Dani is a pediatric registered dietitian nutritionist, early childhood education advocate, and Mom of 3. Her mission is to guide parents through hands-on learning and sensory engagement with food education to foster curiosity, transforming picky kids in adventurous eaters. She focuses on food literacy with the integration of STEAM activities (science, technology, engineering, arts, math), sensory exploration, and food play to make everyday meals into teachable moments.

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Key takeaways 

• What it was like having her first two kiddos while living in Germany. The biggest differences: seeing her doctor every visit in Germany and having an ultrasound every visit. In Germany when you have a c-section, they keep you a minimum of 5 days vs in the U.S. where they get you out quick (6:35)
• Her tips for meals when you're low on time, your partner is traveling, etc. - convenience food is your friend. We put a lot of stress and pressure on ourselves about meals. She likes to utilize prepared or semi-prepared foods as the main dish and then she’ll add other things like fruits and veggies (15:45)
• Give yourself some grace. If everyone comes to the table and they’ve eaten something, whether it’s cereal or soup or whatever, as long as they're fed and safe, you're in a good place (18:01)
• Playing is how kids learn about and experience the world around them, but for some reason not when it comes to food. An invitation to play with food is a great way to help children feel confident and familiar with foods even if we’re not talking about eating them (29:20)
• The goal of her work is to reduce barriers around food and make them fun and playful. If they taste the food, great, but that’s not always the first step. The first step is to build confidence and comfort around new food (36:44)
•  How to incorporate food play into your every day so it isn’t stressful and doesn't take a lot of work or money. Think about what you’re making for dinner and how you could turn that into sensory play  (41:16)

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Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children's supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlife

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