foods, right? Pasta, rice. Breads highly processed. nowadays, there's not a lot of nutrient value in that. And you can have some of that, but have a smaller portion as a side dish. And try your best not to lead with these white flours, or these white foods. Our bodies, just turn them into sugar as quickly as it's broken down.
So even if you put a little cream sauce or a little bit of Turkey or burger meat, it doesn't balance out enough. So lead with the healthy fats, the avocados or the, Sweet potatoes with butter, or the chicken or the, Steak lead with those and then have a little. Rice or pasta on the side. Because those will not hold the satiety. Is that it's digested too quickly. And then boom, you're back to the picky eating cycle. Lead with the healthy fats and the proteins. And then add real whole vegetables.
Remember those one ingredient foods. So the two main problems that I identified that grazing and all day snacking does it messes with your appetite they never get to feel hungry. And two limits the nutrients that your little baby is taking in. And then the five simple steps that you can take to start today. ONE make a schedule for both snacks and meal times. TWO create an open and closed kitchen policy. It will also help big time as they get bigger and bigger and bigger.
Number three, learn to say no, sometimes that helps I get in touch with an Interoceptive system. Am I really hungry or am I just bored? Or tired or cranky, or I just want attention. Right. Number four, sit down at meals and snacks. It's a social event. And number five. Prioritize well-rounded meals and snacks. At the end of the day, just simply stop buying junk food.
You're not gonna, throw it all out on day one, but you can start with juices, use up what you have currently, and then just don't go buy it again. I know that's easier said than done Uh, big, bold statement. If you can avoid going down that slippery slope. Start today. So this week, your challenge. And this is it. Just examine your pantry. Look in your cupboards. Look in your fridge. Look in your freezer. What percentage is processed, ultra processed. What percentage?
And I know it's hard to wrap our mind around this, but snacks. Are hard to manage because our modern world. Is so quote unquote convenient. The pre-packaged foods are really easy. The fast foods are really easy. The drive-throughs are really easy. And that's why planning ahead, focusing on nutrient dense meals and snacks will always serve you and your family better. Letting snacks be something to keep the engine running smoothly between the main meals you and I don't need snacks.
But your toddler or your preschooler does. And then keep in mind. No crunchy air. No naked carbs. So what's in your pantry. What's one thing that you can emit all met today. Help your little guy or girl. Your little gal become the best version of themselves. You're on this journey together. You are the leader. I'm so grateful that you're taking time out of your busy, busy day to learn that you're eager to learn. What else can you do?
What else can you tweak to build a happy, healthy home life where your kids are thriving under your leadership? And remember if you're finding benefit from these episodes, please share and consider writing a positive review. It's the only way podcasts and YouTube channels can get pushed out to other people. In similar positions that are seeking guidance, they're seeking advice. Who want to do the best for their family? Just like you. So have a great week. God bless. And I'll see you next time.