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The other night at dinner my 8-year-old, who was a picky eater for many years, said, out of the blue, “Do you remember when I used to be picky? I’m so glad I’m not anymore.” We then talked about how much things have changed and memories he had from dinners when he was younger. It was a wonderful moment because it showed how much his identity as an eater has changed. As we talked, it struck me as an amazing opportunity to learn more about a child’s experience as a picky eater, so I asked if I could interview him.An Interview with My Formerly Picky EaterWhat is your favorite food?Do I have to say one thing? Pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, burgers.What is your least favorite food?I don’t know because I haven’t tried many bad foods. Well, I don’t like stir-fry.Do you remember when you were a picky eater?Yes.What did it feel like to be offered a food you didn’t like?Well, I didn’t even eat it. But I also felt sad that I wouldn’t eat...

2018 has been a whirlwind, hasn’t it? So many fast-moving news stories, schedules that never seem to stop, and kids growing before our eyes. As we enter 2019, it can be tempting to come up with a long list of resolutions or goals that will make life better: get healthier, get organized, spend more time with family, get finances under control, the list goes on and on. I don’t know about you, but that growing list just adds to my anxiety and if I don’t accomplish the changes I hoped to see, then it also adds to my guilt. No thanks. So, as I sat down to think about how The Scramble could best support busy families in 2019, it occurred to me that the thing we could offer would be a one-stop solution that could help to simplify daily food routines and make them more pleasant, all while supporting many of the resolutions that busy parents tend to be drawn toward. Done and done! So, this year instead of giveaways or prizes, instead of challenges or competitions, we have put...

One of the complaints I hear most often from people is that while the cooking is ok, the cleaning afterward makes them crazy. I get it, I really do. You’ve made a meal for everyone, they’ve eaten (or not), and then you either have to kick back into high gear for cleaning OR have to do bedtime duty. You finally get the kids to sleep and then you face a messy kitchen when all you want to do is collapse. It stinks… But it doesn’t have to! While I don’t have a fairy godmother who can come in and do the cleaning for you (if you figure out how to get one of those, please let me know!), I do have some tricks that can help to make the cleaning less of a chore.8 Tricks to Make the Cleaning After Cooking EasierMake a DealFor most families, I know the deal is this: whoever doesn’t do the cooking does the cleaning. But this doesn’t have to be the deal. Other options include whoever is not on bedtime duty does the dishes or one person loads the dishwasher and the...

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 2018 Holiday Gift Guide for Every Kind of CookI will never forget the Christmas my mother only gave me cooking tools. I was 22-years-old, living on my own for the first time, and had been scraping by with two pots that had been bought in a bodega on the first floor of my building, a couple of cheap knives I think I had gotten at IKEA, and a set of measuring cups and spoons purchased at Target. That Christmas, when I opened my gifts, I was a little dismayed and secretly wished I had gotten maybe one fewer pot in exchange for a sweater or two, but looking back, those were some of the best gifts I ever received. They made it possible for me to explore cooking and expanded the types of meals that I could cook for myself. While I am not advocating for giving a loved one only cooking tools (unless, of course, that is what they ask for), I do think a solid cooking-related gift or two is always welcome. So, to help you find the best gift for each person on your list, I have...

As I have written about before, food and family dinners were essential parts of my childhood. Ironically, however, despite my mom’s best attempts, cooking was not. The poor woman tried everything to entice me to cook and I did dabble a bit, but mostly I just wasn’t interested. And yet she persisted. If I wanted cookies, I had to make them myself (the first attempt was incredibly memorable, but that’s a story for another post). If I wanted boxed macaroni and cheese when my parents went out for dinner (since they definitely weren’t going to eat it), I had to make it myself. And then, when my brother and I were in high school, we were each responsible for one dinner a week. I dragged my heels but she stuck with it, making sure I had the basic skills necessary to cook for myself when the time came. Years later, when I first started my career as a health coach, I quickly noticed a pattern: clients who came to me reluctant to cook often spoke of never having anyone...

Earlier this year, we conducted a large member satisfaction survey and learned what our members love about The Scramble, but also some ways we could make it even better. We are excited to announce the first set of big enhancements! (Yes, more will be coming!)Exciting Improvements to The ScrambleStarting on Monday (September 17th), there will be changes to “The Kitchen” (a.k.a., your meal plan dashboard) as well as the recipe box. Here’s what you need to know:

• Selecting your recipes just got more user-friendly! Instead of having to unselect the recipes you don’t want, now you get to select the recipes you DO! Just click on the image or the recipe title to select your main dishes and if the sides sound good, click those too!
• We remember! The Scramble will now remember your recipe selections, so if you decide to customize your menu or even if you just navigate away or switch devices, your selections will be saved!
• We remember (Part 2)! The same holds true...

Over the past month or so, I have seen a number of articles about different ways in which mothers feel judged or even attacked by the culture at large. Two that particularly stuck out to me were the opinion piece in The New York Times called Motherhood in the Age of Fear and a series that photographer Abbie Fox put together calling out “mommy shamers.” The first told the story of a mom who was charged with child abuse for leaving her kid in the car for 5 minutes on a cool March day. It then discussed the ways in which parents, but especially moms, are judged for not meeting certain social norms. “We’re contemptuous of ‘lazy’ poor mothers. We’re contemptuous of ‘distracted’ working mothers. We’re contemptuous of ‘selfish’ rich mothers.” The second showed images that Ms. Fox took in response to all the different ways that parents/moms are judged from having medicated births to drinking caffeine while pregnant to breast or bottle feeding to how much...

The other day, my son came home from a birthday party and was starving and cranky. I was taken aback because this was a celebration that he had been really looking forward to. When I asked why he hadn’t eaten he said, “I didn’t think you would want me to eat too much junk food.” Given what I do for a living, you might think that this was a moment of pride for me—that he was able to determine which foods were healthy and which weren’t and had avoided the unhealthier options—but, in fact, it made me deeply sad. Sad because instead of just living in the moment and enjoying the celebration with his friends, my son had spent time thinking about which foods I would approve of and had chosen to skip certain snacks and treats because of what he thought I might think.Why I Believe Snacks and Treats are ImportantAs someone who struggled to build a healthy relationship with food for much of my life, my goal has always been to raise kids who have a positive relationship...

This month, I am so excited to announce that I’ve joined The Recipe Redux a community of health-conscious food bloggers. Each month we are challenged to develop a recipe around a certain theme. It is a really fun way to think outside the box about healthy eating, to stretch our recipe development skills, and to share cool recipes with one another. This month, the challenge was to create a healthy, crunchy snack food that would be well-received during back to school season. Honestly, the timing of the challenge couldn’t be more perfect since we are kicking off the treat week of our Back to School Survival Sale. This week is all about savoring and enjoying snacks and treats and this recipe will bring you one step closer to doing that!

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When I was contemplating different crunchy snack ideas, I decided to ask my 8-year-old what snack food he wished that we could make...