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Mama Knows Nutrition

Subscribe to get weekly inspiration with kid-friendly recipes, my personal meal plans, quick nutrition tips, and relatable mom tales that will make you smile, laugh, or cry, depending on what kind of week I'm having!

Spaghetti Casserole on Plate with Fork
Featured Post

WOW. What an honor 🄹

Hi Reader, Do you know what is so not sexy? Kids nutrition. Every single day I pour my heart into it because it’s something I’m passionate about and I’m one of those people who just never gives up on the things I care about. But out of ALL the things that you can consume online, there’s plenty that is more entertaining, exciting, fun, funny, beautiful, etc. So first I want to say THANK YOU for putting some of your limited free time toward such a worthy subject that will greatly benefit your...

Chocolate Banana Popsicles

Hi Reader, One of the most useful things I’ve taught my kids (besides wiping their own butts) is how to make their own breakfast. This morning I went out to walk the dog and realized that was only possible because the kids could get themselves fully ready for camp without me. The freedom to not be needed for all of their care is simply intoxicating. Cereal is often the star of the show, and that really isn’t a bad thing the way you think it might be. Teddy’s go-to is plain Cheerios and...

Hi Reader, I had summer amnesia. Somehow I blocked from my memory just how hard it is to manage a single thought when the kids are home from school. And settling into a summer ā€œroutineā€ is hard work for us. Each week is a little different, but we still need some level of routine for normalcy. Whether we have a quiet day (wait, what’s that?) or we’re on-the-go, I do have to give a shout out to our Skylight Calendar since it’s the one thing that’s helping me maintain my sanity. We’ve been...

Brownies on a Plate

Hi Reader, I’m letting go of mom guilt over the little things this summer (or at least trying REALLY hard to let go). After I was asked about 10 times to have popsicles for breakfast, I said you know what, why not. But honestly there are some that are really just fruit & we want them to eat fruit at breakfast, why not eat it in popsicle form? So I found THESE awesome popsicle sleeves that you just pour a smoothie into to make your own popsicles! Here’s three recipes I’ve made already this...

Photo of Three Types of Crackers

Hi Reader, We have a little note from Ben, who wants to share about his #1 favorite thing to use in the kitchen that would make a perfect Father’s Day gift! I’m probably the only dad in Texas who doesn’t have a smoker or a Big Green Egg. But I love my sous vide. There’s nothing better than dropping in a steak or scallops, letting them cook low and slow, and then finishing them off with a hot sear in cast iron. It’s not traditional barbecue, but the result is a perfectly cooked,...

Kacie Barnes Holding Mission MightyMe Nutty Puffs

Hi Reader, If you could reduce your child’s risk of peanut allergy by up to 86%, in a simple way, you would be like SIGN ME UP. Right?? That’s exactly what Dr. Gideon Lack’s LEAP study found the answer to: babies introduced to peanuts early and often were dramatically less likely to develop an allergy. All you have to do is serve it to them! But I know serving a food and getting them to eat it are two totally separate things. (This section of the newsletter is sponsored by Mission MightyMe....

Kacie Barnes Baking With Children

Hi Reader, There’s so many things in my kitchen that I can’t imagine living without! I wanted to share them with you today because I rely on them so much. I have to give a special call out to the sous vide— this is how restaurants cook meat and seafood! You know when you get a steak that’s just so perfectly cooked through…that’s thanks to a sous vide. All you have to do is brown the outside in a pan — the rest is completely hands-off, with a perfect result every time. Sous vide — I really...

Sheet Pan Pancakes With Sprinkles

Hi Reader, My kids’ sugar intake feels out of control right now. And of course I worry – I know all the negative health and mood effects that can come along with it. But I also increasingly feel like this problem is one that is bigger than what I can manage as their mom. Teachers give out candy at school as prizes. The yogurt my kids get at school is basically dessert. Every birthday party has both cake and candy. There always seems to be a holiday and that brings an influx of candy. Without...

Two Kids Watching an Airplane in Sky

Hi Reader, Emilia and I took our first ever girls trip last week!! I hope she will continue to be my travel buddy for years and years to come. I kept telling her she was such a trooper, and when I said it for about the 10th time she just looked at me and was like, ā€œWhat is a trooper?ā€ Zarbee’s had a launch party for their new fiber and hydration products and invited me to come speak. Since it was a family friendly event, I really wanted the kids to come too! Teddy hung back home because he...

Three Mini Blueberry Muffins Stacked on Tabletop

Reader – this week starts Maycember. It’s the MOST dreaded time of the year. (Sung in my head to the tune of ā€œIt’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.ā€) I know I’m not alone here, so I’m writing this to give you some solidarity. May is OVERWHELMING. It feels like the holiday season with the end of school approaching. Each week is packed – Teacher Appreciation Week, school field trips, end-of-school parties, Mother’s Day, graduation day, etc., etc. So I’ve been working hard to find ways to...