The Intentional Table

Nicole Cruz, MS, RDN
  • 5.0 (8)
  • PARENTING

Feeding kids isn’t just about what’s on the plate - it’s about raising them to feel confident, capable, and at peace with food and their bodies. The Intentional Table Podcast is here to help you break the cycles of guilt, shame,  and mealtime stress so you can raise kids who eat well and feel good about it. Hosted by Nicole Cruz, a registered dietitian and mom of three who has coached thousands of parents, this podcast gives you the tools, structure, and mindset shifts to create a positive, empowered eating environment at home. With guidance, compassion, and strategies that really work, you’ll feel more confident and less stressed while supporting your kids through 'picky' eating, 'overeating', struggles with sweets, and everything in between.

  1. 5H AGO

    Parenting Without Diet Culture with Oona Hanson

    As parents, we're constantly bombarded with conflicting messages about food: avoid ultra-processed foods, watch out for seed oils, limit sugar, push the vegetables. And underneath all of it is this fear - that if we don't control what our kids eat, something bad will happen. In this episode, I'm talking with parent coach and educator Oona Hanson about what it really means to parent without diet culture - and why letting go of food rules and weight concerns is one of the most powerful things we can do for our kids' health. Oona shares her journey from high school teacher to parent coach after helping her own child recover from an eating disorder. And she's not holding back on the hard truths: kids as young as six are showing up in treatment for anorexia, our focus on "healthy eating" is making kids sicker, and the restrictive messages we're sending are often the exact thing driving the behaviors we're trying to prevent. In this conversation, we talk about: What diet culture actually is (and what it's not)The early warning signs of disordered eating in elementary-aged kids that parents often missWhy kids need to gain significant weight during puberty - and what happens when we try to prevent itHow to respond when your child asks "why is my belly sticking out?" without making it worseThe truth about weight and health that challenges everything we've been taughtWhy restriction and control around food almost always backfireIf you know that you want to parent without diet culture and show your child there's another way to think about food and bodies, then this episode is for you! Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    56 min

  2. 6D AGO

    What to Do When Someone Else Gives Your Kid "Treats"

    You know when you're at the soccer game, the birthday party, or picking up from school, and you see your kid walking toward you with a bag full of candy, chips, a sugary drink... And you think to yourself: Really? Again? Another treat? The amount of food handouts from friends, family, teachers, teammates... can feel endless. And when it's not what you had planned, or what you would necessarily choose, you're left trying to figure out how to handle it without making it into a big deal - or maybe you even react because you really don't want them to eat it, or it's about to be dinner time. In this episode, I'm walking through: How to think about these 'extra' snacks and sweets so that you can respond in an effective and helpful wayWhat to say and what not to say in these moments so that snacks and sweets don't become the 'forbidden fruit'A simple, judgment-free framework for navigating the snack bag moment in a way that keeps food neutral and your child feeling trustedWhether your kid is doesn't want to tell you when they get candy or snacks, or you've just been letting them have the whole bag and hoping for the best, this episode will give you a calmer, more confident way to handle it. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    16 min

  3. FEB 14

    Is your kid an intuitive eater?

    Your child is capable of listening to their body, eating a variety of foods, and not being obsessed with sweets. Yes, even if they seem to have "no off switch" around food. Even if they're extremely "picky". Even if it feels like they've always been this way. The truth is: kids are born intuitive eaters. They instinctively know how to listen to their hunger and fullness cues, seek out the nutrients they need, and stop when they've had enough. Just like a newborn cries for milk and pulls away when full. But something can get in the way of, or compete with, that natural ability. In this episode, I'm breaking down: Why kids are naturally intuitive eaters (and what that actually means)The three types of interference that disrupt your child's natural eating instincts - internal, circumstantial, and feeding dynamicsReal client stories of kids who seemed "broken" around food but completely transformed when the interference was removedHow to do a quick inventory to figure out what might be getting in the way for YOUR childWhen you understand that your child is capable - they just need the right support and environment - everything changes. You can remove what's in the way and support them to be an intuitive eater. It is never too late to make these shifts. Your child is capable, resilient, and wants to do well with food. They just need you to create the right environment. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    22 min

  4. FEB 6

    A Third Way to Feed Your Kids: Beyond Pressure and Permissiveness

    We all want the same things for our kids: to eat well, get the nutrition they need, and have a healthy relationship with food. But how do we actually make that happen? Most parents find themselves on one of two paths, or often bouncing back and forth because neither one feels quite right. You might be trying to help your child eat well by encouraging bites, limiting sweets, or teaching them about "healthy foods." But it's creating tension at meals and you worry you could be passing down negative messages about food. Or maybe you've gone in the opposite direction - because you don't want to make food be a 'thing'. But you worry that you're not supporting your child and helping them get what they need. Here's what I want you to know: there's a third path. One where you get to be the parent and the guide, creating structure and support around food - while still giving your child real freedom and autonomy within that structure. In this episode, I'm walking through: The three different paths parents take when it comes to feeding their kidsWhat each path actually creates - for your child's eating, their relationship with food, and your stress level at homeWhy that third path (the empowered eating environment) will change your meals, your home, and your child's relationship with food long-term.When you understand these different approaches and where you might be stuck, you can finally move toward a way of feeding your family that feels good - and sets your child up for a lifetime of trusting themselves with food. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    20 min

  5. JAN 30

    Are You Working Against Your Child's Eating Personality?

    We're going to cut through all the conflicting advice and show you how you can help your child eat well without using pressure or bribes... or getting into power struggles or creating bigger food issues. You've heard the advice:  "My kids have to at least try it.""Don't keep it in the house if you don't want them to eat it.""If they don't eat their dinner, no dessert."But when you try these strategies, they either backfire completely - or they seem to work in the moment but you know something doesn't feel right. Here's what most feeding advice gets wrong: it assumes all kids will respond the same way to the same approach. But your strong-willed child, your sensory-sensitive child, your people-pleaser... They'll all react differently. In this episode, we're diving into how your child's personality and natural preferences with food interact with your feeding approach - and why conventional advice often backfires. In this episode, I'm breaking down: The three layers that interact at the table: personality, natural  tendencies with food, and feeding dynamicsReal examples of how the same feeding concern (picky eating, sweets obsession, overeating) can have completely different root causes depending on your childWhy conventional approaches create either rebellion, anxiety, or compliance - but not a healthy relationship with foodWhat we do instead: creating a complete supportive environment where your child can develop their own healthy relationship with foodWhen we understand how these layers interact, we can stop blaming ourselves when advice doesn't work. We can stop thinking our kid is just difficult. And we can start seeing them clearly and responding to what they actually need. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    33 min

  6. JAN 22

    The One Thing That Undermines Everything Else You're Doing

    If you're listening to this podcast, you're investing time and energy into changing how you feed your kids. And of course... you want to see it work. That's exactly what we need to talk about today, because this approach will change how your child eats, and you have to stop caring whether it does. In this episode, we're diving into one of the hardest parts of this work: detachment. Detaching from the outcome of what and how your child actually eats. Because when we focus too much on whether they're eating "right" or whether the approach is "working," it backfires. In this episode, I'm breaking down: Why watching too closely for results undermines the approach (and how kids pick up on our energy even when we think we're hiding it)What detachment actually looks like in practice - and what it doesn't meanWhy your child is on their own timeline and we have to trust the processHow this work is layered in its impact and it's not just about what your child is eatingThe bigger picture and it's effects on your child's physical, mental, and emotional healthWhen we can detach from the outcome, it's not only helpful for our kids and their behaviors with food, but it's also freeing. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    20 min

  7. JAN 15

    Why Division of Responsibility Isn't Working (And What's Actually Missing)

    Are you familiar with the Division of Responsibility (DOR)? Maybe you've read ALL the Ellyn Satter books. You're trying follow DOR to a tee - you're doing your job and letting your child do their job with food... and it feels like something's still missing. Or maybe DOR is brand new to you or you've heard it mentioned somewhere in your parenting journey. Either way, you're going to love this episode. In this episode, I'm breaking down: What Division of Responsibility is and the research that backs it upWhy DOR can feel rigid, controlling, or impossible to maintain - and that's not your faultWhat DOR is actually missing and why you need moreHow you can use this approach as an overarching approach with other tools and strategiesIf you've been wondering why the framework that's supposed to reduce stress is actually creating more, or why it's just not working, this episode is for you. Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    37 min

  8. JAN 9

    3 Beliefs You Need to Raise Balanced Eaters During Diet Season

    Diet culture is loudest in January. And it's so easy to feel like we should be doing more, or trying to eat 'better', or do something to change the way we look... when we're inundated with this message EVERYWHERE! In this episode, I'm breaking down three foundational beliefs that will transform how you approach food in your family, and help you hold onto what's important to you when the rest of the world is screaming lose weight, detox, it's time for a new you. We can talk all about tools and strategies (and we do) but what really drives how we navigate food and how our kids end up thinking, feeling, and interacting with it - is deeper than that.  These are the three core beliefs we want to adopt as we move into the new year: 1. We're Feeding for the Future 2. Kids Need Support, Not Control 3. Health Is Bigger Than Food, Weight, and Exercise Your beliefs drive your behavior. Tools and strategies won't work if you're operating from fear or urgency. Reflection: Which belief do you need to focus on right now? Want to connect? Send us a text! CONNECT with Nicole: - Instagram: @nicolecruzRD - Book a FREE Eating Alignment Call with Nicole to learn more about our approach and how we can work together: Eating Alignment Call SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, it would mean so much for you to follow, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us reach more conscious and loving parents who need these insight! Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

    15 min
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About

Feeding kids isn’t just about what’s on the plate - it’s about raising them to feel confident, capable, and at peace with food and their bodies. The Intentional Table Podcast is here to help you break the cycles of guilt, shame,  and mealtime stress so you can raise kids who eat well and feel good about it. Hosted by Nicole Cruz, a registered dietitian and mom of three who has coached thousands of parents, this podcast gives you the tools, structure, and mindset shifts to create a positive, empowered eating environment at home. With guidance, compassion, and strategies that really work, you’ll feel more confident and less stressed while supporting your kids through 'picky' eating, 'overeating', struggles with sweets, and everything in between.

Information

  • Creator
    Nicole Cruz, MS, RDN
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Intentional Table
  • Show Website
    The Intentional Table