Today’s post is the first of a few I’ll be sharing from friends, colleagues, and moms that have been kind enough to share a few posts with you while I’m savoring maternity leave with little sis! To kick things off, my friend Jill Castle MS, RD, LDN is here today to share an amazing resource to help you [and ME] with something I struggle with on the daily—- especially when I don’t feel like cooking. Short. Order. Cooking! Anyone else guilty of that?! I trust Jill on this one, and on ALL subjects that involve raising a healthy family. She’s a mom of four, a pediatric registered dietitian nutritionist, and passionate about what she has to share. Take it away Jill!
Picky eaters, overeaters, grazers, snack-a-holics…they all have something in common: Parents who struggle with the short order cook syndrome.
You know what it is.
The extra entrée at the dinner table for the child who won’t eat the meal you made.
The after dinner bowl of cereal (or cup of yogurt or whatever else) you offer to make up for a lackluster meal.
The five foods your child WILL eat that keep showing up at meals.
The failed attempts at bringing new foods to the table, which only end up leading you to supply the above.
Short-order cooking seems like it is effective, and certainly, it’s the path of least resistance. It gets your child fed. It gives your child a full belly. It minimizes drama and angst at the table. And that, my friends, is a kickback that most parents cannot resist.
But, short order cooking as a long term, effective feeding approach is no good. In fact, it seriously impedes your child’s nutrition, eating abilities, and social growth. I want you to overcome the short order cook syndrome. I want you to have a strategy and a system for feeding your child that ensures the nutritional quality of his or her diet, encourages adventurous and confident eating, and enables your child’s ability to eat anywhere, anytime.
Here’s how you can get started [click the image for the resource]:
I don’t know about you, but I’m printing this resource off and putting it on the bulletin board in my kitchen! Nothing like a friendly-reminder when a certain toddler is asking for 10 different things at the dinner table. For more about Jill, be sure to visit her website, along with other great resources she has to offer, such as the Kids Healthy Weight Project.
Do you ever feel like a short order cook for your family? Then this resource is for YOU! Share on X
[…] I’m still on somewhat of a maternity leave from the blog [you can read more about that on Monday’s post] but I felt compelled to stop in and say hello! I’ve received countless messages from family, […]