Healthy Parenting Handbook with Katie Kimball
Truth: Kids don’t come with a handbook! But what if there was a parenting handbook that aligned with your healthy living values? In each episode of the Healthy Parenting Handbook Podcast, mom of 4 Katie Kimball interviews experts in fields like nutrition, medicine, psychology, parenting, technology, entrepreneurship, and more to give parents tools to raise healthy, independent kids. Intentional parents, here comes clarity about what you can DO to keep your kids physically and mentally healthy!
150: A Look Into Feeding Challenge Therapy and Why It Works with Dr. Jessica Bodie
“Never require a bite.”
That’s advice I give parents of picky eaters. So what happens when I interview a psychologist whose treatment includes required bites AND rewards?
Well, I ask a lot of questions!
In part two of my conversation with Dr. Jessica Bodie, we dig into some approaches that made me pause, push back, and think more deeply. I had just finished writing The Picky Eater Playbook, so you can imagine what was going through my head: “Wait. Do I need to rethink what I just wrote?”
One distinction keeps comi...
149: Is It Picky Eating or ARFID? Signs Your Child Needs More Help with Dr. Jessica Bodie
There is average picky eating … and then there are the more extreme cases.
Our guest today, Jessica Bodie, PhD, is a psychologist who works with these kids – including her own.
ARFID is Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, and its treatment goes way beyond what I discuss in The Picky Eater Playbook and the No More Picky Eating Challenge. I’m so glad Jessica was able to come and share more about treatment for ARFID with us.
We chatted about:
the reason doctors might look at a growth chart and ignore a parent’s concer...148: 3 Habits Shifts to Help Your Picky Eater
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:
ScreensEmpathy/UnderstandingStarting the MealHere’s to sma...
147: Picky Eating: 4 Possible Cultural Root Causes (& Prevention Strategies)
I was asked a question on a podcast interview the other day that I’ve never been asked before – “WHY are there so many picky eaters these days?”
It really does feel like it’s an epidemic, far different than our childhood.
What gives? I have 4 theories as to the underpinnings, and those lend a hand to create a playbook to avoid picky eating in your own kids if they’re young enough to circumvent bad habits.
That’s GREAT news with MUCH hope!
I’m going to be unpacking...
146: Beyond “Healthy” Foods: Raising Confident, Adventurous Eaters with Dr. Dina Rose
What’s healthier for your child: a donut or a muffin?
I know. That sounds like a trick question.
And after decades of talking about real food at Kitchen Stewardship and Kids Cook Real Food, I certainly have some thoughts about the ingredients in both!
But Dr. Dina Rose made an argument in this interview that stopped me in my tracks: From a habits perspective, sometimes the donut might actually have an advantage.
Why?
Nobody is pretending the donut is health food.
A muffin, on th...
145: A Habits-Based Approach to Helping Kids Eat Healthier Foods with Dr. Dina Rose
If you’ve ever bribed a child with dessert to get three more bites of broccoli into their mouth, this interview may mess with your head a little.
In a good way.
Because what if our intense focus on getting healthy food INTO our kids is accidentally teaching them some not-so-healthy habits about eating?
When I first interviewed sociologist, parent educator, and feeding expert Dr. Dina Rose, her ideas challenged the way I thought about feeding my own kids. In fact, this conversation continues to influence how our family handles desserts and sweet tr...
144: "HOT" Hormones & Exactly What to Ask Your Doctor with Dr. Stephanie Gray
If part one of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray made you question what you thought you knew about hormones, buckle up. Part two goes even deeper.
Dr. Gray is the author of The Hormone Blueprint, and she has spent years researching and working with women on hormones, thyroid health, metabolism, and hormone replacement therapy.
And moms, this conversation is especially for us.
We get incredibly practical about testing, what may actually be hiding inside hormone prescriptions, and why Dr. Gray believes women need a much more nuanced conversation about...
143: How to Avoid Dying Early for Moms with Dr. Stephanie Gray
Were you scared away from taking hormone replacement therapy?
I was. 100%!
But this conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray may have changed my mind.
I’m 46, firmly in the “what is happening to my body and what is ABOUT to happen?” stage of life, and I had definitely absorbed the message that hormone replacement therapy was a Big Scary Decision.
I couldn’t have explained the research. I couldn’t have named the famous study that scared so many women away from hormones. I just had this sense of, “Ooh, p...
142: 5 Ways to Help Your Kids Build a More Regulated Nervous System with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge
What should you do when your child is overwhelmed, melting down, refusing to cooperate, or acting like they cannot handle something you know they can do?
In part two of this conversation, Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge explains how parents can help kids build a more regulated nervous system before, during, and after stressful moments. She shares why parents should regulate first, connect second, and correct only after a child is calm enough to think and learn. Here's part one if you missed it.
You’ll also learn why constantly rescuing kids from dis...
141: Nervous System Regulation: Helping Kids Move from Chaos to Calm with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge
When your child is melting down, refusing to listen, shutting down, or exploding over something small, their nervous system may be overwhelmed—not ready for more words or discipline.
Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a longtime friend of mine and Raising Healthy Families, explains what happens in the brain when kids become dysregulated and why their ability to think logically can temporarily go offline. She shares how a child’s “stress cup” fills up, why parents and kids can co-regulate or co-dysregulate, and why your own nervous system is one of the most powerful parenting tools you have...
140: Philosophy Shifts about Feeding My Family
In the previous episode, I talked about my first two philosophy shifts when it comes to how I feed my own kids and talk about picky eating. We dealt with the "no thank-you bite" and how/when to serve dessert. I'm truly grateful for the professionals who helped me change my thinking and my ways!
Today, we'll dive into three other mindset changes I've had when it comes to feeding kids. The first has to do with introducing foods to babies, which isn't actually a part of The Picky Eater Playbook—bu...
139: Why I Stopped Using the “No Thank You Bite”
Have you ever given parenting advice with total confidence…only to learn a few years later that you had it completely wrong?
I have. 🙋♀️
After 21 years of feeding kids, 17 years of writing about healthy families, and a whole lot of conversations with picky eating experts, there are a few things I used to teach that I simply don’t anymore.
And I think it’s important to talk about them.
In this episode, I’m sharing some of the biggest changes I’ve made in my picky eating philosophy—and...
138: Helping Kids Practice Bravery with Dr. Kathryn Hecht
What if one of the best things you could do for an anxious, frustrated, or struggling kid is...do a little less?
I know. Every parenting instinct in us is screaming, “Help them! Fix it! Tell them it’s going to be okay!”
But Dr. Kathryn Hecht says there’s a problem with that last one: We’re not wizards. We actually don’t know that everything is going to be okay, and our kids are smart enough to know it too.
So what can we say instead?
In this episode, Dr. Hecht gi...
137: Raising Kids Who Can Handle Hard Things with Dr. Kathryn Hecht
What if one of our most loving parenting instincts is accidentally making our kids less confident?
Oof.
As parents, we’re wired to help. To reassure. To rescue. To make the crying stop in the grocery store before everyone in aisle seven starts judging us. (You know what I mean?)
But child psychologist Dr. Kathryn Hecht says kids aren’t nearly as fragile as we sometimes treat them.
In fact, they need age-appropriate challenges to build what she calls “handleability”, that deep-down belief that says: This is hard, but I can ha...
136: Simplifying Mealtime: Healthy Habits That Save Your Sanity
“Structure” might not be the most exciting word in parenting.
In fact, if you’re anything like me, it might sound a little too much like schedules, color-coded charts, and someone who actually knows where all the matching socks are.
I am not that person.
But here’s what I’ve learned: structure isn’t about controlling our kids. It’s one of the ways we care for them.
I was recently talking with an 11-year-old who, I realized, didn’t really have a bedtime. No adult was telling him when it was...
135: Starting Tweens and Teens Off Right with a Planning System that Actually Works with Megan Sumrell
Have you ever looked at your kid’s schedule and thought, “How are we supposed to fit all of this in?”
School. Sports. Music practice. Homework. Clubs. Family stuff. That giant project they somehow remember at the most inconvenient possible moment.
And then we wonder why our kids feel stressed…while we’re over here acting as the family calendar, reminder system, transportation coordinator, and human push notification.
In part one of my conversation with productivity expert Megan Sumrell, we talked about time debt and why so many of us...
134: Using the Word "Overwhelm" Means You're in Time Debt. Here's How to Get Out - with Megan Sumrell
Have you ever moved the same task from Monday’s list to Tuesday’s list...then Wednesday’s...and by Friday you’re pretty sure that task has taken up permanent residence there?
Meanwhile, you’ve accomplished 47 other things.
So why do you still feel behind?
My guest Megan has a name for this: time debt. And once she explained it, I started seeing it everywhere.
It’s a lot like financial debt. You begin today already owing yesterday, and tomorrow you’ll owe today too. Pretty soon, no amount of cros...
Taking the Summer Off!
Have a great summer! We'll be back in late August with new episodes of the Healthy Parenting Handbook.
Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!
133: Sunscreen Label Reading Made Simple for Parents with Autumn Blum of Stream2Sea
If you thought choosing a sunscreen was as simple as looking for the words “mineral” on the front of the bottle, this episode might surprise you.
In this conversation, Autumn Blum and I dig into the sunscreen label details that most parents never hear about—and some new ingredients to watch out for.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why reading the active ingredients matters far more than the marketing on the front of the packageThe new sunscreen ingredient that’s generating buzz and raising questionsThe little-known ingredient...132: Why Humans in Nebraska Can Hurt the Coral Reefs with Autumn Blum of Stream2Sea
I was once called the Wikipedia of sunscreen by a morning news anchor.
I consider myself a total sunscreen geek!
Wait until you see my jaw drop in this conversation with cosmetic chemist and Stream2Sea founder Autumn Blum. She taught me things I had never considered before!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why a scuba diving trip halfway around the world completely changed the way Autumn formulates skincare productsThe surprising connection between the sunscreen you put on in your backyard and ecosystems hundreds or even thousands of...131: Chores Matter More Than Extracurriculars for Teens — Here’s Why
If you’ve ever looked around your house thinking, “Why am I still doing everything for these capable humans?” — this episode is for you.
I’m deeply passionate about helping parents raise kids who are not only healthy, but independent, resilient, and prepared for real life. And honestly? Chores and family responsibilities are one of the most powerful tools we have to make that happen.
In this conversation with Hunter Clarke-Fields from the Mindful Mama Podcast, we talk about why chores are about so much more than getting help around the house. They help kids build conf...
130: Food Allergies, Inclusion, and Building Community with The Allergy Chef
If your family does not deal with food allergies, it can be easy to assume this episode is not for you. But after this conversation with Kathlena, The Allergy Chef, I think every parent will walk away with more empathy, awareness, and practical tools for helping all kids feel included.
Kathlena’s stories are powerful, heartbreaking, and deeply hopeful. We talked about the hidden isolation many families experience and the surprisingly simple ways we can make our homes, classrooms, and communities safer and more welcoming for everyone.
In this episode, we di...
129: Hope for Families with Food Allergies: The Allergy Chef’s Incredible Story with Kathlena, the Allergy Chef
I have to tell you, this episode completely stretched my understanding of food allergies, chronic illness, and what it means to truly listen to your body.
Kathlena, also known as The Allergy Chef, has one of the most unbelievable stories I have ever heard. She personally manages more than 200 food allergies and intolerances, was once given 30 days to live, and today somehow works as a chef helping other families navigate food restrictions with creativity and hope.
But this conversation is not just about extreme allergies. It is also about...
128: Family Dinners, Tech Boundaries, and Resilience: A Recipe for Teens Who Launch Well with Tania Johnson
If you listened to part one of my conversation with Tania Johnson, you already know how powerful it was to understand what is happening inside the teenage brain. In this second half, we move from the “why” into the “what now?” We talk about the practical side of parenting teens in today’s world, including chores, emotional intelligence, resilience, family connection, and of course… technology.
One thing I really appreciated about this conversation is how balanced and hopeful it felt. Tania does not come from a place of fear or perfectionism. Instead, she...
127: Why Teenagers are Like Toddlers (& What That Means for Practical Parenting) with Tania Johnson
If you have ever looked at your teenager and thought, “Why are we suddenly having toddler-level emotional meltdowns again?” this episode is going to make so much sense. I had such a fascinating conversation with Tania Johnson from the Institute of Child Psychology about what is actually happening inside the teenage brain, and honestly, it completely reframed some things for me as a parent.
We talk about why teens and toddlers are surprisingly similar from a brain development perspective, why emotional outbursts and withdrawal are actually normal parts of development, and what pare...
126: What's Still Worth Teaching to Prepare Our Kids for the AI Age
Artificial intelligence is changing so quickly that honestly? I don’t think any of us can accurately predict what our kids’ jobs will look like in 10 or 20 years.
But I also don’t think parents can afford to throw up our hands and say, “Well, who knows?” and ignore the conversation.
In this second part of my AI series on the Healthy Parenting Handbook podcast, I’m digging into the question I think every parent is asking right now: What skills will actually matter in the age of AI?
Not coding...
125: Why Bother Teaching Life Skills When Robots Will Do Everything?
What happens when the future changes faster than parenting advice can keep up?
Artificial intelligence is already transforming jobs, schools, communication, creativity, and even the way businesses run day to day. And as parents, it can feel equal parts fascinating and terrifying.
Should we be worried? What skills will our kids actually need? And how in the world do we prepare children for jobs that don’t even exist yet?
In this solo episode, I dive into the rapidly changing world of AI through the lens of pa...
124: Raising Kids Who Can Problem Solve and Become Independent Adults with Amy Carney
Do you ever feel that tension between wanting to help your kids… and knowing you probably shouldn’t step in so fast?
Because if we’re honest, it’s almost always easier and quicker to just do it ourselves. Open the bottle. Fill out the form. Solve the problem.
But what if that instinct is exactly what’s holding our kids back?
In this episode, I’m talking with Amy Carney about what it really takes to raise kids who are ready for the real world. Not just capable on paper, bu...
123: How to “Launch” on Purpose: Teaching Life Skills to Your Teens Today That Will Prepare Them for Tomorrow with Amy Carney
One of the motivations for creating the Kids Cook Real Food™ eCourse was that I was just over halfway to “launch” with my oldest child.
Nine years old is half of the intensive part of parenting, and Paul had just turned 10. He demonstrated how to make homemade guacamole to his 4th-grade class, and I realized that guac was the only thing he truly knew how to make!
One cannot live on guac alone…so I knew I needed to teach him more before he left my home!
I love t...
122: Making Repairs When Dad Blows Up with Engaged Father Project Founder Jon Hord
What happens when you mess up as a parent?
Because let’s be honest… no matter how intentional you try to be, no matter how many goals you set, there are still going to be moments where you lose your patience, react in a way you regret, or just plain get it wrong. The real question is not if that will happen, but what you do next.
In this second half of my conversation with Jon Hord, we move from awareness into action. Jon shares what it actually looks like to repair those hard moments with...
121: The Dad Shift: How to Become the Father Your Kids Actually Need with Jon Hord
Do you think you could be vulnerable enough to ask your kids, “How could I be a better parent?” Even the thought of that makes my chest tighten a little bit, but in this episode, Jon Hord is going to encourage dads—and moms—to do just that.
This conversation is such a powerful look at what it means to parent with intention instead of just reacting to whatever the day throws at you. Jon shares his own story of going from stressed, overwhelmed, and not showing up the way he wanted… to becoming a dad who is...
120: Eating God's Way for Christian Families with Wardee Harmon
I love it when a conversation feels like it’s been years in the making. This one really has!
Today’s guest is someone who has quietly, faithfully shaped the way I think about food for a long time—my friend Wardee Harmon from Traditional Cooking School.
And if you’ve ever felt like the world of “healthy eating” is a swirl of contradictions…one expert says this, another says that…you are not alone. (Honestly, it can make your head spin before you even get dinner on the table.)
Wardee has this rare gift of bri...
119: Make Perimenopause About Gain, Not Loss (& What You Need to Eat) with Cynthia Thurlow, NP
Let me ask you something. When was the last time you felt genuinely sharp? Not just “I had coffee and I’m functional” sharp, but clear-headed, energized, actually-in-the-room sharp?
Most of us have quietly accepted a version of ourselves that’s a little foggy, a little tired, a little “off” and chalked it up to getting older, being busy, or just how things are now. But here’s the thing: that fog has reasons.
In this post, we’re pulling back the curtain on what’s actually going on inside your body...
118: The Menopause Gut: Understand How to Respond to Changing Hormones in Your 40s with Cynthia Thurlow NP
I’m joined by Cynthia Thurlow, a nurse practitioner and expert in perimenopause and menopause, and this conversation truly feels like a mini masterclass in understanding your body. We talk through what is really going on with your hormones, how your gut plays a much bigger role than you might expect, and why so many of the symptoms we tend to brush off are actually connected.
In this episode, we cover:
What the gut microbiome is and why it affects nearly every system in your bodyWhy perimenopause can start earlier than you might ex...117: Heal Your Hunger: How to End Emotional Eating Now with Tricia Nelson
Have you ever eaten chocolate or chips when you feel stressed?
Rewarded yourself for a job well done with a little sticky celebration?
Hid from sadness with a whole box of ice cream to yourself?
The term "emotional eating" might be new to you, but I'm sure you can see how it works. This interview with Tricia Nelson, author of Heal Your Hunger, is powerful in that we unlock the hidden truth behind why many of us can't lose weight --
It's not about the food.
<...116: How to Translate the Language of Your Child or Teen's Behavior with Wendy Snyder
If you’ve ever looked at your child’s behavior and thought, “What is going on right now?”—you’re not alone.
In this episode, we go beyond surface-level parenting advice and get into something deeper: what your child’s behavior is actually trying to communicate.
Wendy Snyder introduces a powerful framework that helps you “translate” your child’s actions in real time. Instead of reacting with frustration, you’ll start to see patterns, unmet needs, and opportunities to teach life skills. It’s a shift that can completely change how you experience everyday p...
115: Why Starting Over Is a Parenting Superpower with Wendy Snyder
There’s a moment in this conversation I can’t quite shake.
A mom drops her child’s favorite stuffed animal into the trash while her four-year-old begs her not to. If that makes your stomach tighten, you’re not alone.
Because even if you’ve never had a “trash can moment,” you’ve probably had that moment. The one where you hear yourself and think, “Wait…is this how I want to parent?”
That’s exactly where this conversation with Wendy Snyder begins. Not from perfection, but from honesty, growth, and a...
114: The Truth About Time Management for Moms (It’s Not Your Planner) with Anna Dearmon Kornick
If you’ve ever thought, “Why can I not get my life together when it comes to time?”—you are absolutely not alone.
This conversation felt like such a breath of fresh air because we’re not talking about rigid schedules, perfect planners, or waking up at 5am (thank goodness). Instead, we’re digging into what actually works for real moms with real lives… you know, the kind where kids interrupt everything and plans fall apart before lunch.
I had so much fun hearing about Anna’s real-life experiences in the professional...
113: The Two Stories of Every Cluttered Space with Ingrid Jansen of the Declutter Hub
If you’ve ever stood in the middle of your house and thought, “Where do I even start?”… you are absolutely not alone.
But what if the problem isn’t your lack of discipline… it’s your approach?
In this conversation, I sat down with Ingrid Jansen from The Declutter Hub, and she completely reframed how I think about clutter. We didn’t just talk about getting rid of stuff. We talked about why it feels so hard in the first place—and how to make it feel doable (even in the middle of real life).
Becau...
112: Financial Literacy for the Whole Family with Amanda Teixeira
Money fights are rarely about the money.
They usually start somewhere small. A decision. An assumption. A moment that feels harmless at the time.
And then suddenly you are on a honeymoon, of all places, realizing you are not actually on the same financial page at all. That is exactly where this conversation begins.
Amanda shares a story that many couples will recognize: a beautiful life moment that quietly turned stressful because expectations were never spoken out loud.
Because money is not just math! It...
