Kate Samela, MS, RD, CSP
As a pediatric Registered Dietitian and mother of two, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to feed a family – it’s like a full time job. Throw a toddler in the mix, and you could have a recipe for mealtime disaster!
After obtaining a Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University, Kate spent the next ten years of her career working with children prescribing nutrition therapy and couseling families on feeding and nutrition; Kate has taught on the topic of pediatric nutrition to hundreds of medical, nursing, and dietetic students at premier children's hospitals & universities along the east coast.
Kate has spoken nationally and published several articles on various topics of digestive health in nutrition; she has been featured on ABC-CT & Fox-CT News, Sirius XM Doctor Radio, Munchkin Inc. Fresh Feeding Launch campaign, and in the Hartford Courant's The Mommy Minute. Kate currently works in an outpatient pediatric practice, specializing in digestive diseases and nutrition, while balancing the dos and don'ts of feeding a busy family.
" My first experience with picky eating began after my daughter’s first birthday. I couldn’t understand why she would not just eat what I put in front of her – I mean COME ON! I had ten years of experience as a pediatric Registered Dietitian, a master’s degree in nutrition, and an older son who ate pretty much anything I put in front of him. And did I mention that I spend my working days counseling parents on how to manage a picky eater? So, I put to test all the theories I so confidently delivered to parents, but found I still felt a bit underwhelmed with our progress. I knew there had to be MORE I could do, more I could learn. I mean seriously, I was working harder to get my daughter to eat than she was."
It became evident that "picky" and "toddler" go hand in hand. I learned that:
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My response to what or how much she ate was more important than the food itself.
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Striving for "nutrition perfection" at this age was a big mistake.
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Healthy eating for a toddler is different from healthy eating for an adult.
Hence, the birth of my first book: Give Peas a Chance: The foolproof guide to feeding your picky toddler (Sourcebooks, release date January 1, 2013).