Ask Me Anything: Picky Eating, Screen Time, and Intentional Choices

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Will it potentially slow you down? Yes. That’s always the fear. But it’s probably going to slow you down 5, 10, 15% tops, and you get double-duty time. You’re getting something productive done, and you’re spending quality time with your kids. As long as you have even a halfway positive attitude about it, they’re having a blast. They don’t feel like they’re being made to do chores. And you are training them that they are capable of doing chores as they get older. I think it’s the best thing you can do, to invite them to help you.

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You’re listening to the Healthy Parenting Handbook podcast. I’m your host, Katie Kimball from Raising Healthy Families, and every week I bring together experts in the fields of health, nutrition, parenting, and more to help you truly raise healthy, independent future adults.

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This week we’re doing a little Ask Me Anything with yours truly. We had a podcast birthday party almost one year ago, which means the podcast is two years old now. We collected some Ask Me Anything questions from the community, that’s you out there, and today I’m going to grab a few and answer them here on the pod.

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We’ve got a few different questions today. We’re tackling picky eating, screen time as a babysitter, cooking, healthy habits, and passing ownership of health to your kids.

Picky Eating and Dessert at Parties

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The first question is about picky eating. Is it okay at a special event or party, when your child is distracted and not eating, to require that they eat something off their plate before having dessert?

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I empathize with this mom. Desserts are tricky. I can tell she’s been in my world, maybe even taken the No More Picky Eating Challenge, because she knows one of the rules is that you can’t pressure a child to eat. Whether it’s a reward, threat, or expectation, we never say, “You need to eat X before you can get Y.”

Why? First, we’re leaving our lane in the Division of Responsibility. We’re infringing on their autonomy. We should never require that our kids put something in their mouths, because we can’t follow through respectfully. If they truly say no, we’re not going to force them to eat.

Second, when dessert becomes the prize and broccoli becomes the drudgery, we set up a dichotomy. The broccoli is the terrible part you have to get through to earn the exciting ice cream. We don’t want to train their brains that way.

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If this happens once at a party, it won’t rewire their brain forever. But there is a better way.

If your kids are not picky, you might say, “You need to get some nourishment before dessert.” Focus on how they’ll feel. “You’ll feel yucky if you only eat dessert. Let’s get some fat and protein so you feel balanced.” Use words like fuel. Help them understand the why.

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Best practice? Feed them before you go. Even if it breaks your usual eating window. Give them a nourishing, meal-sized snack before the party. Then you don’t have to battle over dessert.

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The No More Picky Eating Challenge is a fantastic introduction to the framework I teach parents. It’s about building a lifelong healthy relationship with food, not just getting a morsel in their mouth at dinner.

You can find it at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/picky. Once you sign up, you have seven days to watch the five videos. It’s on demand, but there’s a deadline, because we all need one.

Screen Time as a Babysitter

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Next question: A mom with four kids ages zero to seven works part time and has documentation to do at home. She relies on screens to keep them occupied and wants better boundaries.

First, you are not alone. Screens are the easy babysitter.

Here are two tips: the “yes” and the “and.”

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Instead of focusing on “no screens,” ask, what do you wish they were doing? Board games? Blocks? Outside play? Creative toys? Take five minutes to get them started on something engaging. Once they’re immersed in something creative, their attention span can rival a screen.

The screen is just the quick and easy option. But cutting them off mid-screen causes friction.

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Try a couple days with zero screens. Invest five minutes to launch them into something meaningful.

Now the “and.” How can you get your work done with them?

Housework jumped out at me. You may not be able to do documentation with them, but you can do housework with them. Invite them in. Even at ages three, four, five, six, seven.

They want to be with you. They want to be like you. Hand them a dust rag. Make them runners for decluttering. Have them put trash in the bag. They’re eager to help.

Will it slow you down? Yes, a little. But you get double-duty time. Productivity and connection.

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You’re training them to be capable. They’ll sometimes be helpful and very rarely be hurtful. A little kid with a dust rag will get more dust than no one.

If you want structure, I have a free chore system at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/chores. It builds executive functioning and ensures the house gets cleaned weekly.

Personal Daily Practices

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Another question: What daily practices have become so integrated you almost never skip them?

I’m a big habit stacker. I attach new habits to existing ones.

When I wake up, I know I’ll eat breakfast. Before breakfast, I have warm lemon water. I add collagen for hair, skin, nails, and joints, and a little whole-food vitamin C powder to help with assimilation and immunity. That all stacks onto one moment.

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Blue light glasses are another. After bedtime tuck-in between 8:00 and 8:30, I walk into my bedroom, turn on my salt lamp, and put on my orange glasses. The environment cues the habit.

Beyond that, eating real food is more family culture than routine. We make homemade broth and yogurt. I’ve trained my kids to help in the kitchen. Three of my four kids each make one meal per week. That’s three fewer meals for me.

We stock produce. We limit processed foods. We always have raw vegetables and salad. Broth is always in the freezer.

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This didn’t happen overnight. It was years of small, intentional choices stacking up. Radical change is possible, but it comes through baby steps.

Passing Ownership of Health

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How do we monitor food dyes and sugary foods without being over the top? And how do we help kids make healthy choices when no one is watching?

First, control what you can control. What you buy determines what’s available at home. You can pack your own snacks and lunches. That retains your autonomy.

We also need to teach kids how to think. Avoid labeling foods as “bad.” Be honest. A sucker doesn’t nourish you. It’s fun. It doesn’t help you grow.

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Ultimately, we must gradually release responsibility. This is an 18-year process.

Start asking questions:

Why do we eat this?

How did that meal make you feel?

What do you need energy for today?

Help them connect food to fuel. Fuel for a test. A soccer game. A fort in the woods. A chapter book.

Build a family identity. “The Kimballs eat real food.” “The Kimballs don’t use disposable plastic water bottles.” Family culture matters.

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Passing ownership is hard. But it’s worth it.

I have a 20-year-old who loves ice cream and also loves vegetables. A 17-year-old who meal preps, counts protein, and goes to the gym because she understands long-term health. I take a tiny bit of credit. We had good conversations. We set good habits.

Keep trying. It’s worth it.

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Thank you for listening to this episode of the Healthy Parenting Handbook podcast. I hope your brain feels fed and your heart feels full. Please leave a review and subscribe. You can also find our shorts on Instagram at @raisinghealthyfamilies or on YouTube at the Healthy Parenting Handbook Shorts channel.