End the Mealtime Meltdown: Using the Table Talk Method to Free Your Family from Daily Struggles over Food and Picky Eating

“For parents who are committed to raising a generation of healthy eaters, this is an important tool!”
—Susan Albers, PsyD, New York Times bestselling author of Eating Mindfully

Restore joy at your dinner table using the innovative Table Talk Method!

But I made it just the way you like it. If you eat your broccoli, you’ll grow up big and strong. No dessert unless you finish your dinner!

Sound familiar? If you’re the parent of a “picky eater,” you’ve likely tried everything to get your kiddo to eat their veggies. And like many other parents, you might have noticed these ideas fail. Your child may not become a gourmand overnight, but the good news is there are ways to help them explore new food—and restore some much-needed mealtime peace.

Written by a dietitian and mindful eating expert, End the Mealtime Meltdown serves up the familiar yet largely unexamined phrases parents say to kids at mealtime, and shows that what you say to your kids can actually sabotage your efforts to instill healthy habits. With this practical guide, you’ll discover the communication skills you need to end conflict at the dinner table—for good.

In the book, you’ll find:

• Specific guidance on what NOT to say to kids as they eat
• Acknowledgement that conflict at the dinner table is a normal part of parenting
• Specific words, scripts, and detailed instruction on how to encourage conversation that positively impacts eating behavior and development
• Real-life stories showing how the Table Talk Method can ease parent distress
• Instructions on how to tailor this approach to fit your individual needs
• Tools to help kids develop a healthy relationship with body and food that will last a lifetime

 

If you’re craving better ways to deal with turmoil during meals and instill a healthy curiosity about food in your family, this go-to guide is your lifeline.

Stephanie Meyers, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Families Eating Well, a nutrition practice training parents to coach healthy eating habits in kids. She is nutrition coordinator in The Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and a former instructor in the graduate nutrition department at Boston University. She presents seminars worldwide on mindful eating, family nutrition, and cancer survivorship.

Foreword writer Carla Naumburg, PhD, is a clinical social worker and author of three parenting books; including Ready, Set, Breathe and How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids.