Mankato Community Education

The early years are critical in shaping a child’s relationship with food, and as parents, you play a key role in encouraging positive attitudes and behaviors around eating. This presentation will guide parents through practical strategies and insightful tips for fostering a healthy relationship with food from infancy through early childhood. In this session, we will explore: - The Impact of Early Eating Habits: Understanding how the food choices, attitudes, and behaviors we model shape children’s long-term relationships with food. - Building Positive Food Experiences: Strategies for creating a relaxed, enjoyable mealtime environment that encourages curiosity and exploration of new foods. - Listening to Hunger and Fullness Cues: Teaching children how to tune into their natural hunger cues and promoting self-regulation when it comes to eating. - Avoiding Food Battles and Negative Associations: How to prevent power struggles over food and manage picky eating with patience and consistency. - Introducing New Foods: Practical advice on how to introduce a variety of flavors, textures, and healthy foods while minimizing resistance. - The Role of Family Meals: The benefits of eating together as a family, including fostering positive modeling and communication around food. - Mindful Eating for Children: Techniques for encouraging mindfulness and helping children develop a healthy relationship with food that extends beyond just nutrition. - Promoting Body Positivity and Healthy Self-Image: Supporting your child’s emotional well-being around food and body image, and teaching them to appreciate their bodies for what they can do, not just how they look. By the end of this presentation, parents will have a toolkit of strategies to support their child’s development of a healthy, balanced relationship with food, setting them up for a lifetime of positive eating habits, body acceptance, and overall well-being. Join us to learn how you can empower your child to develop a love of nourishing foods in a stress-free, supportive environment.

In today’s fast-paced world, juggling work, school, activities, and family life can make mealtime feel like an overwhelming task. But with the right approach, meal planning can be a game-changer for busy families, saving time, money, and stress while ensuring your family gets nutritious, home-cooked meals. This presentation will provide practical, easy-to-implement strategies for streamlining your meal planning, even on your busiest days. In this session, we will cover: - Why Meal Planning Matters: How meal planning can save time, reduce food waste, and promote healthier eating habits for the whole family. - Getting Started with Meal Planning: Simple steps to create a weekly meal plan that works for your family’s needs, preferences, and schedule. - Batch Cooking & Make-Ahead Meals: How to prepare meals in advance to cut down on daily cooking time and still enjoy fresh, nutritious meals throughout the week. - One-Pot & Sheet Pan Meals: Tips for quick and easy meals that minimize cleanup while maximizing flavor and nutrition. - Incorporating Variety: How to keep your meal plan interesting by rotating recipes, using seasonal ingredients, and finding ways to introduce new foods your family will love. - Snack Planning & Kid-Friendly Meals: Easy, healthy snacks and meal options that are both nutritious and appealing to kids, plus strategies to involve children in meal prep. - Grocery Shopping Tips: How to shop efficiently, stick to a budget, and make the most of your pantry staples so you’re always prepared. - Flexibility and Time-Saving Hacks: How to adapt your meal plan when life gets busy, including shortcuts, freezer meals, and takeout options that won’t derail your healthy eating goals. By the end of this presentation, parents will have a step-by-step guide to simplify meal planning, make the most of their time in the kitchen, and ensure their families are enjoying nourishing meals—without the stress. Whether you’re new to meal planning or looking to refine your system, you’ll leave with actionable tips to bring organization and ease to your family’s mealtimes. Join us to discover how a little planning can make a big difference in your family’s busy life!

Picky eating is a common challenge many parents face, but it doesn’t have to be a source of stress. This presentation is designed to help parents understand why picky eating happens and equip them with effective strategies to manage it with patience and confidence. Whether your child refuses vegetables, insists on eating the same foods, or simply seems to be averse to trying new things, this session will provide actionable tips for making mealtimes more enjoyable and less stressful for everyone. In this session, we will cover: - Why Picky Eating Happens: Understanding the developmental, biological, and psychological reasons behind picky eating and how it’s a normal phase for many children. - Strategies for Encouraging New Foods: How to introduce new foods in a non-stressful, gradual way that encourages exploration without forcing it. - The Power of Modeling: How your own eating habits and attitudes toward food can influence your child’s behavior, and how to model positive eating without pressure. - Creating a Positive Mealtime Environment: Setting up a calm, relaxed atmosphere that reduces mealtime stress and encourages your child to feel comfortable with a variety of foods. - Avoiding Power Struggles: Techniques for staying calm and patient during mealtimes, and how to avoid turning food into a battleground. - Dealing with Common Challenges: How to handle food refusal, food aversions, and how to navigate situations where your child’s preferences seem to be getting more limited. - Encouraging Independence and Autonomy: How to give your child a sense of control over their food choices and portion sizes, fostering independence while still providing balanced meals. - Long-Term Strategies: How to maintain a positive approach and what to do if picky eating persists into later stages of childhood. By the end of this presentation, parents will have practical tools to reduce mealtime stress, increase food variety, and help their child develop a healthier, more adventurous approach to eating. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of picky eating as a normal phase in child development, along with a toolkit of strategies to make mealtime more positive, fun, and less fraught with tension. Join us to take the stress out of feeding your child and turn mealtimes into enjoyable family experiences!