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A “no Oreos” message in a kindergarten parent group chat shouldn’t be headline-worthy, but the blow-up says everything about diet culture, control, and what kids learn when adults moralize food. We walk through the Oreo Gate timeline from the original request to the school’s response, the side chat drama, and the moment the kids take over by turning Oreos into contraband, crumbs, and even a playground reward.
From there, we zoom out to the real issue: restrictive feeding and the unintended consequences of “forbidden foods.” We talk about deprivation, why scarcity makes a food more powerful, and how sneaking and secrecy can start earlier than most people realize. We also share what we wish every parent knew about intuitive eating, food neutrality, and why a five-year-old doesn’t need a nutrition lecture to build a healthy relationship with food.
We bring in practical tools like Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in feeding (adult chooses what, when, where; child chooses whether, how much) and we get real about food modeling, social eating at school, and the role of stress, finances, and boundaries when it comes to school lunch expectations. Plus, we end with a rapid-fire Oreo tangent that somehow makes the whole thing even more human.
If you’ve ever felt pressure to parent “perfectly” around food, hit play, then subscribe, leave a review, and share this with a friend who’s navigating kids, snacks, and opinions.
Show notes:
Trigger warning: this show is not medical, nutrition, or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Mental Health Provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources, in the show notes. Listener discretion is advised.
Resource links:
Hilltop Behavioral Health: https://hilltopbehavioralhealth.com/
Alliance for Eating Disorders: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/
ANAD: https://anad.org/
NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
NAMI: https://nami.org/home
Action Alliance: https://theactionalliance.org/
NIH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/
How to find a provider:
https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians?tr=Hdr_Brand
Suicide & crisis awareness hotline: call 988 (available 24/7)
Eating Disorder hotline: call or text 800-931-2237 (Phone line is available Monday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm ET and Friday 11 am-5 pm ET; text line is available Monday-Thursday 3-6 pm ET and Friday 1-5 pm ET)
If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
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