No More Picky Eaters: Chef Asata Reid on Food, Family, and Finding Balance

Macon Atlanta with Brent

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🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lS-4DvOtijM

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⭐ Featured Guest: Asata Reid

Asata Reid is a chef, author, and public health advocate dedicated to making nutrition education accessible to all. She is the founder of Life Chef, a culinary education service focused on healthy cooking for all stages of life, and the President of Feed the People Co., a nonprofit tackling food access and affordability. With nearly two decades of experience as a chef and health educator, Asata currently supports Healthy Living programs at Kaiser Permanente and has developed recipes for Small Bites Adventure Club, a hands-on food education initiative. She is also the author of How to Feed a Kid: A Parent’s Guide, a practical resource for parents navigating mealtime challenges.

Connect with Asata Reid

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefasata/

Website: https://www.smallbites.club/

Small Bites Adventure Club: https://www.instagram.com/smallbitesclub/

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🎙️ Host: Brent Macon

Brent Macon is an Atlanta-based entrepreneur, investor, and podcast host. As a dad and spiritual seeker, he's passionate about exploring how technology can help us live better, more connected lives. Through his podcast Macon Atlanta, Brent talks with interesting people about big ideas, personal growth, and building a thriving community. He believes in balancing ambition with well-being and using business as a force for good.

Connect With Brent:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maconatlanta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbyBo_7H2OpMjJ2m3mRBDng/

Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/MaconAtlanta/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Macon-Atlanta-61560549557983/?_rdr/

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📺 About the Show:

Macon Atlanta is a podcast exploring conversation with Atlanta innovators and community builders. Host Brent Macon sits down with innovators and thought leaders from diverse fields to delve into their stories, insights, and visions for creating a better world with more thriving, especially in the AI era.

If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a 5-star review, like & comment to help others discover the show. You can also tweet @MaconAtlanta with your feedback, ideas, or thoughts about the episodes, and we'll personally thank you for tuning in! 🙏

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Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Chef Asata Reid

03:13 - Small Bites Adventure Club: Teaching kids about fresh produce

04:24 - The gap between our food and nutritional needs

05:46 - The importance of local, sustainable farming

06:45 - How stress affects food choices and health

08:50 - Managing stress and self-care practices

10:40 - Balancing multiple projects while maintaining health

12:49 - The five essentials: food, water, sleep, nature, connection

13:52 - Small Bites Adventure Club and raising veggie-ready kids

16:34 - How adults contribute to picky eating behaviors

19:36 - Portion sizes and children's eating patterns

22:36 - Teachers' response to Small Bites program

24:46 - The importance of veggie readiness certification

26:31 - Strategies for preventing picky eating

30:31 - How to manage beige food preferences in children

33:52 - Setting a pattern for macronutrients in children's diets

35:41 - Meal planning for busy families

38:33 - Rearranging your home food environment

40:30 - Small tweaks with significant impact for family meals

43:31 - Helping children who only eat a few types of foods

45:38 - Food choices during different developmental stages

48:31 - Making food education a family hobby

51:13 - Addressing your own relationship with food

54:51 - Food systems, policy, and public health concerns

57:41 - Practical steps toward healthier eating