August September Bi-Monthly Newsletter 2023

Feed to Succeed News

Hello Betsy,

Thank you for being part of our Feed to Succeed community! Our team continues to offer excellent pediatric nutrition services based on the most current evidence-based pediatric nutrition therapy. Read our bi-monthly newsletter to learn more about our featured nutrition topic.

Featured Nutrition Topic

Kids Eat Right Month®

What is Kid's Eat Right Month®?

Kids Eat Right Month® is celebrated each year in August! Kids Eat Right Month® focuses on creating habits and lifestyle choices to support a healthy future for kids and families.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists play an active role in supporting kids and their families in their nutrition journey, which looks different for everyone. Our dietitians at Feed to Succeed recommend that during Kids Eat Right Month®, families focus on creating new positive changes in their household.

See some tips on making healthy lifestyle changes and read below for our interview with Feed to Succeed dietitians.

To celebrate Kids Eat Right Month®, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics developed these tips below to support creating healthful lifestyle choices.

Tip 1: Get Moving!

As summer camps are done and school is starting, staying physically active is important! Physical activity is not only a great way to strengthen muscles and bones, but also it helps to maintain a healthy body weight, develop social skills, and build self-esteem. Going on walks, going to the beach, attending an exercise class together, or getting outside and playing with your kids at the park or backyard, are some great ways to stay physically active as a family. "Preschool children are encouraged to be active throughout the day, and older children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 should have at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2nd ed.)."

Tip 2: Create Healthful Habits and Get Talking!

Parents can play an active role in helping develop their children's eating habits. We recommend modeling good eating behaviors by eating a variety of nutritious foods in front of your children. Kids are more likely to eat a variety of foods if their family members also have them on their plates. We also recommend eating together as a family at the table without distractions or screens. This allows mealtimes to be less stressful and allows parents and their children to talk and socialize. Finally, we recommend serving everyone the same foods and not making additional meals for a "picky" eater. This encourages picky eaters to eat a greater variety of foods and makes mealtime prep less time-consuming and allows for more family time around the table.

Kids Eat Right Month®: Interview a Children's Nutrition Expert

See our interview below where we interviewed the Feed to Succeed Registered Dietitians!

Betsy Hjelmgren, MS, RDN, CSP, LDN

Betsy: Why did you want to start Feed to Succeed?

I founded Feed to Succeed initially because I was a young mom working at Children’s (Lurie) and while I loved that job and loved providing pediatric MNT, I was longing for more flexibility in my schedule so I could be at important events with my children, who were 4 years and newborn at that time (2008). I noted that many providers were starting their own practice under their name. I intentionally decided to name the business Feed to Succeed with the purpose of describing what we did, and keeping it open for growth if new providers were to join the team. I quickly found that many families were seeking out-patient nutrition services, and so Feed to Succeed did grow. In 2013 I hired my first team dietitian, who was of like mind in regard to wanting to provide MNT to families, while having more flexibility with scheduling for the family. And since 2013, we have had the privilege of having 9 additional highly skilled dietitians participate in our team over the years.

I always joke that my favorite thing about pediatrics is that I am privileged to witness actual change and success that an adult would not implement for themselves. Parents will typically be far more proactive about implementing dietary changes for their children. But I have also always loved children, since babysitting and camp counseling as a teen, to becoming a mom of my own kiddos. And honestly, pediatrics is extremely rewarding because seeing change and growth does occur more rapidly than it would for an adult. Some of the relationships I’ve developed with families over the years have lasted from infancy to adolescence. Those families feel like part of my own.

Nicole Michehl, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC

As a dietitian, what advice would you give to parents about supporting good mealtime behaviors?

Mealtimes can be a struggle and it can sometimes be really challenging to get your child to eat. But mealtimes can also be a great way to be with your family and can be really fun! One piece of advice that I give to parents about mealtimes is to keep them on a schedule as often as possible. Don't worry if it's not during every meal. Children thrive on schedules! I recommend offering three meals and one to two snacks around the same time every day. Try to plan for a minimum of two hours between meals and snacks to allow your child the opportunity to become hungry and even more willing to try non-preferred foods when they sit down for a meal time.

I also tell parents to offer nothing to eat or drink between meals and snacks except water so when it is time to sit down and eat, your child is hungry and ready to try all the great foods you are offering them. 😊🥑🥕

Lastly, I recommend that families offer multiple food groups at meals and snacks so you are offering your child variety and providing them with various vitamins and minerals to help their growth and development.

Amanda Johnson, MS, RD, LDN

As a dietitian, what is your favorite dish to make for your family?

Our favorite dish is taco night!

We either will make shredded chicken taco meat in the crockpot or ground beef taco meat in the skillet as the filling. Then I let my kids pick if they want a hard or soft shell taco OR quesadilla style! We make it like a taco bar, where everyone can pick their own toppings like cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, taco sauce, etc. We of course help our toddler, but let him be part of the process! We then have sides such as refried beans, black beans, rice, corn, and/or guacamole! 😊

My kids love this meal because it is so versatile, the combinations are endless, and they get to make a lot of their own choices for the meal!

Eileen Potter, MS, RD, LDN

How can a busy family create healthy, well-balanced family meals?

Working parent(s), sports, parties, play dates, homework and more. When life takes over, meal planning gets hard. Here are some practical thoughts to help you put healthy eating into perspective.

Whatever your nutrition ideals are for your family, it’s okay to make exceptions. Fast food on the way home from soccer at 7 pm? Frozen meals after a long day at work? Not a problem, because nutritional health doesn’t hinge on single meals.

Instead of feeling bad about it, plan for it. Look ahead to the week and adjust your grocery shopping and cooking. Choose frozen meals that meet your quality standards. Cook family favorites on the weekend when you have more time and freeze them. Choose restaurants that offer a variety of menu items.

Beyond individual meals, healthy eating includes having a variety of foods, finding joy in eating, and sharing mealtimes with family.

Visit our Podcast and Blog on Feedtosucceed.com to Listen and Read Engaging Pediatric Nutrition Topics

Click to Visit our Feed to Succeed Blog

Read our latest blogs on some interesting nutrition topics!

Click to read our blog on being Overweight: Advice from a Pediatric Dietitian.

Click to read our "Ask the Dietitian" blog: How do I get my child to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables?

Click to read our "Ask the Dietitian" blog: Baby Led Weaning or Purees: Which is Best for my Child? Ask the Dietitian!

Do you have a child with a tube feed or are you a provider looking to learn more about tube weaning? If so, check out our Tube Weaning Webinar Series Course to learn about key aspects of tube feeding dependence and our protocol for successful tube weaning.

Click to go to the academy homepage to see all course offerings.

Follow Feed to Succeed on Social Media

Are you part of our social community? Be sure to follow us for daily updates on healthy kids' snack ideas, tips for healthy teens, recipes, and more!

We are active on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter! @feedtosucceed.

Work with Feed to Succeed

While many of our clients are referred to us by a pediatrician or specialist, many parents seek us out on their own when they have concerns about their child’s diet, eating habits, or weight when they aren’t getting the answers they need from other professionals. Whether it’s a picky eating phase, food allergies, or intensive nutrition therapy for a feeding tube, our dietitians want to work with you and your child to optimize a healthy lifestyle through nutrition.

Please review the screening questions below to assess potential nutrition concerns to see if your child would benefit from meeting with one of our registered dietitians.

Has your child unintentionally gained or lost weight recently?
Does your child have a feeding tube?
Does your child have a condition that requires a restricted or special diet?
Has your child had poor weight gain or height gain over the last few months?

Has your child been eating less recently?
Does your child have a food allergy or intolerance?
Does your child avoid multiple food groups?
Does your child complain of abdominal pain or discomfort at least three times per month?

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above or if you have any general questions about your child’s nutrition, please contact us. If you know of a child or family who could benefit from working with a registered dietitian please share Feed to Succeed's contact information.

Submit a Patient Story

Nothing brings us more joy and satisfaction than when our clients heal and thrive. We want to share family stories because we cherish helping our patients succeed.

Click here to submit a patient story to be featured in our next newsletter.

Email us at info@feedtosucceed.com or call us at (847)724-8015 to schedule an appointment or receive answers to any nutrition questions you might have.