Sarah Remmer RD - Food to Grow On: The Ultimate Guide to Childhood Nutrition—From Pregnancy to Packed Lunches

We are so honored to have written this book, and are thrilled to share it with you. Our goal is to help you survive and thrive in the early days and years of feeding your child (because they sure can be confusing and overwhelming!). We figured there should be an expert guide to this important time as parents play such a huge role in shaping their childrens eating habits for life. So we looked for one, but couldnt find it; there wasnt a credible, extensive, easy-to-navigate, question-and-answer guide to feeding kids written by registered dietitiansuntil now! In a perfect world, youd be granted your very own personal dietitian when you become pregnant, and have access to them until your child is school-age (and beyond!). But because thats not reality, you have us! Dietitians in your hands. Inside this book, youll find all the information you need to feed and nourish your childand yourselffrom the moment you find out a baby is on the way until youre sending them off to school with lunchbox in tow.

Parents have so many questions about nutrition, and as moms and trusted experts in childhood nutrition, we have valuable knowledge to share. In this book, we will help you figure out what you should and shouldnt eat while pregnant. Well support you postpartum (sneak preview: it can be &%#&^% hard!), whether you decide to breastfeed or bottle-feed or both. Well help you through weaning your baby and the transition to solid foods. Well give you information on what your little ones nutritional needs are from birth to the age of 6. Well help you decide what foods you should serve to your baby, toddler, and child on a daily and weekly basis. And we wont stop there because healthy eating extends way beyond what kids eat into how they eat as well. Mealtimes can be a challenge when it comes to young kids (we get this as moms ourselves!). Thats why we will also focus on when, where, and how to feed your child, in addition to what to feed your child. Well explain how to set mealtime boundaries and meal and snack schedules. Well talk about why family dinners matter (and how to facilitate them without losing your mind). And well look at how to help your child feel empowered to make nutritious food choices on their own, and learn to love a variety of foods long-term.

Healthy eating extends way beyond what kids eat into how they eat as well.

Have you ever seen one of those kids who happily munches away on raw vegetables? Or one who chooses water over juice? Or one who eats a piece of cake and leaves a little behind because their tummy is full? Well help you raise those kids (hint: it starts when they are babies, and YOU play a big role). Well also give you peace of mind that your child is okay if they go through a phase of refusing vegetables, even for months (because it happens, and its normal!), and help create a positive, healthy feeding relationship between you and your child for life.

Who we are

We are dietitians, yes. We see clients, read research articles, go to nutrition conferences, and talk with colleagues and other health professionals regularly. We pride ourselves on staying on top of the latest research, news, and trends when it comes to nutrition and health. But we are parents too. Weve experienced the joys of feeding as well as the challenges. Weve cried trying to breastfeed a newborn, weve stressed about whether our toddlers were getting enough nutrients for growth and development, and weve almost lost our sh*t trying to get our picky eaters to eat. We get it. Were not perfect, nor do we claim to know all of the answers to every feeding challenge youll encounter. But we know a lot, not only from our education and professional experience, but from raising 5 little eaters between us.

WE ADMIT IT: WE LOVE NUTRITION!

When it comes to what to eat during pregnancy and feeding your child as they grow, we are huge proponents of good nutrition, for obvious reasons! As dietitians, we believe in whole foods because they are nutrient-rich and come with many health benefits. We believe in maximizing nutrition at every meal and snack and working toward optimal nutrition for each family member every day. Butwe get that eating this way 100% of the time isnt realistic (or fun!). We realize that there are going to be store-bought, packaged foods, takeout dinners, birthday parties, holidays, and plenty more opportunities for treats. This is real life. And we take that into account with all of the advice we give. In other words, were realists too.