🎙️ Raising Healthy Habits - Every Meal Needs These 3
Episode Transcript:
“Some mornings, our kids wake up focused and ready. Other days… not so much.
They’re dragging, wired, melting down, or bouncing from one thing to the next.
As a parent, it’s easy to wonder, ‘What am I doing wrong?’
But most of the time, nothing is wrong. What you’re actually noticing is a very normal connection between food, energy, and mood.
Hello, I’m Maggie Rich, a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor and founder of Healthy Habits Santa Cruz, and this is Raising Healthy Habits — a series that helps you raise confident, curious, and well-nourished kids from the inside out.
Today we’re talking about something simple but powerful: Fat, Fiber, and Protein.
This trio builds the foundation for steady energy, steady focus, and steadier emotions… for kids and for adults.”
🧠 Why FFP Matters: The Science in Simple Terms
“In functional nutrition, we say food is information.
And kids’ bodies and brains are constantly listening.
Here’s the quick breakdown:
Fat
It gives long-lasting fuel, slows digestion, and feeds the brain — literally (the brain is almost 60% fat).
Fiber
Which comes from fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, and seeds, slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream, and prevents spikes, crashes, and that emotional rollercoaster you’ve likely seen with your kids before.
Protein
Helps with growth, repair, and immunity.
But most importantly for mood — it stabilizes hunger hormones.
Protein tells the body: ‘You’re safe. You’re fed. You can focus.’
When one of these is missing, kids feel it — fast.
Spikes, crashes, meltdowns, the ‘I’m starving’ 20 minutes after they’re done eating — these aren’t character flaws. They’re chemistry.”
⚡ A Note on Focus & ADHD
“I also want to pause here, because a lot of parents I work with feel guilt around attention struggles.
Maybe your child has ADHD.
Maybe they’re undiagnosed but impulsive, creative, and always on the move.
One of the first things we look at is blood sugar stability. After all, blood sugar balance is one of our 3 non-negotiables when it comes to functional nutrition.
We know that the brain needs:
a steady stream of glucose,
healthy fats for communication between neurons, and
protein to prevent that wired-then-wiped-out feeling.
A simple analogy might be trying to stream a movie on weak Wi-Fi but the picture keeps freezing. That’s how the brain feels without balanced fuel.
Food isn’t a cure — but it is a powerful foundation.
When kids get consistent, balanced meals, it’s often night-and-day in mood, focus, and emotional resilience.”
🍽️ What Fat, Fiber, & Protein Actually Look Like
(Real Examples Parents Can Use Today)
“Here are some easy fat, fiber, and protein combinations you can start using right away:
Morning ideas
Greek yogurt + berries + chia seeds
Eggs + sourdough + avocado
Oatmeal + almond butter + hemp seeds
Smoothie with spinach, banana, chia, and protein powder
After-school snacks
Apple slices + peanut butter + a sprinkle of granola
Popcorn + pistachios
Hummus + carrots + whole-grain crackers
Cottage cheese + pineapple
Dark chocolate + nuts + berries (yes — balanced sweet!)
Lunch & dinner
Pasta + chicken + a drizzle of olive oil + broccoli
Tacos with meat or beans + cabbage slaw + avocado
Salmon + rice + green beans
Quesadilla with beans + salsa + guacamole
The ingredients don’t need to be fancy.
They don’t need to be organic or perfect.
They just need to hit all three: fat + fiber + protein.
That’s when you get steady, predictable energy.”
💬 A Quick Parent Reflection
“Take a second and think about your child’s day.
Where do things feel the bumpiest — morning, after school, before practice, right before bed?
Now think of one small mealtime shift you can make.
Maybe adding nut butter to the banana.
Maybe tossing pumpkin seeds on the salad.
Maybe putting olive oil on veggies.
Maybe swapping goldfish for popcorn + nuts.
Small doesn’t mean insignificant — physiology changes fast.”
🌿 Closing & Handouts
“So next time your child is melting down or struggling to focus, rather than thinking, ‘What’s wrong with them?’ try shifting the question to:
‘What kind of fuel did their body and brain get today?’
Balanced plates build balanced moods.
And we don’t need perfection — we just need awareness.
If you want help putting this into action, I created a free Fat, Fiber, Protein Cheat Sheet you can find at healthyhabitssc.com/podcast. I have very clearly organized where every whole food fits under each category, and even the foods that fall under more than one! Yes, they exist.
You’ll also find meal and snack time examples following the FFP rule, and an organized blank sheet for you to fill in with your own preferred choices. And of course, I’m going to suggest inviting your young ones to help you out.
I’m Maggie Rich, and this is Raising Healthy Habits. Thanks for listening — and for being part of a community that’s helping the next generation grow up confident, curious, and well-nourished.