The.Baby.Dietitian

Home
United States
Atlanta, GA
The.Baby.Dietitian

Registered Dietitian + International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

04/22/2026

👉The first year of life is a time of amazing change during which babies, on average, grow 10 inches (25 centimeters) in length and triple their birth weights.

After age 1, a baby’s growth in length slows quite a bit. Between ages 1 and 2, a toddler will gain only about 5 pounds versus the tripling of birthweight that they experienced during their first year of life.

Given all the massive growth rates and changes that occur in the first year of life can cause worry for parents when their child doesn’t continue to grow as fast in the second year of life. But no child continues the rate of growth of infancy into the second year of life.

Comment “toddler” for our full toddler nutrition guide + recipe book from

04/21/2026

“Clogged ducts” aren’t actually clogs—they’re inflammation.

What we’re really dealing with is ductal narrowing caused by swelling, not a plug that needs to be forced out.

Treatment has shifted ⬇️
Focus on calming inflammation, not emptying the breast:

• Use ice/cold compresses
• Consider ibuprofen if needed
• Prioritize rest

Keep feeding as usual—but avoid over-pumping or trying to “fully empty,” which can worsen inflammation.

Try:
✔ Gentle, light-touch massage only (if needed)
✔ Wear non-restrictive clothing
✔ Support a good latch

Most cases improve with conservative care. If symptoms last >24–48 hours or you develop fever/chills, contact your provider.

Per the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine:
• Reduce inflammation
• Maintain baseline feeding
• Avoid aggressive massage

Protect the tissue. Support healing.

ABM Protocol #36 (2022)

04/20/2026

The approach you use is highly dependent on your child, but these are tactics that I personally use for my kids and clients. I want meal-times to be calm and not stressful for me and my kids. If you are coming to the table stressed, we want to brain-storm ways to come up with helpful situations for meals to be a positive experience for everyone.

We know that pressuring our kids to eat has been shown to increase fussy eating habits and create negative meal-time experiences. Meals where the children have some autonomy, choices, feel safe, and are not pressured to eat has been associated with less fussy eating tactics and greater diet diversity. Practice responsive feeding which has been endorsed by all top health organizations.

Other things to take note:
- We don’t recommend serving a meal without at least 1-2 safe foods.
- We encourage set meal and snack times so that your child knows when to expect the next meal.
- If your child has a feeding disorder or severe picky eating or other medical condition, we recommend discussing the appropriate meal-time approach with a pediatric dietitian.

Need more help? Comment “toddler” and we will send our full evidence-based toddler feeding guide created by a team of pediatric feeding experts.

04/19/2026

There’s no “one right way” to nurse — it truly depends on both mom and baby 🤍

Every mom has a different milk storage capacity (how much milk your breast can comfortably hold between feeds), and every baby takes in different amounts depending on age, timing, growth, and activity.

Here’s what that can look like:
• Larger storage capacity → baby may nurse one side for ~10 minutes, take in 3–4 oz, and be done
• Smaller storage capacity (completely normal!) → baby may nurse both sides and take in that same total amount

Less storage capacity ≠ low supply — it may just mean more frequent feeds.

The most important guide? Your baby’s cues.
They’ll let you know when they’re finished — or if they want the other side.

We don’t need to push babies to nurse for a certain amount of time or insist on both sides if they’re content. Babies are born intuitive eaters, and when weight gain and diaper output are on track, we can trust that.

✨ Focus on responsive feeding:

Both patterns are normal. Your baby isn’t doing it “wrong.”

04/18/2026

Ingredients

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 bell peppers, any color

1/2 white or sweet onion

1 6oz can tomato paste

2 cups water

1 tsp each of: ground cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley

Instructions

1. In a bowl, stir together the water, tomato paste, and spices until well blended. Pour into the bottom of a slow cooker and turn the heat to low or high.

2. To prepare the bell pepper, rinse under water and dry. Use a vegetable peeler to remove most of the skin from the pepper. Cut peeled pepper into strips, removing and discarding the stem, seeds, and white inner membrane.

3. Peel onion and cut into strips.

4. Add onion and pepper strips into the slow cooker with the tomato sauce. Top with chicken breasts (leave chicken breast whole, do not cut).

5. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken to ensure it reaches 165 degrees.

How to serve

6-9 months: Serve large, long shreds of chicken and strips of pepper and onion

9+ months: Cut chicken shreds into smaller pieces and serve strips or small pieces of pepper and onions

Comment “101” and we will send you our evidence-based baby feeding guide with tons of family recipes.

04/17/2026

Comment “dye” and I will send you my full blog post on this topic with all my sources and additional thoughts. 🎈

Stevens LJ, Burgess JR, Stochelski MA, Kuczek T. Amounts of artificial food dyes and added sugars in foods and sweets commonly consumed by children. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2015 Apr;54(4):309-21. doi: 10.1177/0009922814530803. Epub 2014 Apr 24. PMID: 24764054.

Food dyes: A rainbow of risks. Center for Science in the Public Interest. (2022, February 8). https://www.cspinet.org/resource/food-dyes-rainbow-risks

EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) ; Scientific Opinion on the reevaluation of Allura Red AC (E 129) as a food additive on request from the European Commission. EFSA Journal 2009; 7(11):1327. [39 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1327. Available online: www.efsa.europa.eu

Miller, M. D., Steinmaus, C., Golub, M. S., Castorina, R., Thilakartne, R., Bradman, A., & Marty, M. A. (2022). Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence. Environmental health : a global access science source, 21(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-022-00849-9

Rowe, K. S., & Rowe, K. J. (1994). Synthetic food coloring and behavior: a dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study. The Journal of pediatrics, 125(5 Pt 1), 691–698. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3476(94)70059-1

Bakthavachalu, P., Kannan, S. M., & Qoronfleh, M. W. (2020). Food Color and Autism: A Meta-Analysis. Advances in neurobiology, 24, 481–504. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30402-7_15

Nigg, J. T., Lewis, K., Edinger, T., & Falk, M. (2012). Meta-analysis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, restriction diet, and synthetic food color additives. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(1), 86–97.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.10.015

04/14/2026

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in children. Pairing plant-based sources of iron with vitamin C can boost absorption of these super important nutrient ⭐️

The current guidelines for iron are 11 mg/day for infants 6-12 months old, but they are just guidelines. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is the average daily dietary intake level that suffices to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy persons of a specific s*x, age, life stage, or physiological condition (such as pregnancy or lactation). The RDA is a nutrient intake goal for planning the diets of individuals.

👉🏻Many factors impact iron status and absorption including pairing vitamin C rich foods with plant-based foods and cooking in a cast-iron skillet.

Most infants who breastfeed get enough iron from their mother up until around 6 months of age when their iron stores (they had accumulated during utero) may then become depleted. This is why it is important to use the introduction of complementary foods to incorporate adequate iron into the infant’s diet. 👌

Pureed meats and iron-enriched cereals are the most common iron-rich foods that are introduced.

Reminders:
👉🏻breast milk and formula also contain iron
👉🏻Supplemental forms of iron are not absorbed as well as naturally occurring food sources.

Not sure how to prepare these foods? Grab our baby-led feeding guide

Comment “ironguide” for my full iron guide 👌🏻

04/13/2026

I think I am known as the sardine women on Instagram 🤣 I am starting a new series labeled “did you know” where I share simple tips to boost nutrition and make feeding our kids easier.

Sardines are a low mercury seafood option that contains many of the beneficial nutrients kids need to grow and thrive including vitamin D, iron, zinc, and omega3s. Choose no salt added version when you can for babes under 12 months.

For infants, the AIs apply to total omega-3s. For age 1 and older, the AIs apply only to ALA because ALA is the only omega-3 that is essential. The IOM did not establish specific intake recommendations for EPA, DHA, or other LC omega-3s.

Other food sources of omega-3 include: salmon, flaxseed oil, flaxseed, soybeans, walnuts, mackerel, edamame, cod, tuna, chia seeds.
* Omega-3s play a key role in development and growth especially surrounding brain health, visual development, cardiovascular health and immune system.
* 95% of US Children do not currently consume enough omega-3s in their daily diet to meet their nutritional needs based on the US Dietary Guidelines. PMID: 34134803. Murphy RA, Devarshi PP, Ekimura S, et alLong-chain omega-3 fatty acid serum concentrations across life stages in the USA: an analysis of NHANES 2011–2012BMJ Open 2021;11:e043301. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043301
* This survey data showed that EPA and DHA intakes were consistently lower than guidelines, with children, teenagers, females, and pregnant women having some of the largest dietary gaps. Only 7.3% of children consumed oily fish which is one of the top sources of omega-3 fatty acids. PMID: 31781570
* Very few American children met even the lowest recommendations for EPA and DHA intake. PMID: 29523147

If you have more questions around what are the best and worst fish options for kids, comment “omega3” and I will send my full blog post on this topic.

04/11/2026

Disclaimer: My kids are 4 and 7. Some of these snacks contain whole nuts, so they should be avoided for children under 5 years of age. I don’t give RX bars to my 4-year-old.

Here are the things I look for when choosing snacks for my kids:

A balanced macronutrient profile (fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and fat)
Minimal added sugar (

Address

Atlanta, GA
30307

Website

https://thebabydietitian.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The.Baby.Dietitian posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to The.Baby.Dietitian:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Atlanta?

Healthy Living

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf

I am Dietitian who believes in not following a diet, I believe that moderation and portion control are key and that having a diet full of variety is the best way to nourish your body. I believe in only providing my readers with credible and researched based information. In a society where the main topic of conversation is “what is the easiest way to lose weight?”, I believe dietitians are needed more than ever to dispel food myths and promote healthy eating and healthy self image.

Together we can begin making a healthy, individualized, and specific nutrition plan for you! Contact me today