From the Start Nutrition

Pediatric & Family Dietitians • Help for Picky Eaters • Feeding Disorders • Eating Disorders 🫶🏼 Book a Consultation - Insurances Accepted ⬇️

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Great news for coffee lovers ☕️ (prior studies support this as well!)

[ABC News @ABC]

Drinking up to five cups of coffee a day is safe for most adults, and regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart failure, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

Read more: https://t.co/LT26qmtBdi

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Snacks are nourishment, not a problem to fix.

Save this for the next “I’m starving!” moment after camp.

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

That after-camp hunger is REAL. ☀️

A child coming home asking for all the snacks usually isn’t “eating out of nowhere. They’re refueling after a busy day.

A satisfying snack can include:
🥨 Carb for energy
🥜 Protein/fat for staying power
💛 A food they feel comfortable eating

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

I was sitting across from a parent last month who told me her 8-year-old had eaten the same five foods for two years. Chicken nuggets, white rice, plain pasta, applesauce, goldfish. Every meal was a battle.

She'd been doing everything right on paper: offering variety, not forcin

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Mealtime doesn't have to feel like a battlefield. Peace with food is possible for your family, starting where you are right now. 💙🍽️

#pickyeating #mealtime

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Weeknight dinner can be simpler: carb + protein + produce + one familiar food. Serve one meal family-style or deconstructed to cut last-minute decisions. Pick one from each category and build the plate. Try it tonight for a calmer meal.

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

For this week only, dietitians be like: don’t eat your fresh fruits and veggies

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

You're not a short-order cook. You're a parent.

Your job: decide what, when, and where meals happen.

Their job: decide whether and how much to eat.

That's it. That's the whole system. And it works because it's honest.

When you stop offering alternatives, kids stop negotiating

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

You've been told to "stay in control" of your child's mealtimes. Set boundaries, manage portions, decide what goes on the plate. But here's what actually happens: the more you try to control, the more child kid resists. The more you manage, the less they learn to eat on their own. It's not that you are wrong - it's just that you were told the wrong things, and need different approaches.

Follow to learn our approaches to raising happy, healthy eaters 💙

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

"My kid is a picky eater" might be a label trap that you're using.

Because when you say it, your kid hears it. Their nervous system believes it. And suddenly, they ARE that identity.

Switch to "my kid is still learning to trust new foods" and watch what changes.

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

10+ years as a Registered Dietitian, earning a PhD, becoming a mom, and working with hundreds of individual clients later… this is what I’ve learned about “dieting” in pediatric and family nutrition:

The way we feed ourselves and our children doesn’t just shape what we eat.

It can shape how we trust our bodies.
How we experience hunger.
How we feel at the dinner table.
How we talk about ourselves.
And the relationship with food we carry forward.

That’s why good nutrition isn’t about fad diets or quick results…

It’s not about cutting out sugar completely.
It’s not labeling foods “good” or “bad.”
It’s not earning dessert.
It’s not forcing “just one bite.”
It’s not commenting on bodies.
It’s not teaching kids or adults to fear food.

✨It’s about helping kids, families, and adults eat enough, trust their bodies, enjoy food, and navigate nutrition without guilt or shame.✨

Because a healthy relationship with food isn’t built through more rules.

It’s built through safety.
Consistency.
Permission.
Flexibility.
Trust.

And support that recognizes eating is about so much more than nutrients.

From picky eating and sensory-based feeding challenges to ARFID, disordered eating, and eating disorders, I’ve seen what can happen when food becomes a source of fear, pressure, or conflict.

And I’ve seen what’s possible when people are given the right support. 💙

If you or your family are working toward a more peaceful relationship with food, you may not need more rules.

You may need an approach that supports both nutrition and your relationship with food.

Follow @fromthestartnutrition for evidence-based, compassionate support for raising kids and helping individuals build a healthier relationship with food.

And share this with someone who needs to hear it today. 💙

[Healthy relationship with food, pediatric nutrition, family nutrition, picky eating, ARFID support, eating disorder dietitian, intuitive eating, responsive feeding, registered dietitian, evidence-based nutrition]

#foodrelationship #pediatricnutrition #familynutrition #pickyeating

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Your child’s picky eating is NOT your fault. Read that again. 👇🏼

If you’ve ever left the dinner table feeling like you failed…

If you’ve wondered why your child won’t “just eat” when everyone else’s seems to…

If you’ve been blamed, judged, or told you’re just not trying hard enough…

This is your reminder:

Your child’s picky eating is not your fault.

Picky eating is influenced by so much more than parenting - temperament, sensory processing, development, anxiety, medical conditions, and past experiences can all play a role.

What does make a difference is how we respond.

✨ Less pressure.
✨ More connection.
✨ Small, consistent steps.
✨ Realistic expectations.

You don’t need to create perfect meals or win every dinner battle.

You just need progress over perfection.

If this message is something you needed to hear today, save this post for the next hard mealtime—and send it to another parent who needs the reminder too. ❤️

Follow @fromthestartnutrition for evidence-based nutrition and parenting support that actually makes mealtimes feel easier.

#pickyeating #pickyeater #feedingtherapy #parentingtips #newyork

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

If you're tired of guilt over feeding and/or mealtime battles, read this:

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Dinner used to stress me out more than anything else in my day.

And I’m a dietitian. I knew all the research. I had all the tools.

And I still found myself hovering over my kid’s plate, negotiating over vegetables, ending meals feeling like I failed.

Here’s what I didn’t fully understand until I lived it as a mom:

Every “just one bite.”
Every “you can’t leave until you try it.”

It all signals to your child’s nervous system that the dinner table is a stressful place. And kids don’t eat well in stressful places. None of us do.

So I stopped. Here’s what I do instead:

1. I follow the Division of Responsibility
My job: what’s served, when, and where. Their job: whether to eat and how much. No negotiating.

2. I include one safe food on the plate
Not a separate meal — just one thing I know they’ll eat. It keeps mealtimes calm.

3. I take the spotlight off the plate
We talk about anything except food. When the spotlight comes off food, kids often feel more comfortable trying it.

4. I let them see me eat without commentary
No “this is so healthy” or “I really shouldn’t.” That quiet modeling moves the needle over time.

5. I repeat exposure without pressure
Research shows kids may need to see a new food 15–20 times before they’ll even touch it. I keep serving it. I say nothing. I let time do the work.

The dinner table should feel like the safest place in your child’s day. Not a negotiation. Not a place where they feel watched.

Follow for real, evidence-based strategies for feeding your kids without the drama 💙

#pickyeatersolution #registereddietitians #stressfreemeals #pickyeaterproblems #pediatricnutrition

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

You’ve got the sunscreen packed, the kids are excited, and you’re actually looking forward to a relaxed holiday with family. Then Aunt Karen leans over the picnic table and says, “Are you really letting him have another popsicle?”

And just like that, the 4th of July BBQ starts feeling less like a celebration and more like a performance review for your parenting.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Read more here:

https://t.co/ryuDCCFdpW

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Quick picky eater dinner tip 🍽️

Serve 1 family meal with at least 1 safe food alongside the rest.

It lowers pressure, cuts down on short-order cooking, and helps your child practice being around new foods without a battle.

[From the Start Nutrition @fromthestartrdn]

Steal our framework to make just one dinner and stop short-order cooking!

Tonight could look like pasta, turkey meatballs, cucumber slices, and your child's favorite yogurt on the table.

Comment MEALBUILDER below and I'll send you the full guide!

[Michael Weintraub, MD @MWeintraubMD]

📢 The diagnosis of obesity is expanded, based on the new ADA Standards of Care Screening and Diagnosis Chapter published last week. 📋

⚖️ BMI > 30 = obesity (unchanged)
📏 BMI >25 + waist-to-height ratio >0.5 = obesity
🌏 BMI >27.5 with Asian background = obesity
🌏📏 BMI >23 with Asian background + waist-to-height ratio >0.5 = obesity

https://t.co/SbKUn1MtkS