Are You a Crunchy Mom? Here’s How to Tell

You probably have at least an idea of who the crunchy mom is. She has a holistic, health-focused approach to parenting: She reads ingredient labels at the store religiously (she might even have an app that scans food for its healthiness), she uses cloth diapers and she may have even avoided the epidural during labor (or at least tried). It’s likely you’ve met one or two—or maybe you have crunchy (aka granola) mom tendencies yourself.

TikTok creator Kate, aka @thatcrunchymomkate, leads the crunchy mom brigade on social media, posting tips about which nontoxic items to buy at big chains like Costco and which to skip. In her video “Snacks I grew up on but would never feed my son!” she says no to Lunchables (“the ingredient list is a mile long”), Dunkaroos and Cheetos. In “A full day of eating for my crunchy 6-year-old,” she makes homemade chicken nuggets and fries cooked in beef tallow. “Most people think crunchy moms are super restrictive, and maybe some are, but I’m not,” she says in the video. “I give my son autonomy over his foods. I just make them better choices.”

Want to find out if you’re a crunchy mom? Or do you identify more with the silky mom? (Perhaps you’re even a happy-medium “scrunchy” mom!) Learn more, including the benefits and drawbacks of being on the crunchy side, ahead.

Key Takeaways

• Crunchy mom meaning: Crunchy moms make natural, nontoxic choices when they can, and tend to trust their intuition and holistic experts over mainstream parenting practices and medical institutions.
• Crunchy mom lifestyle: They typically live more sustainably and intentionally, promoting healthy habits for their kids. Crunchy parenting also often promotes bonding and attachment. On the other hand, a crunchy mom’s lifestyle may make them feel burned out or isolated. Some may feel judged if they don’t do everything “right.”
• The crunchy mom’s opposite is the silky mom, who’s more trusting of mainstream parenting advice and bases many of her decisions on convenience. The scrunchy mom is the hybrid of the two styles; most moms probably fall into this in-between category.

What Is a Crunchy Mom?

“Crunchy moms gravitate toward natural, holistic parenting,” explains Lilit Ayrapetyan, PsyD, a clinical psychologist with a focus on maternal mental health. “Think home births, extended breastfeeding, babywearing, co-sleeping and limiting screen time or processed foods.” She’s very different from the silky mom, who relies on packaged foods and sleep training, and has her pediatrician on speed dial.

You might be a crunchy mom if you make your own baby food, avoid conventional medicine unless absolutely necessary and you’ve researched every baby product for toxins or chemicals. The ultimate crunchy mom celebrity is Kourtney Kardashian, who practices gentle parenting and co-sleeping with her four kids. (Eating your own placenta, like Kourtney, is not required.)

Benefits of Being a Crunchy Mom

The crunchy mom life has a few benefits, according to Erika Stapert, PsyD, a psychologist and clinical director of training and professional development at Manhattan Psychology Group in New York City:

• Crunchy parenting can give you more input over your child’s health, since you’ve researched healthier, nontoxic options when it comes to food and products.
• Attachment parenting, practiced by many crunchy moms, can build a strong bond between parent and child.
• Crunchy parenting is often more sustainable and eco-friendly.

Drawbacks of Being a Crunchy Mom

There are also potential disadvantages to being a crunchy mom:

• Crunchy moms might feel more stressed or burned out due to their lifestyle. “It can feel isolating or overwhelming to maintain these ideals, especially when support systems or resources are lacking,” says Ayrapetyan.
• Crunchy moms tend to feel more judged since their approach is less mainstream, says Ayrapetyan. That said, they might also judge other moms for practices they see as unhealthy.
• Crunchy moms might have less time for themselves or to connect with their partner due to breastfeeding or co-sleeping, says Stapert.

Crunchy vs. Scrunchy Mom

While some moms are “strictly” crunchy moms, most fall more into the “scrunchy” category, aka a combination of silky and crunchy. “Instead of sticking strictly to one philosophy, scrunchy moms find a balance that works best for their family,” says Stapert. “This flexible style is often seen as ideal—it lets parents make thoughtful choices based on their own values, rather than feeling like they have to follow a certain set of rules.”

Scrunchy moms might buy organic food when it’s possible, but also give their kids the occasional processed snack, says Stapert. They might give their kids Tylenol for a fever, but try a more natural remedy for a mild cough.

Stapert, a mom of 5-year-old twin boys, is a self-described scrunchy mom. “We have some structure around screen time—like 30 minutes of TV in the morning before school and again at night before bed—but we’re more flexible on weekends or when we’re traveling,” she explains. “Same goes for food: I usually check ingredients and try to serve my kids healthy options at home, but I don’t stress about what they’re offered at school, camp or special occasions like birthday parties or when they’re at Grammy’s house.”

Gina Giordano, a mom of two in New York, says she also falls into the scrunchy camp. “I was crunchy in the way of choosing to breastfeed—for 10 months—and organic foods and milk,” she says. “However, silky in that disposable diapers was 100 percent the way we went (but potty training as early as possible). I also embraced hospital births, and my bestie…an epidural.”

Real Crunchy Moms on Parenting

Here’s what self-described crunchy moms have to say about their parenting style:

• “I have a nontoxic swap for pretty much everything. We never sleep trained, follow a more Montessori approach to learning, we eat organic and care about what we put in and on our bodies. We follow a more holistic approach to health and lifestyle overall.” — Ashley Galik, mom of one in Illinois
• “I’d say I’m more of a scrunchy mom, but with a lean towards crunchy. We grow a lot of our foods, go to the local farms and butchers. We stay away from preservatives and the ‘convenience’ options typically. I feel like it makes kids think about things more, teaching them to be resourceful.” — Beth R., mom of one in Tennessee
• “I would definitely consider us to be a crunchy family. We cloth diaper, use cloth wipes, exclusively breastfeed (EBF), babywear and will make our own baby food. We don’t use harsh chemicals in our home (makeup and bath stuff included), try to eat organic as much as we can, and look to homeopathic treatments for what ails us rather than over-the-counter medications (I’m a huge fan of acupuncture).” — hpoff33, The Bump community member

Are You a Crunchy, Scrunchy or Silky Mom? Find Out

So, are you a crunchy, scrunchy or silky mom? Check out our quiz below—and make sure to share your results with us!

Whether you bake your own sourdough or swear by Tylenol and screen time, remember that these mom labels aren’t meant to make us feel competitive. (And if you feel like they’re doing just that, we invite you to slowly put down your phone and take a walk outside!) Instead, they’re intended for fun and to relate to other moms who might share your values.

“Labels can be comforting when they offer a sense of identity, belonging and connection in the often isolating world of early motherhood,” says Ayrapetyan. “But labels can also divide us when they create expectations and comparison. I’d say most moms are scrunchy in some way—just trying to do the best they can with the tools, values and support systems they have.”

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.