Order Up! A Conversation with Ann Kent, Founder of Peas & Hoppiness Meal Planning
PLUS a special offer for you and your family to try out Peas & Hoppiness
March is National Nutrition Month! We’re kicking it off with our friend, nutritionist, and registered dietician Ann Kent. This is the first interview of the month and is available in full for ALL of our Subscribers. Thanks for reading!
Small Bites:
🍽️ Ready to make family mealtime easier? Start a free trial of Ann’s meal planning app, the Peas and Hoppy Meal Guides. Enjoy the confidence of feeding your family quality food while spending less time, money, and energy thinking about what's for dinner! Use code ONEPOTATO30 for a 30-day trial. Read on! To learn why we’re so excited about Peas & Hoppiness.
Download the Free Peas & Hoppiness Meal Planning Template
📖 Recommended by Ann, Ellyn Satter’s book Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense
👨🍳 Learn more about the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse so your kids can learn how to cook and not simply follow a recipe - give them the life skills to not only survive, but thrive! Like so many of our guests, Ann points out that Knife Skills are the one kitchen skill every parent (and kid!) should master.
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Making Mealtime Work: A Conversation with Ann Kent
Ann Kent, a registered dietitian and founder of Peas and Hoppiness, is passionate about making food work for real life—she knows that feeding hungry, busy kids is more than just scrambling to get food on the table. Growing up on a farm in Kansas, Ann learned firsthand where food comes from and how it fuels both our bodies and our communities. Now, through her work, she helps families ditch diet culture, embrace intuitive eating, and make mealtime more manageable—even on the busiest days.
In our conversation, Ann shares her earliest food memories from the harvest fields, how she approaches picky eating with her own kids, and why she believes shared meals don’t have to happen every night to be meaningful. She also gives practical tips for meal planning, reducing food waste, and handling multiple dietary needs in one household—plus, a go-to dinner idea that’s so simple, even her toddler loves it.
Whether you're looking for a new perspective on feeding your family or just some fresh ideas for making weeknight meals easier, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.
How the Peas & Hoppiness Non-Diet Family Meal Planning App Works
The Peas & Hoppy Meal Guides app is a weekly plant-forward meal planning app that helps busy families get a healthy dinner on the table. It’s totally customizable: every Thursday you’ll get a new, pre-planned, seasonal menu with fresh meal ideas; you can then add/delete recipes and adjust servings to meet your family’s needs.
Then, you can finalize your made-for-you grocery list IN THE APP. Next, add your family’s staples and cross off items you already have. Take your personalized shopping list to the store or order online.
Enjoy nourishing meals and connect with your family around the dinner table without spending hours planning!
Sign Up Now! Use Code ONEPOTATO30 for a free 30-day trial
Introduce Yourself: My name is Ann Kent, I’m a registered dietitian (RD) and a nutritionist (MS - Master of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition). I share a 15-year-old stepson and a 4-year-old son with my wonderful husband. Peas and Hoppiness started as a passion project to unite the three silos in which food exists: to teach my fellow humans how food is grown, how to cook “healthy” meals that taste good, and how to ditch dieting to intuitively nourish your body.
Cooking and food are such a big part of family traditions and passing down memories. Was cooking a big part of your own family growing up?
Absolutely! Cooking has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My family were farmers, and when I was a baby—just 18 months old—I was already in the kitchen with my grandmother, whisking eggs for the harvest crew. My family used to do custom harvest, meaning we traveled through Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming during the summers, cutting wheat. Cooking wasn’t just a tradition; it was a necessity. My grandmother and mom had to feed a lot of people, and I was always right there with them, helping in any way I could.
One of my earliest kitchen jobs was preparing lunches for the crew. My mom got creative with sandwiches to keep things interesting—she could turn almost any meal into something handheld so my dad and the workers could eat while staying on schedule. I also learned to use a paring knife early, cutting up cantaloupe and other produce to send out with the meals. Looking back, I realize how much that shaped my love for food and my understanding of its role in community and connection.
Do you cook with your own kids now? Do you have any special memories of introducing them to food?
I do! I have a stepson who’s now 15, and I met him when he was seven. That first summer, he wasn't a fan of zucchini, so we focused on low-pressure exposures: picking the perfect squash at the farmer's market, cutting and cooking it in different ways, and occasionally even tasting it. By the end of the summer, he was eating zucchini like it was his favorite vegetable. It was such a clear example of how exposure, consistency, and a low-pressure approach can change a child’s eating habits. He had completely forgotten he ever disliked it!
Now, with my toddler, I take a similar approach. He loves being in the kitchen with me, so I set him up with age-appropriate tasks. He helps peel onions, and while we cook, he ends up trying foods he wouldn’t normally eat. One day, I caught him eating peppers—something he usually refuses—just because he was engaged in the process. Cooking together isn’t just about getting kids to try new foods; it’s about making memories and giving them a sense of independence. Yes, there’s often a mess (he has ‘washed’ potatoes by flooding my kitchen before!), but it’s time spent together, and that’s what matters.
Many families struggle to make mealtime a priority with busy schedules. How can parents bring that shared mealtime experience into their routines, even in the middle of a hectic week?
First, take the pressure off! Family meals don’t have to happen every single night to be meaningful. When I was growing up, we didn’t eat together every night, and my own family’s schedule now—balancing a teenager’s sports practices and a toddler’s early bedtime—makes it impossible. What matters is intentionally planning a couple of meals a week where you sit down together. That’s what your kids will remember.
The rest of the time, focus on making meals nutritious and convenient. There are ways to create a sense of connection even when you’re on the go—whether it’s a quick breakfast together or packing lunches that reflect the same care as a home-cooked meal. It’s about intention, not perfection.
Your meal planning app, Peas and Hoppiness, focuses on intuitive eating and moving away from diet culture. How can parents foster a healthy relationship with food for their kids?
Intuitive eating is often misunderstood. It’s not just ‘eat whatever you want, whenever you want.’ It’s about listening to your body’s needs while also considering practical factors like nutrition, schedules, and cultural traditions.
Kids are born with the ability to eat intuitively—you see it in babies who refuse a bottle when they’re full or cry when they’re hungry. But as they grow, outside influences—whether from parents or society—can interfere with that. We might push them to eat their vegetables out of concern for their health, but sometimes that pressure backfires.
One approach I recommend is Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility, from her book Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense: parents decide what, when, and where food is served, and kids decide if and how much to eat. When we stop micromanaging and trust the process, kids develop a healthier, long-term relationship with food.
Managing multiple dietary needs in a family can be tricky. Do you have any strategies for parents juggling different food restrictions or preferences?
The simplest approach is to make the meal something everyone can eat. For example, my mom is gluten-free, and when she visits, we just go gluten-free as a family for a couple of weeks. Luckily, there are so many easy swaps now that it’s not difficult.
Another strategy is component meals—dishes where everyone can customize their plate. If someone avoids dairy, serve cheese on the side instead of mixing it in. If someone wants a flour tortilla, offer that as an option but keep the meal itself gluten-free. This keeps mealtime inclusive while allowing flexibility.
Meal planning can feel overwhelming. How do you recommend parents approach it to make life easier?
Start with your schedule. Before thinking about groceries, sit down with your calendar and note your family’s commitments. Who will actually be home for dinner? How much time do you have to cook each night?
I recommend planning weekly and building in flexibility—schedule a takeout night or a leftovers night. That way, if something changes midweek, you have room to adjust. I also have a free downloadable meal planning template that helps guide people through this process.
What are your top tips for reducing food waste in meal planning?
Plan ahead! Going to the store with a list helps prevent buying random ingredients that end up going bad. Also, be mindful of shelf life—plan to use fresh greens early in the week but save heartier vegetables, like carrots, for later.
Another great habit is eating seasonally. Seasonal produce is fresher, tastes better, and naturally aligns with what our bodies crave—like warm soups in winter and fresh salads in summer. Plus, it’s often more sustainable and budget-friendly.
Do you have a go-to meal that’s quick and a hit with your family?
Sheet pan meals! We roast a protein with vegetables, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. We also do snack dinners—think charcuterie, grown-up Lunchables, or bento boxes. It’s easy, fun, and requires zero cooking. My toddler loves it!
What’s one kitchen skill every parent should master?
Knife skills—especially learning to use a chef’s knife properly. So many people use paring knives for everything, but a chef’s knife makes chopping, dicing, and slicing so much easier and faster.