Parents Discussing Children's Healthy Eating
Parents are sharing tips or concerns about getting their children to eat balanced meals, limit sugary snacks, or incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diet.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
vegetables
Plants like carrots, spinach, or broccoli that are healthy and provide vitamins. In this dialogue, parents worry about kids not eating enough vegetables for good nutrition.
smoothies
Thick drinks made by blending fruits, vegetables, or yogurt. They're a fun way to hide vegetables for picky eaters, as mentioned in the conversation.
grated
Cut into small, thin pieces using a grater, like cheese or carrots. Here, it's used to hide grated carrots in pasta sauce so kids eat them without noticing.
sugary snacks
Foods like candy or cookies with a lot of sugar that are not healthy in large amounts. Parents discuss limiting these to promote better eating habits.
portions
The amount of food served in one go. In the dialogue, it's about controlling portions of snacks to avoid overeating.
nutrients
Vitamins, minerals, and other substances in food that keep the body healthy. The parents are concerned about children getting enough nutrients from their meals.
supplements
Pills or powders that provide extra vitamins or minerals when diet is lacking. Michael mentions using them temporarily but preferring food sources.
balanced diet
A variety of foods from different groups to get all necessary nutrients. The pediatrician advises focusing on this for children's health.
whole foods
Natural, unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables. It's better to get nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements, as explained in the talk.
meal prep
Preparing meals in advance or involving others in cooking. Involving kids in meal prep can make them more excited to eat the food.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'm finding it so hard to get Lily to eat her vegetables lately. Any tips?
This is a casual way to express a problem and ask for advice. Use it when sharing parenting challenges. 'Finding it hard' means experiencing difficulty, and 'any tips?' is a common phrase for suggestions. Useful for everyday conversations about kids' habits.
What we've found surprisingly effective is 'hiding' them.
This sentence uses a cleft structure ('What we've found... is...') to emphasize a surprising solution. 'Hiding them' refers to concealing vegetables in food. It's practical for discussing creative parenting strategies and shows how to highlight key ideas.
She's also really into sugary snacks, and it's a constant battle.
'Really into' means very interested in or likes a lot. 'Constant battle' is an idiom for ongoing struggle. This sentence describes a common issue with children's diets and is useful for expressing frustrations in informal talks.
We've started only offering them after savory meals, and in limited portions.
This uses present perfect ('We've started') for recent changes in habit. 'Savory meals' means non-sweet foods like dinner. It's a strategy sentence for healthy eating tips, showing how to describe routines and limitations.
I sometimes worry if she's getting enough nutrients, even with the hiding strategy.
This expresses concern with 'worry if' for doubt about sufficiency. 'Even with' shows concession despite efforts. Useful for discussing health worries and conditional situations in nutrition talks.
She said it's better to get nutrients from whole foods whenever possible.
Reported speech ('She said') for sharing advice. 'Whenever possible' means as often as you can. This sentence teaches how to relay expert opinions on diet and is practical for nutrition education.
Maybe try involving Lily in meal prep? Kids are sometimes more likely to eat what they've helped make.
'Maybe try' suggests an idea politely. 'More likely to' expresses probability. This is a helpful suggestion pattern, useful when giving parenting advice, with a general truth about children's behavior.
Thanks for the tips, Michael, this was super helpful!
A polite way to thank someone after advice. 'Super helpful' is informal slang for very useful. Use this to end conversations positively and show appreciation in casual dialogues.