Several years ago I wrote about the best book about feeding kids to come around in a very long time: Fearless Feeding. It’s written by two colleagues who have just published an updated version of their inimitable resource, Here’s the great news: I’m giving away a copy to one lucky reader. Below you’ll find my review of the book. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below sharing your biggest feeding success or challenge. Deadline for entries is Sunday March 10 at midnight PST. You must be 18 years or older and live in the United States to win.
About Fearless Feeding
I haven’t been as excited by a book as I am about Fearless Feeding since the fifth grade when I got my hands on Judy Blume’s tween classic Are you there God, it’s me, Margaret. The only downside of the fact that I’m giving away a copy is that I’ll no longer have one for myself, which means I’m going to have to go out and buy another.
Sure, I have expertise in family nutrition and a degree in nutrition, but I still need this book. It’s the best thing to come along on the subject of raising healthy eaters in a very long time.
Written by Jill Castle and Maryann Jacobsen, two pediatric dietitians who have six children between them, the book addresses a broad range of issues around feeding kids from infancy through the teen years. The initial chapters give advice on everything from nutrition, to real life challenges, and recipes based on age and stage. The latter part of the book deals with additional issues such as food allergies, picky eaters, weight concerns, and eating disorders. Importantly, the authors also address the “baggage” we as parents bring to the dinner table in the excellent chapter titled, The Parent Trap: How to Break Free from Your Food History and Attitudes.
Feeding kids is one of the most challenging aspects of child rearing, right up there with sleep and discipline. Parents need support, ideas, trouble shooting, guidance, hand-holding, and cheerleading. This book has it all. And while it’s based on sound research, the delivery never strikes a clinical note. It’s approachable, practical, and relatable. It’s the book I wish I had since the day my first child landed in my arms. You can learn more about Fearless Feeding here and pick up a copy of the updated version by heading here.
Comments
03.05.2019 at4:06 AM #
K
My biggest feeding challenge is getting my 4 year old to try new foods.
03.05.2019 at4:10 AM #
Meghan
My biggest challenge is getting my 18 month old to eat non-starchy vegetables.
03.05.2019 at4:22 AM #
Jaime Zadoff
Getting enough healthy fat and protein to my 4 year old (premie) twins who are having a difficult time growing this past year!
03.05.2019 at4:45 AM #
Anna
Biggest success – fruit with breakfast and fruit and veggie with lunch for my 8 year old. Sounds silly but I’m always amazed how many kids don’t eat fruits and veggies.
03.05.2019 at5:19 AM #
Katy
My 7 year old is very picky and doesn’t like to try foods. My 4 year old wants to snack all the time!
03.05.2019 at5:38 AM #
CW
My biggest challenges are getting my 3 year old to eat veggies and my 1 year old to eat anything other than bread.
03.05.2019 at5:51 AM #
Nancy
I’m challenged to help one of our grandchildren enjoy eating fruits and vegetables. Mostly she wants to eat bread type items . Our two year old grandchild loves many foods and I am interested in getting her to enjoy eating lots more healthy foods. I’d love to have a copy of Fearless Feeding.
03.05.2019 at6:01 AM #
Viviannette
Maybe biggest challenge is finding new foods that everybody likes. My biggest success, hearing my daughter say how much she likes brocccoli and remembering how she used to say she didn’t like it a few years ago.
03.05.2019 at6:15 AM #
Beth
My biggest challenge is filling up my teenage athlete with healthy snacks.
03.05.2019 at6:27 AM #
Celena
My biggest challenge is finding healthy snacks for my kids to eat at school-that are nut free, but also having it a dry non-messy snack.
03.05.2019 at6:50 AM #
Makenzie Moffett
My biggest challenge is healthy snacks and transitioning my babies from breastmilk to real food (not baby food).
03.05.2019 at7:16 AM #
Sabrina Maron
Ny biggest success (for now) was recently stating, “i decide what’s for dinner. You decide how much you eat,” – and still requiring each child have a taste of everything. Even if they don’t eat it, they often let out an mmmm.
03.05.2019 at7:29 AM #
Mary Beth
My biggest challenge is with my 11 yr old to get enough protein in her. Doesn’t like Milk, or cheese when it is melted.
03.05.2019 at7:29 AM #
Karen
Challenge: I am concerned about my son’s inability to regulate when he is full, and that he often overeats when left to his own devices.
Success: My kids know what healthy eating is and eat fruits and/or veggies at every meal.
03.05.2019 at8:11 AM #
chris
My biggest challenge is that my husband has terrible eating habits and it is hard to get my kids to eat balanced when they sneak food out of his stash.
It is hard to remember to prepare different things when it’s such a struggle to get them to eat them but worth it in the end, I am sure. Or at least I will feel like I did what i could.
03.05.2019 at9:10 AM #
Joan Bennett
My biggest challenge is that my three year old tried new foods very sparingly. He is basically a frutitarian and therefore always hungry.
03.05.2019 at9:22 AM #
becky
My biggest challenge is getting my kids to eat more veggies.
03.05.2019 at9:46 AM #
Meig
My kids have a big sweet tooth – it’s hard to steer them away from sugary/sweet foods to more savoury things.
03.05.2019 at9:50 AM #
Aimee
My biggest challenge (currently) is my 5 yr. Old likes something one week, then the next week she doesn’t like it anymore!
03.05.2019 at9:51 AM #
Emily
My biggest feeding success has been to include veggies with each lunch and dinner so my kids (ages almost 8 and almost 5) have grown up to expect them and like most of them. Their favorites are bell peppers and broccoli.
03.05.2019 at10:19 AM #
Les
My biggest challenge is getting my 8 yr old son to eat any fruits or veggies. He used to eat them, but now claims they are yuck.
03.05.2019 at11:40 AM #
Christine
My biggest success is a homemade Mac and cheese for my picky 5 year old. My biggest challenge is cooking a meal the whole family will eat.
03.05.2019 at11:52 AM #
JACQUELINE M. TEKIENIEWSKI
My biggest challenge is getting my 3 year old and 18 month old to eat proteins and most vegetables. My 3 year old only wants hot dogs now no matter how much I introduce other proteins. I don’t give in, what I make is what I make, but I wish he would just try like he used to.
03.05.2019 at12:00 PM #
Marie
My biggest success and failure is one in the same. I was careful with sweets raising my girls and wanted them to eat a huge variety of food including dessert. But in getting that to work ( my success) I raised a daughter who craves junk food regularly and w oils sneak it at times. This is a huge failure. I need a better middle ground and need to know how to do it differently. Love this site, recipes and research!!
03.05.2019 at12:53 PM #
Charlotte Haas Prime
My biggest feeding challenge is dinner every night – making it be a homemade dinner that all three kids, my husband, and myself enjoy!
03.05.2019 at1:37 PM #
Carla
My biggest success is stopping the short order cooking (making different meals for everyone) and just making sure there is one item on the table that each person enjoys, even if it is just fruit or bread.
03.05.2019 at2:51 PM #
Melissa Cleary
Getting my 10 year old to eat what I am making.
03.05.2019 at6:42 PM #
Christina Stevens
My biggest challenge is being patient and staying in my lane when they don’t choose the foods they need to have variety and get a good nutrient mix. I don’t want to override their choices or make them eat things they don’t want to, but it’s hard to stand by and watch one categorically refuse all fruit for years and another one focus primarily on carbs.
03.05.2019 at7:30 PM #
Alyssa S.
My success is getting my kids in the kitchen with me more. They have learned a lot about food and cooking, are more willing to try new foods, and we make fun memories.
03.05.2019 at8:04 PM #
Laura Cross
Getting my very picky daughter to try new things.
03.06.2019 at12:08 PM #
Lisa A Langston
My 3 year old grandson only eats bananas, apples, packaged cookies, packaged donuts, ice cream, potato chips, raisin cinnamon bread, sometimes cucumbers, french fries. He loves chocolate milk. He will not try meat, cooked vegetables, casseroles, chicken, fish, nothing but the above foods. I am so upset with his eating habits I could literally pull my hair out. He is so thin, he gets his blood tested, I believe once a year and so far he is getting plenty of iron. We work at getting him to try foods he won’t eat and so do his parents to no avail. Help!!!
03.06.2019 at1:36 PM #
Melissa Roskamp
My biggest challenge is getting my toddler to try foods the family is eating, without making it into a power struggle! I want his body to be fueles but not to damage his relationship with food and meal times
03.06.2019 at2:05 PM #
Nicole Carlson
My biggest success has been involving my 2 year old in food preparation and watching her get excited to try new foods. She loves broccoli and asparagus, two foods I probably never ate as a child.
03.06.2019 at10:38 PM #
Shiseida Beeler
My daughter is 2 years old (turning three next month) and I’ve offered an array of colorful fruits and vegetables (11 different types of each). I’ve explored preparing them in different ways to determine if she preferred them cooked or raw. She doesn’t always eat the fruits and veggies that I offer her at a meal or snack, but may eat them the next day. Guess it depends on her taste buds. She usually will ask for a piece of fruit throughout the day and eat veggies off my plate (but sometimes leave them on her plate). I usually prepare her meals and get her involved in the cooking process, which has been helpful. Other times, I will serve our meals family style so she feels encouraged to make her own choices. We usually have a pleasant time at meals without stress. However, there are times, where she may be upset about not watching screen time while eating and refuse to eat. She is excused from the dinner table and will have to settle for hands-on activities rather than screen time. Nonetheless, I enjoy exposing her to a variety of foods and teaching her how to grow them when the weather permits.
03.07.2019 at5:00 AM #
Carly Jakstys
My biggest challenge is getting dinner on table before my 3 year old gets overly tired and/or overly tired (and then getting her to the table and eating when I don’t make it in time!)