Guidelines for heart health and cardiovascular risk reduction have been set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the...

Heart-healthy Foods Since February is both National Heart Disease Month and National Children's Dental Health Month, I am splitting the...

What is Culinary Medicine? Why is it important? Culinary medicine is a relatively new branch of medicine based on research that uses food...

Puberty - that word triggers an emotional response and anxiety in parents! Something we don’t like to think about when our little ones...

Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a bit of a misnomer, per the author of this feeding method. The term should be baby-led solids since the...

Nutrition plays a role in maintaining your and your child’s health during the winter. There are ways you can use food to offer...

Make 2023 the Year of Healthy Eating! Eating healthy does not have to be difficult or expensive. Making simple substitutions goes a long...

Young children love to spend time with their parents and do the things that they do. Cooking is a novel activity for them, even though the novelty may have worn off for the parent. Cooking with your child and giving them tasks helps you discover joy in a shared project. Young girl helping mom in the kitchen Studies show that when a child is involved in meal preparation, they are more likely to eat what they have helped to prepare. Having your child involved in cooking gives l

Did you know that you can influence the foods your child prefers from an early age? A child’s diet during the first few years can...

I believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for children. A healthy breakfast is vital for a child to function...

Research is making it very clear that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods can lead to a significant decrease in mental function over time. Ultra-processed foods are those that contain large amounts of fat, sugar, and salt, as well as artificial flavors, colors and other additives. Examples include soda, cereal, white bread, potato chips, and frozen foods, like pizza, fries, and ice cream. These foods become problematic early in a child’s life since that is the peri

Nutrient-rich foods for pregnancy Did you realize that good nutrition starts for your child before birth? What you eat during pregnancy...

You hear a lot these days about PUFAs - polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These two PUFAs are...

Did you know that there are more microorganisms living inside of us than are cells in our body? These microorganisms within our gut make...

20 for 20 (20 meals for 4 under $20!) Most of my posts emphasize adding more plants to your child’s diet, so I have compiled a list of...

Inflammation in the body has many triggers - illness, infection, autoimmune disease, reaction to foreign bodies, trauma, etc....

Did you know that eight food categories account for over 90% of food allergies in kids? Did you know that children will outgrow many of...

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has consistently ranked as one of the healthiest, most sustainable diets, beneficial for heart health, and...

Some of you are aware that since my retirement from the clinical practice of pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology, I became certified...

Child with a plate of plant-based foods There are many variations of eating: Vegetarian: excludes animals Vegan: excludes animals, dairy, and eggs Lacto-vegetarian: excludes meat, poultry, and fish but includes milk and milk products Ovo-vegetarian: excludes meat, poultry, and fish but includes eggs Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: excludes meat, poultry, and fish but includes milk, milk products, and eggs Pescatarian: excludes meat and poultry but includes fish, milk, milk products, an