Description

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Now updated in a second edition—the category-leading guide to parenting adventurous eaters

Pediatrician Nimali Fernando and feeding therapist Melanie Potock (aka Dr. Yum and Coach Mel) know the importance of giving your child the right start on their food journey—for good health, motor skills, and even cognitive and emotional development. In this updated, second edition of Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater, they explain how to expand your family’s food horizons, avoid the picky eater trap, identify special feeding needs, and put joy back into mealtimes, with

• the latest research and advice tailored to every stage from newborn through school-age


• new guidance on pacifiers, thumb-sucking, feeding concerns, and barriers to eating well


• helpful insights on the sensory system, difficult mealtime behaviors, and everything from baby-led weaning to sippy cups


• advice and resources for those lacking access to fresh foods or who are facing financial insecurity


• and seven “passport stamps” for modern parenting: joyful, compassionate, brave, patient, consistent, proactive, and mindful.

Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater shows the way to lead your child on the path to adventurous eating. Grab your passport and go!

About the Author

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Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, is a Virginia pediatrician and founder of the nonprofit the Doctor Yum Project, the popular recipe and parenting website, doctoryum.com. The first of its kind, her innovative new practice, Yum Pediatrics, features a teaching kitchen and instructional garden, along with hands-on learning curricula for families, making it a hot spot for nutrition education and cooking instructions. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
 Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, is an international speaker to teens on the topic of feeding babies. Melanie has coached over a thousand parents on how to raise healthy, happy eaters right from the start and has over twenty years of clinical experience helping children with pediatric feeding disorders. She is the coauthor of the award-winning Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater and author of Adventures in Veggieland and Responsive Feeding (forthcoming). Melanie’s advice has been shared in a variety of television and print media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN.com, and Parents magazine. She lives in Colorado.
 

Praise For…

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Pediatrician Nimali Fernando and feeding therapist Melanie Potock take compassion and camaraderie to arm parents with knowledge and techniques.
— Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

Whether you are an exasperated or apprehensive parent of a picky eater or you just want to be a better parent—you need this resource. With wisdom, wit, and candor, Dr. Nimali Fernando and Melanie Potock will take you on a fascinating journey into the mind and sensory system of your fickle eaters, helping you to understand why they taste, see, hear, touch, and experience the squeaky sound of a bite of broccoli differently than you do.
— Daniel Feiten, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, founder CEO of Pediatric Web Inc. RemedyConnect Inc., and author of The Owner’s Manual fo

It’s very difficult to write a book regarding feeding practices in children because of the extreme differences in every child’s eating style and habits. However, Nimali Fernando and Melanie Potock offer exceptional, timeless advice on how to create an eating environment for your child that is healthy, happy, and stress-free for the child and parent. A very difficult task, but they have hit a home run with this book. The insightful suggestions based on the child’s age allows for the individuality necessary for success. This book should be given to each new parent at the birth of their first child.
— Theodore Stathos, MD, Director of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, The Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, and President, Rocky Mountain Pediatric Gastroenterology

As a mom of three, I have experienced just how challenging mealtimes can be. As a psychologist, I know that shared mealtimes are essential to good mental health in families. All kids are unique; with different likes and dislikes, different body types and habits—it takes constant effort to provide healthy, interesting meals. In their book Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater, Dr. Nimali Fernando and Melanie Potock provide innovative, fun, healthy, and, most importantly, doable solutions to just about every challenge around kids and food. This book would make a great gift for new parents and is a must-read for parents of older children as well.

— Stephanie S. Smith, PsyD psychologist, writer at DrStephanieSmith.com, and advisory board member for ProduceForKids.com

The unique perspectives of both authors—a physician dedicated to pediatric eating habits and a speech language pathologist specializing in safe feeding and swallowing—fills this book with multi-dimensional, helpful information for getting children to eat more healthily and safely. After reading this book you will sharpen your skills in parenting mindfully, feeding confidently, and avoiding picky eating! This book is also ideal for speech language pathology and occupational therapy students hoping to one day become feeding specialists.
— Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP, speech language pathologist and feeding specialist