Going Against the Grain: Foster Adventurous Eating Habits in Kids with Helene Skantzikas

For many of us, feeding babies and toddlers can be overwhelming, especially when you’re faced with food rejection and other issues at the table. Helene Skantzikas is the creator of the French Foodie Baby, a blog which chronicles her journey in the nurturing and expanding of her son Pablo’s tastebuds and love of life through good food.

Helene joins me today to share her secrets to fostering healthy eating habits, including the role her family and French cultural background has played in her approach to feeding her son (possibly the best fed child I have ever known!). Listen in to discover the power of modeling a healthy, joyful approach to food, being engaged in the enjoyment of food preparation, and seeing the family meal as an opportunity for connection and togetherness. 

Even if your child is only used to eating a few foods, Helene gives us hope that it’s never too late to nurture a healthy, happy, and positive relationship to the nourishment of their bodies.

Connect with Helen:

Read her blog: French Foodie Baby

Follow her on Instagram

Audio Stamps:

2:00 - Helene tells us why she started her blog ‘French Foodie Baby’

3:49 - We find out why it’s important to have an open mind about what our babies might like  

6:17 - We hear Helene’s tips for how to integrate children into the preparation of family meals.

8:37 - Brandi asks Helene if it was a struggle to go against the “conventional” way of feeding her baby.

14:36 - We find out what Helene has observed around food in early childhood education.

16:30 - Helene shares what lessons her family is learning about food during their travels.

21:30 - Brandi and Helene discuss what it is about the French way of life that leads to their commitment to creating fresh, joyful meals.

26:56 - Helene gives her advice to parents who want to incorporate trying new foods, but feel they've already set an expectation where their kids are used to eating just a few things.