22: Saying Goodbye to "Good" and "Bad" Foods and Embracing "Convenience Foods" with a Mom of 3

Gisela Bouvier is a media Registered Dietitian based on Florida. In this episode, Gisela shares how to be okay with using convenient and processed foods in her busy lifestyle, while still nourishing her family. She talks about how and why she came to embrace mindful eating after suffering from an eating disorder for many years prior to having her three kids. From that experience, cultivating a good relationship with food is very important to her, and she shares how she does that in her house to get meals on the table, while still working full time. 

We discuss: 

• How mindful eating connects food to memories and traditions.
• Why it's important to avoid labeling foods as good or bad, especially in front of kids
• How and why convenience foods can be nutritious and save time - and how to change our thoughts around them.
• The Cultural food traditions that enrich family meals and connections.
• How parents can create a positive food environment for children.
• Why meal planning can and should reduce stress, not add to it.
• Food should be fun and enjoyable for families!
• Support systems are crucial for navigating diet culture - how to find them 

Learn more about Gisela - Check out her blog and Instagram

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Gisela Bouvier
• 13:08 Instinctive Eating vs. Intuitive Eating
• 24:43 Cultural Influences on Food Choices
• 32:29 Practical Tips for Parents

Transcript

Sarah Schlichter (00:46)
Gisela Bouvier is a Latina media registered dietitian, a TV show host, mom of three with 16 years of experience in the nutrition industry. She helps busy working moms simplify meal time with easy nutritious meals and partners with brands through TV, social media and broadcast collaborations to make nutrition relatable and accessible to both English and Spanish speaking audiences.

Based in Southwest Florida, Gisela also leads employee wellness workshops and co-hosts El Flash Latino, a national Spanglish-style news and entertainment show. I think you're really going to love this episode. She had some really great tips as a relatable mom of three that can help you get food on the table quicker, but also not stress so much. So let's get right to the episode.

Sarah Schlichter (01:38)
Hey, hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. I'm back for another fun guest and Gisela and I have been trying to record this podcast for months. And as I'm sure you'll hear throughout the interview, she has three kids, I have three kids. Life is chaotic even before summer, summer break. So I'm so excited that we are finally doing this. So Gisela, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself to everyone.

Gisela Bouvier (02:03)
Thanks so much, Sarah. I'm so glad we're finally doing this. So I'm Gisela Bouvier I'm a dietitian in Southwest Florida, originally from Miami. I am Spanish speaking. My family's from Argentina. And I do a lot of media work and I also do corporate wellness. Those are my biggest, things that I do as far as a dietitian. And I absolutely love both of them equally.

Sarah Schlichter (02:23)
Yes, and I think you have a great approach when it comes to both of them, especially getting your message out in the media and then also talking to other busy moms and professionals. So I guess we can start there. Like what kind of inspired you to work in the niche that you're currently in?

Gisela Bouvier (02:40)
So for me, I realized I kind of have evolved and worked in a lot of different spaces when it came to nutrition. But I started corporate wellness back in like 2017, 2018. And it was by coincidence. I was doing counseling at a yoga studio, renting space there, and they said, hey, at this business, their Wellness Wednesday person bowed out. Do you want to give a nutrition talk?

And I said, sure. And I presented on mindful eating and they were like, we love your approach to the first person who doesn't say you can't eat this, you have to eat this. Will you do a full program? And I had never done it. And I said, yes. And I said, I'll figure it out. And I realized back then that I loved the group setting and I love really talking to the masses when it comes to nutrition, because you create so much more impact as opposed to one-on-one from my perspective. And that's kind of where corporate wellness started. And then I really

I'd done media off and on starting in 2017 as well. The local news station called me just wanting me to talk about the best diets list that year. And I realized again, that I loved being on camera and talking to people. And, I saw that there was a need in the Hispanic market. growing up Hispanic, we saw segments about Goya, Masola and Castique cheese all great, but there was no over any education when it came to nutrition and really the past.

two years I would say really been focusing on also talking to my fellow Latinos in Spanish.

Sarah Schlichter (04:05)
I love that. And it's so funny how sometimes what we envision our path to be doesn't play out that way. So there's always a story to it. So I've heard you talk about mindful nutrition. So can you talk to us a little bit about how did you get there? And with kids, what does a day-to-day life look like when you're embracing that mindful nutrition mentality?

Gisela Bouvier (04:12)
Exactly.

Absolutely. So for me, you know, I am very open with my story. So I actually went to eating disorder treatment when I was a new RD and the approach to my clinic was this mindful and intuitive eating approach. And we're, mean, I'm going back 15 years now and it was kind of like my last treatment center for, for hope to, to get into recovery because I had been to multiple facilities before starting in high school and

They're talking to me about this mindful eating thing. And I was like, what are you guys talking about? Like, I never learned this in school. And really it was about reconnecting with yourself and your body and allowing time to understand that food is so much more than nourishment. It creates memories, traditions, and experiences. And in my recovery process, you you don't go to treatment and magically get recovered. But throughout my journey, I realized how much more food connects us.

In treatment, when I was ready to go back to work and I was afraid of going back to the real world. They were like, what do you need to help you with tools? And I said, blindfold me. And they were like, what are you talking about? I said, blindfold me because I have to use the rest of my senses because I was the type of person that I would see food and fear it. And I would completely disconnect. And so they started blindfolding me. And the first thing that they gave me was a piece of Snickers bar. And I started to just cry.

And they're like, why are you crying? said, because I used to go with my grandpa when I was five years old to Publix to buy a Snickers bar every Friday. And it just, that's how much food connects us. And I was like, this, this is what I need to do. This is how I need to help people. And so it took a while, obviously my journey, but I was like, you know, I want people to understand that food is more than calories. It's really about connecting us. And for us as a family now, it's really important. We don't have the TV on during dinner time or breakfast time.

about how is your day at school, know, talking to my kids about if we're eating something like every 29th of the month in Argentina, they eat gnocchis and we eat gnocchis every 29th of the month and you put money on it under it as for wealth and prosperity in the next month and it's traditions. And for me, that's so important to educate them on that on the journey of where their family's history from, but also how food connects us to our ancestors and to our families in general.

Sarah Schlichter (06:39)
I love that. I love that so much. And it sounds very similar to how we approach food. mean, I know you have a daughter who's a little older than mine. And sometimes the messages they bring home from school hearing from other people, I feel like it's kind of my responsibility to reframe things or make it a more positive notion, if unfortunately, there's diet talk everywhere. And we choose not to talk about calories and stuff like that in our house, because we want it to be relaxing, fun.

something that bonds us and brings us together. So have you had any situations like that of even maybe past experiences of when you've how you've released your rigid food rules during snack times or meals?

Gisela Bouvier (07:21)
Absolutely. So like I get the same thing with my kids or even at daycare. It's like, these are the good foods. These are the bad foods or my older daughter. And so I try to explain that we don't put a title on food. Some give our body a little bit more energy and nutrition and make us feel good. Some are meant to be fun or create memories. And, and I try to always explain it in that type of language as opposed to good and bad. And then in our house, you know, again, recovery is not a perfect journey, but

It's always about making a cautious effort to either put neutral language to food or positivity. It's never about like, this is bad for me or this is going to make me gain weight or anything like that. And I think that comes with not only food rules, but also the way we talk about our bodies, the way we talk about ourselves. know, encouraging my kids to remind themselves that they're beautiful and they're strong and they're happy and all these things because that plays so much into food. And so

never letting them understand that there's food rules, explaining to them hey, if you had a dessert already, you want more, what does your tummy tell you? Like, why is it that you want more? Okay, let's have even more. And I'll give you some more. You'd be surprised how many times my kids want ice cream and eat two scoops and they're done with it. Two spoonfuls, you know. So it's, I think when you keep it neutral and positive, it just takes away those rules.

Sarah Schlichter (08:39)
Yeah, and I am really interested in this topic and I feel like it can get to be a heavy topic because so many of us come from a different upbringing or we come from that diet culture and we don't want to pass those thoughts, those feelings, those internalizations that we have down to our kids. And I feel like it can be a little bit tricky, but someone with your path and your recovery, I mean, would you have any advice to the moms out there who maybe

kind of feel like they might have one foot in diet culture or maybe they're just exposed to it, but they want to be able to not bring it home to their kids, right? Separate it, maybe talk more neutrally about food. Is there any sayings or advice or mindset shifts that they could bring to the table?

Gisela Bouvier (09:25)
Well, first of all, I think it has a lot to do with who you surround yourself with. And a lot of us do come from that family or friends background, especially growing up in the nineties where diet culture was very heavy. And so if you're still stuck in that or don't feel great about yourself or you know you have food rules, find a group support system that can help you talk to a therapist. I still see my therapist till this day, you know, at least once a month, because that helps me in my journey. And not all of us have had disorder eating or eating disorders, but if we

are stuck in any kind of rigidity or don't feel like we are worthy of something, we should help amend that because that in turn is going to play a role with our kids and the way we talk about so many things beyond food with our children. And I think also is keeping that boundary. Anytime my family has started to say something about, this food makes you gain weight or said something about their bodies or my kids' bodies, I stop it right there. I have no problem as a mother because I don't want my kids to ever...

like feel ashamed or not worthy or doubt themselves because I grew up that way and I don't want that. think that as mothers that's so important for us to keep that boundary and even if we are in the thick of it find our help but making sure that we're protecting our kids.

Sarah Schlichter (10:37)
I love that and I think you do such a great job of like setting that boundary and for some people it might be a little bit harder or they just don't even know where to begin but I think to your point first it's like we're not talking about healthy foods we're not labeling foods as good or bad you know all foods do have a purpose and I know we're gonna get to more of the convenience food talk but

I'm assuming we're not talking about clean your plate, eat this before you can eat this, but is there a way parents can try to entice children to choose some of the healthier objects or maybe even look at food as more nourishing fuel, more than less nourishing options?

Gisela Bouvier (11:17)
Absolutely. First of all, I think that it's important to get them involved in the grocery shopping or the cooking or if they want a snack, having them choose and then explaining like, what is this? Let's say they're choosing crackers. Like this gives us energy so you can run around and play and kind of explain it in that terms and how certain foods, all foods are good for them. And you're right, taking away that that's the negative talk when it comes to food. And I think explaining some where it comes from and how it

protects our bodies or helps our bodies makes us stronger or makes us so that we don't get as sick as often. That really helps them understand as well. And finding other ways they may not like, you know, boiled broccoli. So how else can we bring it? Like my, my oldest daughter will eat broccoli if she like eats it with a piece of steak. And I'm like, that's fine. You know, if you need to mix flavors and textures, that's okay. And it's not about hiding the veggies, but showing them like I'm making a pasta sauce for your favorite pasta and blending it there.

You're still giving them a nutrients and saying, you see it didn't taste bad. You still love it. Maybe you'll want to try it next time around and continuously exposing and offering it to them is really going to, you know, make a shift. My oldest daughter was like they say picky eater, selective eater from the time she was two until she was like seven. But we just kept introducing things and asking her, how do you want it? She'd be like, okay, well I want it with a dipping sauce or I want to eat it with my sticker. Things like that is

perfectly okay. Let your kind of authority and how they something is important bec they know their taste buds encourage it and we also s when they don't want to tr don't eat the full me have respect their hun is something I'm so keen a approach and also my insti

Sarah Schlichter (13:07)
And yeah, I totally agree. And it's not like when we were growing up, we probably ate every food on the first try either. Like many of us don't remember that, but I think there is a journey and there's no right way to go about it. And now you just mentioned instinctive eating. So tell us a little bit about that. Is that something like similar to intuitive eating?

Gisela Bouvier (13:14)
Exactly.

So I realized, funny enough, when I started corporate wellness, ⁓ I was in the mindful and intuitive eating space. And with that population, I had about 30 people in that group. didn't really, intuitive eating and the principles didn't relate to all of them. Because I think it really comes from people who have experienced disordered eating or poor relationship with food, and people who just wanted to feel better and understand how to make easy meals for work life and things like that. They were like, I don't really get this kind of thing. And I was like, you know what?

you're right. This may not relate to everybody. And I was no longer aligning with that because I also felt that at that time, was also very like weight loss is not okay. And there's some people were like, I want to lose weight to feel better or a type of thing. And I never want to discourage someone or say that they're wrong for wanting to achieve some health goals, but it's the mindset on how you get there. And so I came up with this instinctive eating approach, and it's really about going back to our natural born instincts.

When I tell everybody when we're babies, we cry when we're hungry, we push the breast or the bottle away when we're full. When we're learning to eat foods, the foods that we love, we ask for more and the foods that we don't like, we throw it to the dog or like spit it in mom and dad's face. And so it's about going back to those instincts, but we can't get there without mindful eating approaches, without taking the time at least once a week to sit down and have a meal, to rest and digest, to really stay in tune with our bodies and understanding like.

What do I like? What do I don't like? If I don't like something, but I know it provides me a little bit more nutrition, is there a way that I can incorporate it? If not, I'll find something else that has those nutrients. And so really understanding that and also being aware how foods that are nutrient dense make us feel better, but not to say that foods that are less nutrient dense can't be a part of that. Because reality is if we ate broccoli and chicken all day, every day, we wouldn't feel great. But if we ate pizza and donuts every day, we wouldn't feel.

So it's really about going back to those instincts of what our bodies are telling us.

Sarah Schlichter (15:25)
I think, I mean, hearing you explain it, in my mind, it sounds very similar, but I think it's like based also based in curiosity, which is so important for any person to explore their favorites, what they like, how they feel. And I think it just gives you this permission to label like the labeling, even just the name of something can be intimidating or off putting and maybe.

Some people love the idea of intuitive eating or like the name of it, but for others, it might feel too freeing or there's no guidelines or I don't really know what to do. So I think just giving yourself the freedom to call it something different or like you said, just kind of listen to your body, tune into the hunger and fullness scales, be curious and go from there. It doesn't have to fall into a box of a certain way of eating for it to be right for you.

Gisela Bouvier (15:56)
Right.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Sarah Schlichter (16:18)
One thing I love seeing on your account is just normalizing convenience foods, frozen foods, packaged foods, canned foods. And I think especially in this day and age, there's a lot of demonization of foods, especially those that are processed. So let's get into that topic. How can we, first of all, give us your point of view on convenience foods, especially talking to those with bigger, busy families.

Gisela Bouvier (16:44)
Well, as you mentioned, you and I both live the busy working parents life with three kids. And so I was realizing I don't have time to cook meals from scratch every single day. And I rely on frozen produce, jarred and canned sauces and canned beans and microwavable grains, because that's how I'm going to put dinner on the table far quicker or make a quick lunch during the busy workday. You know, now they have like

pre-seasoned meats that you could just throw in the oven or the air fryer, things like that I heavily rely on because I would much rather spend time at the dinner table with my family than to spend time in the kitchen and then watching TV or doing homework or the back and forth and not taking the time to spend time. As a family, we work all day and I think that life goes by too fast and so I need to be able to sit down and have a meal with them that's still nourishing.

And just because it's processed doesn't mean that it's not providing nutrients. I think so many of us dietitians are trying to take away the word processed foods because it's so vague. Yes, there are ultra processed foods that lack nutrients, but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy a donut. Again, so for me, the convenience foods, I rely on them wholeheartedly. If not...

I don't have time to spend an hour in the kitchen making meals. just don't. Spending time with my family is far more important than making a meal from scratch, and it will be every day.

Sarah Schlichter (18:10)
agreed and you mentioned just the value of sitting down together with your family and as we head into September, which is family meals month, ⁓ just a movement I'm very passionate about as well. there's honestly there's so many more benefits to just sitting down together than focusing on what's on their plate. Like just the act of being with their parents, that camaraderie, watching you eat things can really have in my opinion, a stronger emphasis down the line. So

Gisela Bouvier (18:27)
Mm-hmm.

Sarah Schlichter (18:36)
You mentioned jarred sauces, canned food, frozen veggies. What are some of the other convenience foods that you lean on or that helps you get food on the table?

Gisela Bouvier (18:46)
definitely those pre-seasoned meats, anytime like the pork loin that's pre-seasoned, I just have to throw in the oven. Roast history chicken is a big one that we consume in my family. Hey, listen, I wholeheartedly admit frozen nuggets when I need to feed my kids and I just don't have time and I know that they're gonna enjoy it I can put it with a veggie and they're gonna enjoy it. Like there's no shame in that. And...

Let me see, pastas tend to cook quick. And if I'm going to cook something, I'm also going to make a lot of it. So something like a pasta, I'm going to make a ton of it. So I have for several meals, right? Nowadays, they even have the fresh produce comes coming in besides the salad kits. They have the little mini potatoes that are pre-seasoned that you just throw in the oven or the air fryer. Things like that is what I look out for because it saves me time. Even pre-chopped herbs, like again, doesn't mean that convenience doesn't mean it's taking away the fresh foods either.

And I want people to keep that in mind. know, the canned veggies, there's a lot of the frozen produce too that has seasoning already on them, which again, if it's something that's gonna be a flavor that I'm gonna like, or maybe something my kids would be interested in, I'll grab that as well. I mean, I completely rely on those frozen meatballs, I swear by them. Like easy way to add to a pasta with some sauce when I need it.

Sarah Schlichter (19:58)
And honestly if kids are eating that it's think of the alternative of the stress that You might be putting up in your mind to cook spend 45 minutes to an hour in the kitchen And that's too stressful. So you don't even want to do that Whereas you have these processed foods and I'm putting these in quotes because I want to get to that in a minute but you have these convenience foods that your kids will eat and it's saving you all this time and for the listeners out there

Gisela Bouvier (20:22)
Mm-hmm.

Sarah Schlichter (20:26)
⁓ Gisela mentioned it briefly, like we're trying to get away from using that word and it is very vague because there are many different levels of processing. But at its simplest definition, it's just a form different than how the food was grown. Correct Gisela, would you say anything else about that? know, like carrots, cutting them into baby carrots is processing them.

Gisela Bouvier (20:34)
Mm-hmm.

Exactly, and which I rely on on baby carrots very much. Like I said, it doesn't take away from the freshness. I don't have time to peel big carrots and wash them and all the things like you just don't have time. So I think yeah, as you mentioned, the term process is that it's not in its original form. It didn't come straight out of the ground, which if you have time to grow your own garden or go every week to your local farm and pick things, that's amazing. And I think also it helps with kids and exposing them.

Sarah Schlichter (20:52)
same.

Gisela Bouvier (21:16)
but you may not have time for that things like canned beans is Processing but beans and legumes have so much nourishment So I rely on them like the only time I get home cooks beans is if my mother-in-law makes so much she brings them over because I'm not gonna take the time to do that and Doesn't mean that I'm not getting the same nutrition and I think that that's important the processing happens the moment you took it out of the ground and

It even gets washed or cut. That's a process. And there's so many different levels, but look for the processed foods that are going to help you get just food on the table. Or that's more, affordable too. I'm very fortunate and you live in a warmer climate too. In Florida, we have, you know, 300 specialty crops here and we get, produce all year round.

But not everybody does. And sometimes I see the prices of like the Midwest dates for a single fruit or something. And my mind is blown. So if you need to get broccoli that's frozen, because it's more affordable and it's still at peak, picked at its harvest, so you're getting all those nutrients, why not?

Sarah Schlichter (22:21)
And I tell people too, especially when this idea of meal planning can feel overwhelming because I think sometimes people still think, ⁓ I have to spend four hours on the Sunday. Like that sounds terrible. You can include these convenience foods. I can't tell you the last time I made pasta sauce from scratch. Like that is just not high on my priority list. And we live by jarred sauces. to us, they taste delicious because we're used to it and it saves so much time and those shortcuts.

Gisela Bouvier (22:30)
Yes.

Sarah Schlichter (22:49)
rather than looking at them as a shameful way or you're not getting the most out of your nutrition, we can use them to our advantage because like you just said, a lot of them are just as nutritious and they're helping you get food on the table faster so you can have more time to do other things. So I think that is something that we need to continue to have in the conversation rather than this fight on processed foods, avoid XYZ.

Gisela Bouvier (22:52)
Mm-hmm.

Sarah Schlichter (23:13)
know, the common headlines we're seeing. Instead, we have to talk about the advantages that they bring.

Gisela Bouvier (23:18)
Absolutely. And it's not to say that you can't include these processed foods and look for ones that are maybe have a little bit more nourishment or like, let's say a jar of pasta sauce, know, one that has a little less sodium or less sugar, no added sugar. You can find those, it's about understanding how to read the nutrition label. And that's why working with a dietician is so great because you can find these convenient items that are maybe more suitable for you or for your health goals or your health conditions. And I think that's important that it doesn't mean

that you don't have options because there are plenty of options in the convenience area.

Sarah Schlichter (23:52)
And in many different grocery stores too. So depending on where you shop there there usually are a variety of options I know even a lot of dollar stores have certain options available too and oftentimes we'll go there and pick up snacks because they're easy and grab-and-go and I think thinking about that too if you don't have time to prep snacks from scratch, which That doesn't make you a bad parent again going back to our the earlier part of our conversation not labeling things as good or bad

Gisela Bouvier (23:55)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Sarah Schlichter (24:20)
It just is if you're busier or your kids have more activities or work is crazy or you're dealing with a sick family member, right? There's so many reasons. There's so many things that come into play when we decide what to eat and how to eat. I think knowing that it's okay to take these shortcuts, these foods exist and they can still be nutrient dense can be empowering.

Gisela Bouvier (24:42)
Absolutely.

Sarah Schlichter (24:44)
So I love that you're also very outspoken when it comes to food and culture, because I think that's also something that people are losing. Food should bring enjoyment and cultural value. So as a Latina dietician, how do your cultural values and traditions influence how you're approaching food?

Gisela Bouvier (25:03)
So, you know, it's funny, growing up in an Argentine household, I mean, lived and breathed eating our cultural foods. And in Argentina, for perspective, it's a lot of skirt steak and a lot of potatoes and salads and empanadas and like their breakfast is very like kind of just like a toast and that's it. So I try to blend my cultural approach to food, but also what is best for my family and I. And

For me, it's explaining to my kids, as I mentioned, why I eat certain foods or what is the tradition behind it. And I think that ties us to who we are. My whole family lives in Miami. I'm about two and a half hours away. So me being able to just bring a little bit more of the cultural foods that I enjoy, like the empanadas or the gnocchi, allowing my kids to be a little bit more tied to their family, but also understanding

where I come from. My husband's family, he's American and Guatemalan. you know, things like beans and tamales are something that we eat often at my house explaining so that when they do visit our families and even in their countries, they know what we're talking about and like, yeah, mommy, we had this Christmas day or something like that. So I think for me, that just brings us, it's a way to bond with my kids when it comes to food, but also having them understand their history. And that's extremely important to me.

Sarah Schlichter (26:24)
I love that. How can parents similarly communicate those cultural food traditions to celebrate their ideas? And I'm thinking of balancing that with with food rules. So how can they communicate cultural food traditions without unintentionally promoting restrictions or demonizing certain foods?

Gisela Bouvier (26:45)
So I think the type of food has a lot to do with it and your approach and then your relationship with food itself. But no single food as you and I talk about is inherently unhealthy or bad for you. So again, same thing in just in general eating, some foods are gonna have a little bit more nourishment than others, but it's about explaining how we balance or how mix feel good. Example, I go back to the gnocchi.

Every 29th of the month, gnocchi is eaten in Argentina because back in the day when people would get paid monthly, gnocchi was a heavy meal that was affordable. cause toward the end of the month, your money was spares, right? So then it became traditional to put like money under your plate so that you'd have prosperity for the next month. And so me explaining that to my kids, but then we'll add a protein to it because really like I need to feel good with some protein or maybe like a veggie in there. So I just tell my kids, this is part of the tradition.

with some so that we feel better, we're going to add some chicken to it, or we're going to add some veggies or something like I try to explain so that they understand where it's coming from, but also how food makes us also still feel good in that moment. And I think it's again, the balance, what's your relationship with that food? And I think that when we also talk about its culture and tradition, it helps to keep the food rules out of the way because it reminds us also as adults, why we're offering this to our families in the first place.

Sarah Schlichter (28:07)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, so out of curiosity, how often are you eating like Argentine foods and flavors with your family?

Gisela Bouvier (28:15)
So it really depends. So where I live, there's not a lot of Argentine options around here, but anytime we go to Miami, I'll pick up a ton of empanadas, or if my family comes to visit, I'm like, okay, we're gonna do the parrillada, which is the steak, and potatoes, the traditional type of grill out in Argentina. The gnocchis we do every single month, and I heavily, I will not make them from scratch, because that is a lot. So conveniently buy the packs at Aldi for $1.99, and that's how we enjoy them.

Sarah Schlichter (28:43)
I love that. That's a perfect

example though. Like you're including a cultural staple, but you're adapting it to your lifestyle.

Gisela Bouvier (28:49)
Exactly. so we at least I would say at least twice a month. It just depends on you what's available to me or how often we're going to see family. But that's important. My mother-in-law again she lives locally and being Guatemalan having beans. My kids have been like ⁓ about beans. We're always interested in offering it. Hey you want to try it? Maybe you like it, maybe you don't. But that's kind of what we focus on. What's available to us then and then when we can offer it we do and we enjoy bringing it to our table.

Sarah Schlichter (29:19)
sure even depending on the time of year you may have I know you're in Florida so produce is probably year-round but you may eat certain things I don't know if you eat heavier dishes in the fall or the winter or what that looks like so throughout the year your kids may be exposed at different levels but it sounds like they they have an understanding a little bit of your culture and traditions and I'm wondering

How does that transfer to the school setting? Is there ever any talk about that? Or are they bringing some of these foods to school? And are kids questioning that at all?

Gisela Bouvier (29:54)
You know, it's funny. I think that for my oldest daughter, she's been at like, let's say, so my husband is half American, but he's from Polish background. Like she's taken fiddle geese to school and people are like, what is that? And she explains. So I think they question, I haven't found where they've criticized something for her or critiqued it in a negative way, which is good, but she takes her food to school every day. For the younger kids,

They're in daycare and actually I'm the dietitian that kind of helped mold the menu. And so we try to bring in a variety to where the kids are going to be more prone to maybe eating them, but also we're exposing them and bringing in foods that are maybe less traditional to them. Maybe like a pulled pork or we're doing tacos or a cassouli or something like that to just try to give them a taste of other things as well.

Sarah Schlichter (30:46)
I think that's so important. And I think that's something all schools can and try to work towards, especially when it comes to just recognizing the different benefits of cultural foods and the importance that they can play in certain families' lives. And then all of us to be exposed to something like that. So hearing about the gnocchi on the 29th of the month is so cool. Like what a neat tradition. I never would have known that otherwise.

Gisela Bouvier (31:12)
Yeah, I do love it. And know, and also say that just because my family's Argentine, my husband is Guatemalan American, that we can't introduce other cultures. Like I was saying with the daycare, growing up in Miami, which is a melting pot of different, especially Hispanic cultures, I grew up, eating arepas too, and all kinds of Latin cuisine, pan de bonos, things like that. And so anytime I can take my kids to a different type of...

a restaurant like an exposing or offering like my oldest daughter loves a good arepa with some cheese in it, right? An avocado type of thing. And that's not something traditionally I would eat from Argentina, but that I grew up with just because I was in a melting pot of different cultures. And that's also great to expose them to that because again, food connects us and they could be like, yeah, I've eaten that too and I really enjoy it or whatever it may be.

Sarah Schlichter (32:01)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, so I would encourage all the parents if you have cultural staples or family recipes make those with your kids have them try it explain the traditions behind them because that's really neat and if you don't and you want to try other cultures like that's even another great opportunity just to expose your kids to new cultures and traditions because the bigger picture here is that it's more than just food, right? It's kind of everything that happens around the food. So I love that. So as we close out

Gisela Bouvier (32:08)
Mm-hmm.

Exactly.

Sarah Schlichter (32:30)
I want to leave some parents with some practical tips. So what are two to three small changes that parents can try to start implementing to let go of the food rules and maybe just reduce some of the stress when it comes to mealtime?

Gisela Bouvier (32:44)
I think that as you were talking about the meal prepping a meal planning if something is bringing you a stress Let it go.

I think when it comes to these food rules or if we are stressed when it comes to feeding our families, what is that stress factor? For me, I realized there so many RDs recommend like menu planning and that works great for some families. It was not something that

helped me because I just need to be able to see like what's on sale, what's available to me. Also, what are the typical foods we eat and throwing that in my shopping cart and relying on those convenience foods. So I think that's super key. Recognize what's causing you stress when it comes to feeding your family. Taking the time to sit and have, know, sit at the table, rest and digest, have a conversation. I think that food unites us and being able to, when we are helping to keep food neutral and positive to our kids, it also helps our relationship with food.

And I think that's really important too, because I know in my own recovery journey, that was so important to me, especially my oldest daughter, she was there in the peak of my recovery and I needed to make sure that food stayed positive and good. And we took away any rigidity because I didn't want that to affect her. So I say those will be the two factors. And don't forget that food is fun. Food is meant to be enjoyed. And so if you're following any influencer or following a program where food isn't fun or it's taking away your food enjoyment,

probably not the program for you because that's life is meant to be enjoyed and food is meant to be enjoyed. It creates memories, traditions, experiences, it ties us to our culture and that is a nourishment, is a nutrient in itself and we have to remember that.

Sarah Schlichter (34:19)
Well said. And I love just the point about figuring out what causes you stress, right? Because if it's time, a lot of the things we talked about today may help with that. But if it's instead like, well, I don't know what to eat, then the approach might be a little bit different. So nailing down exactly what that challenge is or what is bringing you stress at meal time, I think can be helpful. And then as we close out, are there any resources?

books, podcasts, anything that helped you along your recovery journey or anything you'd recommend for parents to shift their mindset around food rules and rigidity.

Gisela Bouvier (34:55)
So I

would say that, you know, in my own recovery, especially when it came to mindful eating habits, the Center for Mindful Eating has great resources. But when it came to me being a mother of parents, Kids Food Explorers, which is Dani Levois, like she has such great resources. And I love the way she creates conversations and STEAM activities with food to help your kids explore food. I think those have been my two best resources.

And then, unfollowing accounts that just create that stress and really focusing on people that are going to support your health and wellness in a positive way, but your families as well.

Sarah Schlichter (35:31)
Love that. Kind of like you said earlier, who you're surrounding yourself with, who you're following makes a big difference on your mental health too. So thank you for your time. Gisela, tell all the followers and listeners where they can find you if they want to learn more.

Gisela Bouvier (35:38)
Absolutely.

Sure, my website is gisellabouvier.com or you can follow me on Instagram at nourish.con, which is gon.gisella, G-I-S-E-L-A. I had to add some Latin flair, know, nourish gon gisella.

Sarah Schlichter (35:58)
of course, of course. And we'll have all

of that in the show notes for you all. So thank you so much. And I think this will be a great episode for so many people.

Gisela Bouvier (36:07)
Thanks, Sarah.