Sometimes we just need a little mental shift, a small piece of knowledge, an encouragement to break a habit, or a new perspective.

That’s my goal today!

I want to break into the day-to-day habits that might not be serving your kids and help you make a SHIFT – either in your thinking, your dinner routine, or your language.

I challenge you to set one tiny goal for your dinner table after listening, in one of these 3 areas:

    1. Screens
    2. Empathy/Understanding
    3. Starting the Meal

Here’s to small changes making a big impact—just like we do in the No More Picky Eating Challenge!

You’ll learn new routines, pattern interruptions, and way more. And if you’re a reader or like to refer back to information time and again, grab a copy of The Picky Eater Playbook, my new book!

If your kid is struggling with picky eating there is hope!

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No time for the video? Here are the notes!

Note: These time stamps match with the video and not the audio podcast, but they should be pretty close.

3 Habit Shifts for Picky Eaters

  • 0:10: I’ve been totally immersed in picky eating these last few days! We opened the Facebook group for our free picky eating challenge and I’ve been having many conversations with concerned parents about their child’s picky eating habits.
  • 1:09: Today we’re going to talk through three habit shifts you can make to help your picky eater grow.

If you’ve ever said…

“I just want my kids to eat what I make!”

This free 5-day challenge was made for you.

end picky eating power struggle

Spend just 30 minutes a day learning practical strategies that reduce mealtime battles and help kids build confidence with food.

Join the Challenge!

Stop Eating in Front of Screens

  • 1:57: Since I started working with families with picky eaters a few years ago, I’ve been surprised by how many parents say their child eats while watching a screen. Either kids are on individual screens or the whole family in front of the TV on a regular basis.
  • 3:03: If you’re eating family meals in front of a screen, here’s what you’re missing out on:
    • 3:17: A sense of mindfulness about eating. When you’re watching a screen, you aren’t paying attention to what you’re eating or your body’s signals. This habit tends to lead to overeating and gravitating towards comfort foods..
    • 4:45: Conversation. There is so much research on the importance of family dinners and their benefits for kids. However, family dinners in front of a screen don’t count for these benefits! You need to be conversing and connecting as a family.
If we are inviting screens to the table and not having conversations, we do our kids a huge disservice. -Katie Kimball
  • 5:58: Just to be clear, in our family we watch a show during dinner maybe once a week, I’m not saying you can never do that, but we want to prioritize screen-free meals as much as possible and not develop a habit of eating in front of screens.

Ditching screens at the table is 100% the right thing to do. -Katie Kimball

Shift How You View Food

  • 6:47: Here’s a perspective shift that I actually just learned recently. Kids see food differently from adults. We see food through all the information we’ve learned throughout our life. Kids see food and judge it by how it looks, feels in their mouth, and how it tastes. Here’s my picky eating TED talk I mentioned.
  • 8:20: I look at a whole roasted chicken, shredded barbeque chicken, and chicken nuggets and they’re all chicken to me, but to a child, they’re very different foods because the texture is so different. This shift in perspective can eliminate a lot of frustration for you and your child.
  • 11:30: Lead with empathy. Once you start to see foods through your child’s eyes, you can be more understanding and adjust your language when you’re interacting with your kids about food.

The Picky Eater Playbook: Get Pre-Order Bonuses!

The Picky Eater Playbook by Katie Kimball

My first traditionally published book releases November 10, 2026! The Picky Eater Playbook: Stress-Free Strategies to Jump Start Healthy Eating Habits in Kids is packed with real-life stories, flexible strategies, and step-by-step routines to turn dinner from a power struggle into something the whole family can enjoy.

If you’ve done the No More Picky Eating Challenge and want to have all my strategies at your fingertips, it’s the perfect resource! Or if you’re just beginning to tackle dinnertime struggles at your house, it will walk you through my whole system for eliminating picky eating.

Pre-order now and get some amazing bonuses!

Learn More about The Picky Eater Playbook

Get in a Parasympathetic State for Meals

  • 12:04: I fall out of this last habit all the time! Make sure everyone is in a parasympathetic state (rest and digest) when you’re eating. Eating in a rush while standing at the counter or on the go is not ideal. If you’re in a fight or flight state while eating you actually don’t absorb about half the nutrients from your food.
  • 13:57: Here are a few ways you can get into a parasympathetic state before eating. Take some 2X breaths together, stimulate the vagus nerve by using the parasympathetic blend oil from Vibrant Blue Oils, or tap or massage the mastoid bone behind your ear lobe, use laughter to relieve stress, and finally just slow down as you head into a meal.
  • Join our free No More Picky Eating Challenge this week or if you missed it join the waitlist for next time! (I run the challenge twice a year.)

Resources I Mentioned for Picky Eating Habits