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Eliminate (some) Thanksgiving dinner stress
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Hi Reader, For all my U.S. friends… Thanksgiving week is HERE. I have a very vivid memory from when Teddy was 3 and WOW, Thanksgiving was so hard for me to navigate. I knew he’d be a hangry disaster because he’d never really had Thanksgiving food before so he definitely wouldn’t be interested. And, I wanted him to eat something besides pie (so I wouldn’t feel like a total parenting failure)! So I’m sharing a few quick tips to navigate the tricky holiday meal situations we run into with kids. Because truthfully, expecting kids to eat a traditional Thanksgiving meal if those aren’t already their favorite foods is a recipe for disaster. Tip#1: Feed them first or bring something they like If you know your kid probably won’t touch what’s being served, take the pressure off: feed them before you go or pack a couple of their favorite foods. If you can bring a dish, make it something familiar for them. This keeps everyone happier and prevents hangry meltdowns. And if someone is offended your child isn’t trying the food? That’s their own adult problem to manage. 😇 I made a video about this tip in case you missed it. Tip #2: It’s not the time to worry about exactly what they are eating There’s a high chance their diet is going to suck on a holiday or at a party in general. That happens for adults, too! The day is meant for relaxing and celebrating, and it’s okay for nutrition to take a back seat. Tip #3: Forcing tasting isn’t worth your energy Sometimes we feel like we just really want our kids to AT LEAST TRY something. I get it. If that is your kid’s least favorite activity…just skip it. This won’t be the only chance in their life to taste green beans, and it probably also won’t be the day that they magically decide they like green beans. You have permission to let it go! I can’t promise there won’t be other stressful situations (we all know holidays can be hard) but I hope these tips help you make the meal as stress-free as possible. Wishing you all a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner! 🍗🌽 🍞 New This Week From Mama Knows Healthy Apple CrispThis healthy apple crisp recipe is incredible and will make you wonder why traditional recipes even have so much sugar in the first place…you won’t miss it! This one has over 50% less sugar than traditional recipes.
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal BarsThe texture of these bars is kind of similar to a muffin. Which means there’s a good chance your kid will eat them. And they’re healthy. Win-win!
FINAL SALE Don’t miss out on the lowest prices ever on my Meal & Snack Survival Guide and Simple Steps to Picky Wins course. Grab yourself the gift of help feeding your family. It doesn’t have to be a battle and it doesn’t have to use all of the brainpower you have to spare.
Wishing you a happy and safe Thanksgiving, P.S. If you need gift ideas, my Holiday Gift Guide magazine has you covered! Disclaimer: this message contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. |
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!
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