I have issues with food. And to a degree, I think it’s impossible to avoid some issues with food, whether that means not stopping when full, feeling guilty about overindulging, or emotionally eating or restricting.

What I hope is possible is not passing down my personal issues to my kids. Feeding kids is already tricky enough. Add to that the idea that you could maybe hurt them psychologically and it’s enough to make a mom like me lose sight of logic all together.

That’s why I decided to speak with a couple of professionals. Cheryl Kornfeld, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience working in eating disorder facilities. She told me the most important thing I needed to do was accept that many people suffer from issues with food, and it’s totally OK (and Kornfeld urges, important) to acknowledge them and deal with them as best we can.

Here’s what else Kornfeld and Tzivie Pill, an eating psychology coach and student at Wurzwiler School of Social Work, have to share about navigating food issues between parents and children.

READ MORE »

If you ever want to derail a conversation, all you have to do is get people talking about whether or not various foods are sandwiches. I once saw a professional meeting devolve into 30 minutes of utter chaos while two food editors yelled at each other about whether or not a hamburger was a sandwich. And the beauty of this is that you can do it with just about anything. Is a wrap a sandwich? Is a taco a sandwich? Is a ravioli a sandwich? Is a Smuckers Uncrustable a ravioli? I’m pretty sure you could say that a bowl of spaghetti was a sandwich, and someone would find a way to support it.

READ MORE »

A big pot of chili would be nothing without chili powder. The spice blend is an all-in-one source of flavor, bringing the heat of chiles along with the aromatics of ingredients like garlic and cumin. Since it’s a blend of spices, however, no two are created equally and they all contain various quantities of this and that.

We scoured Amazon to see what kind of chili powder game they bring — as always, they bring a strong one. Here are five unique blends that are worth trying in your next pot of chili.

READ MORE »

While pizza night is a weekly staple in my house, it’s never just pizza. I grew up with the mentality that dinner isn’t dinner unless there’s a vegetable on my plate and I’ve never been able to shake that. That’s hardly a problem in my opinion, as incorporating a salad or side of veggies with our favorite pies keeps the meal well-balanced and, I’d argue, even more delicious, since there’s more to dig into.

Here are my five favorite healthy sides to serve with pizza.

READ MORE »

Sheet pan pizza is the minivan of the pizza world. It’s not as classically cool as thin-crusted Neapolitan-style pizzas, nor does it have the trendiness of flatbread pizzas, but what it lacks in presentation it makes up for in utility, dependability, and downright delicious ease.

That’s because sheet pan pizzas are all about the heavy lifting. They quickly and efficiently feed a crowd. The crust is sturdy enough to hold everything you throw on it, so don’t be shy. Load it up! Our recipe for meat-lover’s pizza will show you how to make this crowd-pleasing pizza so that you too can feed the masses (aka the gaggle of kids you piled into the minivan without breaking a sweat).

READ MORE »

At this point, it seems like almost every fast food restaurant has some kind of dollar menu — and we’re not mad about that. But when you’re shouting into a drive-thru speaker, how do you know when (and if) you are really getting the most nutritional bang for your buck?

Wellio, an online meal-planning assistant, decided to investigate which meals were the most (and least) nutritious per dollar spent, and the results might be enough to make you drive away without getting your McDinner.

READ MORE »

While bone broth is pretty simple to make yourself (here’s an awesome recipe), its rapidly increasing popularity has resulted in a number of new store-bought options popping up at various retailers. Some appear legit, while a few seem to be co-opting a trendy marketing term without delivering a delicious and nutritious product.

So how do you know which to choose?

READ MORE »

When your friends have a baby, showing up with a small present is a really thoughtful gesture that will always be appreciated. Choosing a new baby gift, however, can be difficult. Do you want to get something for the baby, or for the parents? Do you get something cute and fun, or something practical that will actually be used?

These are tough choices, unless you’re shopping at Aldi, apparently, because this awesome friend was able to curate a wonderful gift basket with something for everyone for just $25.

READ MORE »

Trying to decide whether that about-to-expire milk is still OK to drink is a good way to make breakfast feel a little like Fear Factor. Like, how much do you trust your sense of smell? And how bad do you really want that Cinnamon Toast Crunch? But a Danish dairy company and a London-based food-tech startup have joined forces to launch a new label that will let customers use their fingertips to determine whether it’s a good idea to get the cereal bowls out.

READ MORE »

Everyone, raise your “Be the Leslie Knope of Whatever You Do” coffee mugs in a toast to the poetic, noble land mermaid Amy Poehler. Netflix just announced that she will be bringing her luminous brilliance — plus her best friends and a lot of wine — to Netflix this year with a new movie called Wine Country.

And in true Leslie Knope fashion, Amy Poehler is doing all the jobs on that set. She’ll direct and produce the movie as well as star in it. Good thing she’ll have Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, and Ana Gasteyer there to help.

READ MORE »