Kid Food Explorers

Home
United States
Franklin, TN
Kid Food Explorers

I help you talk to kids about food
Nourish bodies, 🧠, & 💭
🌈 nurture healthy relationships w/ food
Dietitian + mom of 3 I’m here to help.

You want to raise kids who feel good about food and their bodies. I’m Dani, a pediatric dietitian, mom of three, and founder of Kid Food Explorers. If you’re tired of mealtime battles, worried about picky eating, or just trying to undo some of the food and body shame you grew up with, you’re not alone. I help parents like you raise confident, curious eaters through hands-on food exploration that’s rooted in science, built on connection, and free from pressure or guilt. At Kid Food Explorers, we believe food is life’s first teacher. When kids feel safe with food, they don’t just eat better—they grow into the kind of humans who trust their bodies, try new things, and treat others (and themselves) with compassion. Let’s grow a healthier generation, one bite-sized adventure at a time.

02/04/2026

“Picky eating” is one of the most misunderstood phases of childhood.

Most kids who refuse food aren’t being difficult or dramatic, they’re communicating something real about their body, their senses, or their need for safety and control.

When we stop labeling kids and start supporting learning, the whole dynamic shifts:
less pressure at the table, more curiosity, and more trust over time.

This is what food-positive support actually looks like- not forcing bites, but building skills.
Pre-order Food Positivity today from the link in my bio and follow for more ways to help your child feel safe, curious, and confident around food.

01/24/2026

Your kids don’t need you to be perfect.
But they are picking up more than you think.
⁣
In early childhood, it’s not just what they hear —
It’s what they feel. What they see. What they make sense of.
⁣
The sigh at the table.
The “I feel fat” in the mirror.
The “just one more bite.”
⁣
It’s the invisible curriculum — and they’re learning.
⁣
💛 Food Positivity helps you rewrite the messages without fear, guilt, or pressure.
Just real-life language and tools that help you raise confident eaters.
⁣
✨ Preorder now — link’s in my bio.

01/20/2026

Everyone’s talking about the new Dietary Guidelines.

And honestly a lot of the analysis has already been done - what’s good, what’s confusing, and what missed the mark from who wrote the guidelines to the upside down triangle (because a pyramid is 3D).

But the part I can’t stop thinking about is the hook.

“Eat Real Food.”

On the surface, it sounds simple. Common sense. Hard to argue with.

But language doesn’t just give advice. It shapes beliefs.

“Eat Real Food” doesn’t land the same for every family.
For many parents, it quietly turns into:
Am I doing this right?
Am I failing my kid?
Why does this feel so hard for me?

It can signal morality.
Worth.
Who’s “good” or doing “enough.”

And it completely ignores the reality that so much of our health - time, money, access, stress, genetics - is outside our control.

That’s why I’m centering this conversation.

Not to nitpick.
Not to shame the guidelines.
But because how we talk about food matters—especially for families already carrying a lot.

If this phrase has ever made you feel behind, judged, or quietly not good enough… this space is for you.

And so is my book.
📘 Food Positivity: How to Ditch Diet Culture and Talk to Kids About Food
Now available for preorder. Releasing next month.

I’m really curious, when you hear “real food,” what does that actually mean to you?

💬 Tell me ⬇️

09/18/2025

Anyone else already burnt out on dinner ideas… and its only week two of back-to-school? You’re not alone.

📚🥴🍽️
You’re not alone.

Here’s how I’m keeping meals simple and nourishing without a side of fear-mongering from wellness girls or the pressure to serve Pinterest-level plating to my kids.

✨Beef is a brain-boosting MVP✨ and it makes dinner actually doable.

Some standout nutrients worth knowing:
🧠 Iron – carries oxygen to the brain (critical for focus + energy)
🧠 Zinc – supports memory and attention
🧠 Vitamin B12 – helps build healthy brain + nerve cells
🧠 Protein – supports growth, mood, and satiety

(And yes, kids benefit from beef even if it’s not grass-fed, organic, or hand-raised under moonlight 🌝)

Tonight’s dinner? Tacos. Served “Considerate, Not Catering” style.
✔️ One meal
✔️ Easy tweaks for different preferences
✔️ Leftovers repurposed for sliders or pasta on soccer night
✔️ No short-order cooking, no guilt

If dinnertime feels like a battleground, remember:
You don’t need a nutrition degree, a farm-to-table lifestyle, or a freezer full of fancy meat.

You need something your kids will eat. You need something that works for your family.

✨ And if you take nothing else from the reel, take this:
Your kid isn’t “picky,” they’re learning about food and about themselves…

All these tips add up to help kids feel safe, build trust, and make dinner times easier – even if they aren’t eating the beef… yet!

Please share your family favorite meals with beef or quick and easy go-to meals for busy nights ⬇️

08/31/2025

This Sunday night parenting hack rant about feeding kids is brought to you by my husband who just used “the kitchens closed” as a joke against me after he just finished cleaning the kitchen.

happy to answer any questions for you 💜

08/29/2025

Kids are literal thinkers.
So when we say things like “Eat your veggies so you’ll be strong” or “Don’t eat too much sugar, it’s bad for you”…
They don’t hear nuance.
They hear rules.
They hear shame.
They hear: “I’m good if I eat this. I’m bad if I eat that.”

They don’t need adult-level nutrition concepts cut into bite-sized soundbites.

This is why we need a whole new way to talk about food and bodies, one that matches how kids actually learn and grow.

✨ Let’s stop teaching food like it’s a test.
Let’s start exploring it like it’s a story they belong in.

Address

Franklin, TN

Website

http://www.kidfoodexplorers.com/

Alerts

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

Shortcuts

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