How to Raise Kids With a Healthy Relationship to Food With Lea Rifkin
Episode notes
Most of us were raised on "clean your plate," "that's a bad choice," and "you're so lucky you can eat that." Then we grow up and wonder why food feels so loaded. In this episode I sit down with Lea Rifkin, a non-diet registered dietitian and founder of Kindred Nutrition Co., to talk about how early food messaging shapes our kids, and how we can rewrite that story while we heal our own relationship with food.
We get honest about the comments that slip out without us realizing it, why labeling food good or bad tends to backfire, and what it actually looks like to guide your child around food without controlling it. Lea shares the difference between always foods and sometimes foods, why sitting down together matters more than any perfect plate, and the signs that it's time to reach out for support instead of waiting it out.
If you have a picky eater, a snack grabber, or a little one already picking up messages about their body, this conversation will help you feel steadier at your own table.
Want to work with Lea? Check her out here: https://kindrednutritionco.com
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00:00 Welcome and meeting Lea Rifkin
02:52 Why our food stories start in childhood
06:09 What non-diet really means
13:09 How the words we use shape the way kids eat
18:14 The phrases parents don't realize are harmful
27:50 Bodies are like trees, and guidance versus control
37:41 Family meals and modeling around the table
42:36 When to seek help and why not to wait