Comfort Food
90 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 166 ratingsThe podcast about the joys (and meltdowns!) of feeding our families and ourselves. Every week we examine how diet culture, body image issues and our own hectic lives get in the way of putting a dinner on the table that we can all feel good about. And we offer practical, road-tested tips to help you make peace with your own eating (or your kid's picky eating!) and find more joy in your family's food life. Hosted by best friends and writers Amy Palanjian (creator of the popular blog Yummy Toddler Food) and Virginia Sole-Smith (author of The Eating Instinct).
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Episodes
40. Intuitive Eating Secrets from a Mom of 5 (with Melissa Griffiths of Bless This Mess)
August 29, 2019 09:00 - 44 minutes - 61.6 MBIt can be daunting to raise one or two healthy, happy eaters... so how about five?! This week, we chat with Melissa Griffiths of Bless This Mess about how she's raising her kids to honor their hunger and fullness cues, trust their bodies and love family meals... even when they don't love what's being served! We also get into her secrets for sharing the load and the snack drawer strategy that's kind of blowing Amy's mind. Plus an Unrelated discussion of the USDA's new school lunch rules and w...
39: What Growth Chart Percentiles Mean for Your Kid's Health
August 22, 2019 09:00 - 39 minutes - 55.5 MBWhether you have a kiddo in a high weight percentile, or barely on the growth chart, chances are you’ve had at least one pediatrician visit where you left stressed out about growth curves. Today we’re discussing the limitations of the Body Mass Index, how to keep growth chart percentiles in perspective and celebrate your kid at any size. Plus we give reviews of our new favorite body positive online workouts — One Peleton and The Underbelly! Visit comfortfoodpodcast.com for all the links, ...
38: What To Do About Snacking (And Why Your Kid Doesn't Want to Eat Meals)
August 15, 2019 09:00 - 37 minutes - 52 MBWhy do so many of our kids only want to eat "snacks?" Why can't you leave your house without a purse full of them? We're untangling some of the confusion about snacks: Why kids need them, how they can interfere with hunger and fullness cues, and how to neutralize their power — especially when it feels like your kids are encountering them everywhere they go. Visit comfortfoodpodcast.com for all the links and resources discussed in this episode. Email your snack-related questions to comfort...
37. How The Heck To Start Milk Weaning (plus Summer Veggie Ideas With Nicki Sizemore of From Scratch Fast)
May 23, 2019 09:00 - 49 minutes - 68.5 MBWelcome to the final episode of season 2! Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed, weaning your baby or toddler from their first milk over to a cup can be a fraught process. We’re exploring why our cultural expectations about moms, toddlers and feeding make it so much harder — and brainstorming ways to make it go more smoothly. (As Virginia gears up to bottle-wean her own toddler!) Plus, fan favorite Nicki Sizemore of From Scratch Fast is back with some family-friendly ways to cook summer vegg...
36. Why Moms Should Say Eff It To Dieting with Caroline Dooner
May 16, 2019 09:00 - 50 minutes - 70.9 MBThis week, we're taking a break from our usual family-focused fare to chat with Caroline Dooner, author of The F*ck It Diet, a radical new book that just might help you rethink your whole relationship with dieting, food guilt, and body image angst. Don't worry; The F*ck It Diet is not a diet — it's a set of tools to help you reevaluate the role diet culture plays in your life, and at your dinner table. (And don't worry, the language on this episode is still G-rated!) Plus, Amy and Virgini...
35. Feeding Your Family and Getting Out Of Your Own Way
May 09, 2019 09:00 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBIn a lot of kitchens, dads need to be doing more to even out the mental load and division of emotional labor. Period. The end. Except...it's also true that moms make the project of feeding our families harder than it needs to be when we buy into too many unrealistic cultural expectations about meal planning, meal prepping, what we should be eating and how much work we need to put into making those meals. This week we're examining some times when we've fallen into the expectations trap and of...
34. Please Don't Screw Up Our Kids, Part 2! A Conversation About Food, Weight & Body Image with Rebecca Scritchfield of Body Kindness
May 02, 2019 09:00 - 34 minutes - 48.9 MBThis week, we're teaming up with Rebecca Scritchfield's Body Kindness Podcast for a very special cross-over episode. Rebecca is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified exercise physiologist and author of Body Kindness. She and Virginia decided to dive deep into how to handle unwelcome comments about our kids' bodies or food preferences, what to do when they first use the word "fat," and how we can model body positivity... even on days when we're not feeling totally positive about our ...
33. Family Dinners IRL: A Conversation with Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner, A Love Story.
April 25, 2019 09:00 - 38 minutes - 53.6 MBThere's the American ideal of Perfect Family Dinners... and then there's what actually happens. Jenny Rosenstrach, author of three cookbooks and founding editor of the blog Dinner: A Love Story has devoted her career to helping us "fight the good fight" of feeding our families, every night. (Or most nights, if you're Virginia.) Plus a postpartum #feedyourselffirst update from Amy. Questions or comments? Email @[email protected] or find us on social media: @v_solesmith, @yummyto...
32: The Kids-In-Restaurants Survival Guide
April 18, 2019 09:00 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MBEating out can be one of the easiest ways to give yourself a break from the daily chore of feeding your family, but what to do when it just feels like a looming disaster? We talk through some common challenges, and solutions, to taking kids to restaurants. Send us your best kids in restaurant tips! [email protected]. And don't forget to visit our show notes at comfortfoodpodcast.com and follow us on social at @v_solesmith and @yummytoddlerfood. Sponsor Spotlight: Bumkins Baby...
31: The Mental Load of Meal Planning
April 11, 2019 09:00 - 40 minutes - 56.8 MBIn which Virginia realizes that her reluctance to meal planning is really a one woman protest against yet more emotional labor — that essential work of caring and keeping our families that so disproportionately falls onto moms. We talk about why meal planning is requires so much mental load work, and ask: How can we even things out and make it work better in our homes? Struggling with your own meal planning mental load? Tell us your stories: [email protected] or @v_solesmith & ...
30: Backpocket Family Dinner Ideas with Nicki Sizemore of From Scratch Fast
April 04, 2019 09:00 - 41 minutes - 58 MBDinner. It has to happen every night, no matter whether you meal planned, or went to the store, or are now staring down some hard 5pm truths about the state of your fridge. We asked Nicki Sizemore, of From Scratch Fast, to share some family-tested ideas for quick, easy dinners that you can make more or less out of thin air. Find links to all of Nicki's recipes and other resources in our show notes at comfortfoodpodcast.com. And send us your dinner ideas and questions: comfortfoodpodcast...
29: Intuitive Eating 101 with Evelyn Tribole
March 28, 2019 09:00 - 37 minutes - 53 MBYou may have heard the phrase “intuitive eating” (we sure say it a lot!) but maybe you aren’t sure what it means. And maybe you’ve heard it’s a good weight loss strategy. Today we’re talking with Evelyn Tribole, RDN, the original Intuitive Eating Pro, about how you can put intuitive eating into practice, what it can mean for your kids—and why it isn’t a diet. Comments, questions? Send 'em to [email protected] or find us on social: @v_solesmith on Instagram & Twitter and @yummyto...
28: When The Kids Just Don't Eat (With Jennifer Berry of Thrive by Spectrum)
March 21, 2019 09:00 - 41 minutes - 58 MBThere are lots of meals (especially dinner!) that kids just don't eat. And this can be frustrating and even alarming for parents—but most often, it's completely normal. We're chatting with Jennifer Berry, OT, a feeding therapist and owner of Thrive By Spectrum Pediatrics, about what can help and what might be making the situation worse. Send us your family food questions! @v_solesmith and @yummytoddlerfood on social media or email [email protected]. And visit comfortfoodpodcast...
27: What Does Healthy Really Mean? With Maryann Jacobsen, RD
March 14, 2019 09:00 - 35 minutes - 50.2 MB“Healthy” is a word that gets used and overused on recipes, food packaging, and in diet and wellness marketing. It’s also a word that many of us strive for—but what do we really mean when we use the term? And how is our belief about what “healthy” really means impacting our relationships with food and how we feed our kids? We have Maryann Jacobsen, RD, author of Fearless Feeding and many other books on family nutrition here to help us sort it all out. More resources in our show notes at c...
26: Crazy But Normal Toddler Mealtime Behavior
March 07, 2019 10:00 - 37 minutes - 53.1 MBWe're welcoming Amy back from maternity leave with an episode focused on her expertise — feeding toddlers! This episode covers what to do with little ones' food obsessions, fickle appetites, and non-existent table manners... and Amy helps Virginia figure out how to persuade her 15-month-old to actually use a high chair. Have a question or a family mealtime challenge? Email us at [email protected] or find us on social @yummytoddlerfood and @v_solesmith. Visit our shownotes at...
25. Tips for Picky Eaters (Crossover Episode with Didn't I Just Feed You?)
January 24, 2019 14:24 - 37 minutes - 52.5 MBComfort Food is about to go on a short hiatus while Amy has that baby. So for this week's very special episode, we're rebroadcasting a fun interview she did with Stacie Billis and Meghan Splawn of Didn't I Just Feed You?. Then we're bringing 6-year-old Linden on to give us some insider perspective on what kids really think about dinner. We'll be back with weekly episodes in March. Until then, check out our archives for the gems you might have missed — and continue the conversation with us...
24. Can You Be Addicted to Sugar? (With Lisa DuBreuil)
January 17, 2019 10:00 - 43 minutes - 60.9 MBJoin the parent conversation at any birthday party and you might come away thinking that sugar is more addictive than crack. But how much of this is fact — and how much is fueled by our culture’s food anxieties? We ask eating disorder and addiction expert Lisa DuBreuil to sort through the science with us, and talk about how to take a saner approach to the sweet stuff in your house. Show notes available at comfortfoodpodcast.com. Find us on social (@v_solesmith @yummytoddlerfood @yummyfamil...
23. When Family Dinners Don't Happen
January 10, 2019 10:00 - 32 minutes - 45.7 MBThere’s a lot of pressure to make family dinners work—and a lot of guilt-inducing headlines preaching that we can avoid everything from drug abuse to failing grades by making them a priority. But what if we can make them work due to schedules or early bedtimes? Or when we just want to share a grown up meal and conversation with our partner at the end of the day? Are we dooming our kids? (Hint: No!) Visit our show notes at comfortfoodpodcast.com and send us your questions about family dinn...
22. New Year, No Diet (with Christy Harrison, RD, author of ANTI-DIET)
January 03, 2019 10:00 - 45 minutes - 63.9 MBIt’s January! Which means we’re getting bombarded with “new year, new body” messages. But what if you just… didn’t start a diet this year? What if you did an anti-diet instead? We’re talking to Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CDN, an anti-diet dietitian and host of the Food Psych Podcast about why January is such a tough month for our relationship with food, and how you can protect yourself from the onslaught of toxic diet culture messaging. Plus, Amy and Virginia share a few body positive resolu...
21. Holiday Hosting Sanity Strategies
December 20, 2018 10:00 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MBTis the season... for a house full of guests, a fridge full of food, kids hopped up on present stress and even Virginia is making menu plans because holiday hosting is no joke. If you're stressing over how to get big holiday dinners on the table, or what to do when your kids only eat rolls (spoiler: They will only eat rolls), we've got you covered with 8 strategies for simplifying and enjoying this most magical time of the year. For more tips and resources, visit our show notes at comfort...
20. Holiday Baking with Kids (Feat. Samantha Barnes of Radish Kids!)
December 13, 2018 10:00 - 35 minutes - 50.1 MBBaking (or cooking, or just inhabiting the kitchen) with your children sounds so great in theory...but the reality is often sticky counters, broken egg shells, and bored littles wondering when you're going to get to the fun frosting part already. (But you're making soup.) This week, Amy and Virginia ask Samantha Barnes, founder of Radish Kids to share her best strategies for having fun in the kitchen with kids of any age. Be sure to listen to the end for a special discount code on a Radish K...
19. The Feeding Philosophy That May Save Family Dinner (with Katja Rowell, MD)
December 06, 2018 10:00 - 40 minutes - 56.3 MBYou've heard us mention Division of Responsibility a million times by now. And you may have encountered this feeding philosophy, developed by renowned therapist and dietitian Ellyn Satter in mom groups or on parenting sites too. But while DOR can be pretty life-changing, it's not always simple to put into practice—and it's easy to get stumped along the way, as your kid ages or goes through phases of picky eating or food fixation. We've got Katja Rowell, MD —the feeding doctor and co-author ...
18. Behind The Scenes of THE EATING INSTINCT (Virginia's new book!)
November 29, 2018 10:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBVirginia's new book, The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image and Guilt in America, is finally here! So today, we're chatting all about how it came to be — from Virginia's daughter's dramatic story of feeding tube dependency and learning to eat again, to the interviews Virginia did with dozens of other folks, from all walks of life, all struggling to feel good about food. She also discusses easy strategies parents can use to protect our kids' eating instincts. Plus, Amy has a pregnancy-...
17. Baby-Led Weaning vs. Purees — Do We Have to Pick a Side?
November 15, 2018 10:00 - 36 minutes - 51.2 MBBaby led weaning and purees are both perfectly acceptable ways to introduce a baby to solid foods. But this topic gets crazy heated among moms! We’ll talk through why so many folks believe there's just one right way to approach this milestone and whether you can combine the methods (spoiler: We sure did!). And we’ll get into some basics of BLW with our guest Megan McNamee of Feeding Littles. Check out our show notes at comfortfoodpodcast.com, and tell us whether you're on Team Puree, Team ...
16. The Great Meal Planning Debate (with KJ Dell'Antonia, author of HOW TO BE A HAPPIER PARENT)
November 06, 2018 20:47 - 38 minutes - 53.8 MBAmy loves to meal plan (and posts amazing menus every week @yummyfamilyfood!). Virginia is… more of a meal planning rebel. Is it helpful to spend your weekends pinning recipes and chopping vegetables—or does that just create more pressure around family meals? We talk with KJ Dell’Antonia, author of How To Be A Happier Parent (and self-professed dedicated meal planner!) about how to take the stress out of the kitchen and find a meal planning and prepping style that works for you. Check out ...
15. Team Dinner (How Shared Parenting Makes Family Meals Easier)
November 01, 2018 09:00 - 41 minutes - 57.9 MBOur biggest gripe about family dinners? When all of the cooking/chopping/planning/prepping/cleaning falls to just one family member—because all too often, it’s all on mom. This week, Amy and Virginia talk to a very special guest (Virginia’s husband Dan!) about why this problem persists and go over five strategies that Virginia and Dan use to share the mealtime load at their house (even though Dan’s cooking game is mostly breakfast-sandwich-based). Visit our show notes at comfortfoodpodcast...
14. Why Does Starting Solids Get So Controversial?
October 25, 2018 09:00 - 36 minutes - 51.2 MBVirginia's baby Beatrix just turned one! And she's sharing their journey from spoon-feeding mushy banana to self-feeding all the foods. We also discuss why the decision of when to start solids with your baby can feel so fraught. And Megan McNamee, MPH, RDN, CLT of Feeding Littles joins the conversation to share some tips. Don't forget to visit our show notes at comfortfoodpodcast.com. And email us your starting solids stories or questions at [email protected].
13. How to Stop Freaking Out About Halloween Candy and Sugar Highs
October 18, 2018 09:00 - 36 minutes - 51.3 MBThe spooky season is upon us! And all too often, parents' biggest fear about Halloween is... what to do with all the candy. We know it can be a lot (especially if you've got multiple parties, parades and trick-or-treating ops in your town). But Halloween is also a fantastic opportunity to let your kids explore new foods, learn to handle themselves around treats, and (yes, really) enjoy some sugar. We talk about where this new candy phobia has come from, and go over our tips for making the on...
12. Why Being Body Positive Matters To Your Kids
October 11, 2018 09:00 - 35 minutes - 49.9 MBIt can be super hard to feel good about your mom body because we live in a culture that wants us to have all the babies... but then look like we never had a baby. So a lot of us end up denigrating our bodies or our food choices, almost without realizing it—and for sure without realizing how much our kids are listening to us body shame, fat talk or apologize for eating. But new research shows that kids as young as 5 years old know when their moms aren't happy with their bodies—and are more li...
11. 5 Reasons Why Family Dinners Are the Worst (But Could Be the Best)
October 04, 2018 09:00 - 37 minutes - 52.2 MBEvery darn day we have to feed our families dinner. And on way too many of those days, it's harder than it should be. We’ve pinpointed 5 of the most common problems that come up during family dinner: Time: We never have enough! Kids Won’t Sit Still: Who else has a toddler who constantly plays with their food?? One Parent Trying to Do It All: Whomp, whomp. This one can be so hard to manage given busy schedules. Expectations Are Too High: Because eating with kids is not the same as eati...
10. The Protein Myth: Do We Really Need to Eat As Much As We Think?
September 27, 2018 09:00 - 31 minutes - 44.8 MBThese days, "healthy eating" seems to mean "eat all of the protein, with some protein powder sprinkled on top." This can be super stressful for parents who worry their kids aren't big fans of meat or beans (or protein powder!). And it really messes with pregnant ladies' heads, as if eating isn't tricky enough during those months. We cut through the marketing hype and misinformation to share some solid info on how much protein you need...and why this is actually one thing we can relax about....
9. Mama, Is Your Wellness Plan Really a Diet? (Here's Why It Matters)
September 20, 2018 09:00 - 31 minutes - 44.5 MBWith so many wellness plans, detox bootcamps, food challenges and diet “rounds” available now, it can be hard to suss out whether something will really help you improve your health long-term — or is just a crash diet going by a new hashtag. And these plans love to target moms! Amy and Virginia explore whether diets, food restrictions or “lifestyle plans” can ever be compatible with family life. Plus, what to look out for if you’re exploring one of these newer plans—like the inevitable crash...
8. Enjoying Family Meals with Food Intolerances and Food Allergies
September 13, 2018 09:00 - 36 minutes - 50.9 MBThese days, most of us have a friend or family member who can’t eat a specific food, or who is choosing not to for one reason or another, so today we’re talking about what that can mean for family meals — and our mental health. Amy shares how she figured out that gluten gives her migraines, and the impact it has had on her family, plus how talking about this challenge with her kids has helped her avoid some diet culture pitfalls. And we get into the more serious issues that can arise with re...
7. Back To School Lunch Struggles
September 06, 2018 09:00 - 38 minutes - 53.3 MBMaybe you’re packing your first preschool lunchbox. Or logging on to top up your elementary schooler’s lunch account. Or trying to figure out what your toddler ate at daycare all day… sending your kids out to eat their midday meal in the world can be tricky! We’re talking about how to navigate this new facet of your child’s relationship with food, and what to do about all the new food messages they’ll bring home from school. PS. Don't forget to check out our show notes page with links to ...
6. Eating While Pregnant
August 23, 2018 09:00 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBHoly pregnancy hunger! Amy is expecting baby number three (and eating all of the pretzels), so this episode is all about how eating changes when you're pregnant because of cravings, aversions and weight anxieties. We look at how diet culture shows up in pregnancy apps and even at your prenatal check-ups, and talk about how to get away from the (unattainable) "perfect" pregnancy paradox and listen to what your body — and your baby! — needs most. PS. Don't forget to check out our show notes...
5. The Problem With Portion Control
August 16, 2018 09:00 - 32 minutes - 45.8 MBYou know how nobody has ever eaten exactly one half cup of ice cream and felt satisfied in their life? Yeah. That. Diet culture and government guidelines are full of rules about the so-called right amount to eat of every food.... but they rarely match up with how much we — and our kids! — actually need to eat. So is portion control ever useful? And if not, what should you do instead? We talk about how to encourage kids to listen to their bodies, and offer tips for how mamas can ditch the gui...
4. The Truth About Sugar Highs and Your Kids
August 09, 2018 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MBA new study on kids and sugar consumption has triggered a flurry of handwringing — and mom shaming. But are American toddlers really living on Snickers' bars alone? And is banning sugar from your kids' diets a good idea (or even possible)? Amy and Virginia look at the data behind the hype in order to bust some common myths about sugar highs and childhood obesity. And we discuss why kids need to eat treats (yes, really!) in order to have a healthy relationship with food — and adults do too. ...
3. Feed Yourself First!
July 26, 2018 18:50 - 32 minutes - 45.9 MBYou know how you can be up for hours in the morning, your kids will be on their second breakfast or third snack and somehow, you still haven't had a bite? (And you've had to warm up your coffee 17 times?) Well, in Episode #3 of Comfort Food, we reveal our new Mama Manifesto: #FeedYourselfFirst! We talk about why this seemingly simple thing can be so hard to pull off. (Hint: It's not you, it's sexism). And we brainstorm our best strategies to help moms prioritize their own needs at mealtimes ...
2. How Much Do We Care About Kids and Vegetables?
July 26, 2018 18:39 - 30 minutes - 43.4 MBLittle kids are notorious for not wanting to eat things that are green (or often yellow or red...). So in episode 2 of Comfort Food, we ask: How much pressure is too much pressure when it comes to getting kids to eat their veggies? And is it possible to entice them to eat their fill without relying on sneaking veggies into everything they eat? What do you do if you have a picky eater? As you'll hear in the episode, we have slightly different takes on this issue — and whether it's ever okay f...
1. Why Are We All So Obsessed With What We Eat?
July 25, 2018 15:13 - 30 minutes - 42.7 MBWelcome to Comfort Food: The podcast about the joys (and meltdowns!) of feeding our families and ourselves. In Episode 1, we tackle a giant issue: How can we stop obsessing about what we eat? We discuss why diet culture, picky eating kids, and perfection pressure leave most of us overly fixated on every bite our kids eat... and every bite we think we shouldn't be eating. And we offer real-life strategies for relaxing a bit to help reduce mealtime drama and increase enjoyment — like the one s...