If your child refuses to eat certain foods, skips meals, or suddenly loses interest in favorite dishes, anxiety might be quietly shaping those patterns. While it’s easy to label a change in appetite as picky eating or defiance, emotional factors like worry or fear often play a deeper role in the way children approach food. How Anxiety Shows Up at Mealtime Children rarely say, “I’m anxious.” Instead, their discomfort expresses itself through behavior. You might notice that your child:...

Our dietitian's (Sarah) trick-or-treater's Why Fear Tactics Fail When It Comes to Treats Every Halloween, we receive questions from parents we work with about how to handle the mountain of candy. Well meaning parents share with us their plans for strict limits or the "Switch Witch" —a well-meaning figure who trades candy for toys. The problem? These methods teach restriction, external control, and scarcity.  When a desirable food is forbidden, it gains immense power. Your child doesn't learn...

As pediatric dietitians with Healthy Hive Family Nutrition , the back-to-school season always brings a flurry of questions about lunches....