Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball

Sometimes we just need a little mental shift, a small piece of knowledge, an encouragement to break a habit, or a new perspective.

That’s my goal today!

I want to break into the day-to-day habits that might not be serving your kids and help you make a SHIFT – either in your thinking, your dinner routine, or your language.

I challenge you to set one tiny goal for your dinner table after listening, in one of these 3 areas:

1. Screens
2. Empathy/Understanding
3. Starting the Meal

Here’s to small changes making a big impact—just like we do in the No More Picky Eating Challenge!

You’ll learn new routines, pattern interruptions, and way more. And if you’re a reader or like to refer back to information time and again, grab a copy of The Picky Eater Playbook, my new book!

Resources I Mentioned for Picky Eating Habits

• My free No More Picky Eating Challenge
• Benefits of Family Dinners
• My picky eating TEDx talk
• Whole chicken in the Instant Pot
• BBQ chicken recipe for the slow cooker or Instant Pot
• Homemade air-fryer chicken nuggets
• Other good habits for the table
• Vibrant Blue Oils Parasympathetic blend

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

I was asked a question on a podcast interview the other day that I’ve never been asked before – “WHY are there so many picky eaters these days?”

It really does feel like it’s an epidemic, far different than our childhood.

What gives? I have 4 theories as to the underpinnings, and those lend a hand to create a playbook to avoid picky eating in your own kids if they’re young enough to circumvent bad habits.

That’s GREAT news with MUCH hope!

I’m going to be unpacking a lot of habits, expectations, and attitudes that can banish picky eating power struggles from your mealtimes during the FREE 5-day No More Picky Eating Challenge. We’ve had thousands of families go through the challenge, committing to making one small change each day so that they never again have to say, “I just want my kids to eat what I make!”

Save your Seat!

It has to be said of course that there are many biological root causes to picky eating too, and we’ll dip our toe into that during the challenge as well.

Or if you’re more of a reader—or have done the challenge before and want the information at your fingertips!—you can pre-order my book The Picky Eater Playbook. Along with all the strategies from the challenge, you also get all kinds of stories and examples from my family and other families I’ve worked with.

More Resources to Tackle the Root Causes Behind Picky Eating

• My FREE picky eating challenge
• My new book, The Picky Eater Playbook
• Redefining a “kid’s meal”
• Raising successful adults with Julie Lythcott-Haimes
• Understanding your highly sensitive child
• Reduce stress by raising resilient kids
• Solve picky eating with the tiny salad trick
• The importance of letting kids play with food
• Strategies for kids with sensory processing disorder
• Is it picky eating or something deeper?
• Picky eating solutions using all 8 senses
• 10 ways to get kids to eat more veggies with no tricks!

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What’s healthier for your child: a donut or a muffin?

I know. That sounds like a trick question.

And after decades of talking about real food at Kitchen Stewardship and Kids Cook Real Food, I certainly have some thoughts about the ingredients in both!

But Dr. Dina Rose made an argument in this interview that stopped me in my tracks: From a habits perspective, sometimes the donut might actually have an advantage.

Why?

Nobody is pretending the donut is health food.

A muffin, on the other hand, can easily become a cupcake without frosting that we’ve mentally filed under “healthy breakfast.” Even if we healthify it with whole grains, flaxseed, applesauce, or whatever else we can sneak in there, our kids are still learning something about what breakfast tastes like and what they expect to eat.

That distinction gets right to the heart of my conversation with Dina.

In part one, we talked about her three habits of healthy eating: proportion, variety, and moderation. Now we’re getting even more practical.

How do we talk about candy without making it forbidden fruit?

Should kids have to eat dinner before they get dessert?

What do we do when a child announces, “I’m full!” at dinner and miraculously discovers a second stomach when dessert appears?

And what about the picky eater who refuses even one tiny taste of a new food?

Dina challenges us to stop making every bite of food carry so much emotional baggage. Instead, she gives parents structures that help kids understand what to expect, experience hunger and fullness, and explore unfamiliar foods without Mom or Dad hovering nearby thinking, “Please eat it. Please eat it. PLEASE EAT IT.”

(Our faces never give us away, right?)

This conversation challenged some of the language and rules we were using in my own home at the time. And once again, I walked away realizing that raising healthy eaters isn’t simply about getting the “right” foods into our kids today.

We’re teaching them how to eat for the rest of their lives.

Let’s dig into part two.

Resources We Mention for Changing Eating Habits

• Dr. Dina’s book: It’s Not About the Broccoli
• My video on “Growing Foods vs. Fun Foods”
• Don’t underestimate kids’ taste buds!
• Jump into the No More Picky Eating Challenge

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

If you’ve ever bribed a child with dessert to get three more bites of broccoli into their mouth, this interview may mess with your head a little.

In a good way.

Because what if our intense focus on getting healthy food INTO our kids is accidentally teaching them some not-so-healthy habits about eating?

When I first interviewed sociologist, parent educator, and feeding expert Dr. Dina Rose, her ideas challenged the way I thought about feeding my own kids. In fact, this conversation continues to influence how our family handles desserts and sweet treats today.

Dina’s big idea sounds almost too simple: Healthy eating isn’t only about what kids eat. It’s about the habits they’re learning around food.

That means we have to think beyond fruits, vegetables, protein, and all the other nutritional boxes we’re trying desperately to check before bedtime.

Are our kids learning to recognize when they’re hungry and full?

Are they learning to eat a variety of foods?

Are sweets becoming rewards, comfort, or forbidden treasures?

And are we accidentally creating power struggles because we’re so worried about getting those vegetables into them?

Dina boils healthy eating down to three habits: proportion, variety, and moderation. And I have to tell you, thinking in terms of three habits instead of servings, nutrients, and “Did anyone eat something green today?” feels like a breath of fresh air.

In this interview, we’ll dig into why focusing too heavily on nutrition can backfire, how kids’ taste preferences are shaped, why variety does NOT have to mean constantly serving new foods, and how sweets and treats can have a reasonable place in a healthy relationship with food.

Some of Dina’s ideas challenged me when I first heard them.

They still make me think.

And I have a feeling you’ll have a few “Wait...what?” moments too.

Let’s dig in.

Resources We Mention for Changing Eating Habits

• Dr. Dina’s book: It’s Not About the Broccoli
• My video on “Growing Foods vs. Fun Foods”
• Don’t underestimate kids’ taste buds!
• Get on the list for the next No More Picky Eating Challenge

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

If part one of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray made you question what you thought you knew about hormones, buckle up. Part two goes even deeper.

Dr. Gray is the author of The Hormone Blueprint, and she has spent years researching and working with women on hormones, thyroid health, metabolism, and hormone replacement therapy.

And moms, this conversation is especially for us.

We get incredibly practical about testing, what may actually be hiding inside hormone prescriptions, and why Dr. Gray believes women need a much more nuanced conversation about HRT, breast cancer, brain health, bones, and aging.

We talk about:

• The hormone and thyroid tests Dr. Gray recommends women ask about, including one metabolic marker your doctor may not routinely check
• Why she says a “normal” lab result and an optimal result can be two very different things
• The surprising inactive ingredients she found inside some hormone prescriptions, including dyes, preservatives, and other ingredients you might never think to look for
• Why the way you take hormones matters, from pills and creams to patches and pellets
• What happens when you wear an estrogen patch in a sauna. Yes, Dr. Gray actually researched this!
• The complicated relationship between HRT and breast cancer, including research Dr. Gray says challenges some long-held assumptions
• Why she believes women should consider not only the possible risks of taking hormones, but also the risks of going without them
• How hormones may fit into the bigger picture of protecting our bones, brains, cardiovascular health, metabolism, and quality of life as we age

There is a LOT here, and this is definitely an episode where you may want to grab a notebook, jot down questions, and bring them to a healthcare provider who understands hormone health. You can also print off the cheat sheet of the episode – grab it here! 

Because “I guess feeling terrible is just part of getting older” is not a health plan.

Here’s part two of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray.

Resources We Mention for Hormone Replacement Therapy and Hormone Testing

• Grab one of Dr. Stephanie’s books: Your Longevity Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Fertility Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Hormone Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org).
• Get 10% off supplements at Dr. Stephanie’s site with the code KIDS.
• Perimenopause could be the best years of your life! with Jenn Pike
• More about menopause and hormones with Cynthia Thurlow here and here
• How to start and keep with a new habit

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Were you scared away from taking hormone replacement therapy?

I was. 100%!

But this conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray may have changed my mind. 

I’m 46, firmly in the “what is happening to my body and what is ABOUT to happen?” stage of life, and I had definitely absorbed the message that hormone replacement therapy was a Big Scary Decision.

I couldn’t have explained the research. I couldn’t have named the famous study that scared so many women away from hormones. I just had this sense of, “Ooh, probably not for me. I’ll just eat my way to good health and keep my mobility, thankyouverymuch.”

You know what I mean?

That’s exactly why this conversation fascinated me.

Dr. Stephanie Gray has been working with hormones for well over a decade, and she walked me through what actually happened with the research that shaped our cultural fear of hormone therapy, what she believes we got wrong, and some REALLY important distinctions that tend to get flattened into one little word: hormones.

This one gets dense in the best possible way. We’re talking perimenopause, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, delivery methods, heart health, brain health, metabolic health, and why the details matter enormously.

Listen in to hear:

• Why the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study scared a generation of women away from hormone therapy, and the three major problems Dr. Gray sees with how that research was conducted
• The surprisingly simple way to tell whether the hormone you’ve been prescribed is actually the same hormone your body makes
• Why Dr. Gray says “progesterone” and “progestin” are NOT interchangeable words, even though they’re often treated that way
• What oral estrogen has to do with the liver and clotting risk, and why the delivery method of a hormone matters
• Patches, creams, pellets, lozenges, injections…oh my! How the options differ and why this definitely isn’t a one-size-fits-all conversation
• Why timing matters when women consider hormone therapy, especially around perimenopause and menopause
• Dr. Gray’s “healthy house” analogy for understanding estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones without needing a medical degree
• The connection she draws between declining hormones and four major health concerns as we age: cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and metabolic dysfunction

If your entire understanding of hormone replacement therapy is basically, “Wasn’t there a study saying that was dangerous?” you are absolutely not alone.

I was right there with you.

This conversation gave me a LOT more questions to ask, which is exactly where I want to be when I’m making decisions about my health.

Resources We Mention for HRT and Perimenopause Hormones

• Grab one of Dr. Stephanie’s books: Your Longevity Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Fertility Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org); Your Hormone Blueprint (Amazon/Bookshop.org).
• Get 10% off supplements at Dr. Stephanie’s site with the code KIDS.
• Perimenopause could be the best years of your life! with Jenn Pike
• More about menopause and hormones with Cynthia Thurlow here and here
• Women build muscle differently – especially over age 30

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

What should you do when your child is overwhelmed, melting down, refusing to cooperate, or acting like they cannot handle something you know they can do?

In part two of this conversation, Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge explains how parents can help kids build a more regulated nervous system before, during, and after stressful moments. She shares why parents should regulate first, connect second, and correct only after a child is calm enough to think and learn. Here's part one if you missed it. 

You’ll also learn why constantly rescuing kids from discomfort can prevent them from building stress tolerance, how to support a child without immediately fixing the problem, and why small daily regulation practices can make a big difference over time.

Dr. Roseann shares a simple 4-7-8 breathing practice parents can use throughout the day to lower stress and build greater nervous system capacity! This is just one of at least 5 solid techniques Dr. Ro shares with us, things you can implement right away at home. 

Don't forget to check out Dr. Roseann's new book, The Dysregulated Child.

Resources We Mention for Helping Your Dysregulated Child

• Dr. Roseann’s book The Dysregulated Child releases 9/22/26! Grab it now.
• Episodes on stress mastery: Can We Help Our Highly Sensitive Kids Handle Their Stress? and Stress Busting for Moms
• What Is Nervous System Work, and Why Is It Important?
• Raising Kids Who Can Do Hard Things with Dr. Kathryn Hecht
• Try the Stress Mastery Challenge for free

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

When your child is melting down, refusing to listen, shutting down, or exploding over something small, their nervous system may be overwhelmed—not ready for more words or discipline.

Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a longtime friend of mine and Raising Healthy Families, explains what happens in the brain when kids become dysregulated and why their ability to think logically can temporarily go offline. She shares how a child’s “stress cup” fills up, why parents and kids can co-regulate or co-dysregulate, and why your own nervous system is one of the most powerful parenting tools you have.

You’ll also learn why the middle of a meltdown is usually the worst time to reason with your child, how to use a simple three-second “love pause,” and why regulation needs to come before teaching, correcting, or problem-solving.

This episode gives parents practical ways to respond with fewer words, more calm, and a better understanding of what their child’s behavior may be communicating.

If this episode hits a nerve, make sure you grab a copy of Dr. Ro’s new book, The Dysregulated Child.

Resources We Mention for Helping Your Dysregulated Child

• Dr. Roseann’s book The Dysregulated Child releases 9/22/26! Grab it now.
• Preventing nervous system wounds in your child with Ann Odom
• Episodes on stress mastery: Can We Help Our Highly Sensitive Kids Handle Their Stress? and Stress Busting for Moms
• Try the Stress Mastery Challenge for free

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

In the previous episode, I talked about my first two philosophy shifts when it comes to how I feed my own kids and talk about picky eating. We dealt with the "no thank-you bite" and how/when to serve dessert. I'm truly grateful for the professionals who helped me change my thinking and my ways!

Today, we'll dive into three other mindset changes I've had when it comes to feeding kids. The first has to do with introducing foods to babies, which isn't actually a part of The Picky Eater Playbook—but it's still something to consider and an important first step for parents!

Then we will get into how our food looks (does it matter?) and briefly touch on kids who really WOULD starve themselves if they aren't served certain foods. 

You'll learn:

• why I think eczema and food sensitivities might have been caused by Paul and Leah's first foods
• what first foods I think work best for babies
• why I started rethinking "you don't taste with your eyes" and how cute foods might actually be more appealing to children
• what working with 20,000 families taught me about my stance that kids will eat eventually, they won't starve
• and why the laid-back way I wrote The Picky Eater Playbook means you will probably be able to adapt it for your family!

I'm outlining all the pre-order bonuses for you, too, so make sure to listen or watch to the end of the episode. I sure hope you'll think it's worthwhile to pre-order a copy of the book and delve into making dinnertime a more peaceful time for your whole family.

You deserve that, Mom, and so do your kids! Get out of the chicken nugget and pizza rut. It CAN be better.

Resources We Mention for Picky Eating Tips

• Pre-order The Picky Eater Playbook and get amazing pre-order bonuses!
• Nourishing first foods for babies
• More about problem feeders in my interview with Dr. Kay Toomey
• Get kids in the kitchen! Check out the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse or Teens Cook Real Food if your kids are older
• Jensen got help through my Picky Eater Playbook (P.E.P.) Club - learn more about the membership now

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

Have you ever given parenting advice with total confidence…only to learn a few years later that you had it completely wrong?

I have. 🙋‍♀️

After 21 years of feeding kids, 17 years of writing about healthy families, and a whole lot of conversations with picky eating experts, there are a few things I used to teach that I simply don’t anymore.

And I think it’s important to talk about them.

In this episode, I’m sharing some of the biggest changes I’ve made in my picky eating philosophy—and why learning more sometimes means being willing to do a complete 180. We’re digging into two especially common feeding practices: requiring kids to take a “no thank you bite” and making dessert something they have to earn by eating enough dinner.

You’ll hear:

• Why I no longer recommend requiring even one bite of a new food
• The simple phrase that can take an enormous amount of pressure off picky eaters
• Why making dessert a reward may accidentally make it even more desirable
• How our family shifted from “eat enough dinner to get dessert” to choice within boundaries
• Why there probably isn’t one perfect dessert rule that works for every child and every family

And we’re only halfway through my list!

This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. In Part 2, I’ll share the rest of the major picky eating philosophies I’ve changed my mind about, including a powerful story of one child’s transformation and more of what I’ve learned while writing The Picky Eater Playbook.

If you’ve ever wondered whether the feeding advice you’ve heard (or even followed for years!) is actually helping your child build a healthy relationship with food, this conversation is for you.

Resources We Mention for Pressure-Free Feeding

• Find all the places you can pre-order my book, The Picky Eater Playbook (and get those pre-order bonuses!)
• Jump start your learning with the No More Picky Eating Challenge
• The real cause of picky eating with Dr. Kay Toomey
• Why We Should Stop Thinking About Nutrition and Build Our Kids’ Eating Habits Instead with Feeding Expert Dina Rose, PhD
• Our real food sweets rules – are they necessary?

Check out my new book at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/pickybook!

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Raising Healthy Families 
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!