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Nutrition for the Early Years
Nutrition for the Early Years – Guilt-Free Guidance for Feeding Your Family
Nutrition for the Early Years is a pediatric nutrition podcast for parents seeking evidence-based guidance on infant feeding, toddler nutrition, and child health. Hosted by dual pediatrician + registered dietitian Dr. Liz Daniels, this show explores newborn and infant nutrition, introducing solids, baby-led weaning, complementary feeding, formula feeding, multivitamins for kids, growth and development, and picky eating solutions—all through the lens of real pediatric nutrition science.
From feeding anxiety and selective eating to questions about appetite, supplements, and healthy eating habits, this podcast helps parents build a confident, guilt-free feeding mindset. You’ll learn how to support your child’s relationship with food in ways that nourish growth, protect early childhood nutrition, and align with your values—without fear-based messaging or all-or-none thinking.
Food goes deep. It’s often not until we begin feeding our own children that we revisit our childhood nutrition experiences—comments that shaped us, arbitrary rules, pressure around healthy eating, and the quiet guilt many of us carry. Feeding kids has a way of surfacing old narratives and challenging us to rethink what child nutrition really means.
This is where the conversation begins—supporting families through toddler feeding, early childhood feeding, and raising children with a strong, positive relationship with food. Because nourishing your family isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, confidence, and understanding what truly matters in the early years.
You are in the right place if you are asking questions like:
-How do I get my child to eat vegetables?
-Why does my toddler suddenly refuse to eat (or only eat one thing)?
-Is my child eating enough to grow properly?
-How much protein does my child actually need?
-What are the best healthy snacks for kids?
-How much milk should my child drink, and what kind?
-How can I improve my child's immune system through food?
-How can I help my child have a healthy relationship with food?
Episodes
22 episodes
Episode 22: Your Toddler Needs More Carbs Than Protein: What Parents Need to Know
Is your toddler refusing meat and reaching for carbs and fruit instead?In this episode, Dr. Liz helps parents breathe easier about toddler protein needs. She explains why young kids usually need far less protein than many parents think,...
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Episode 21: How to Stop All-Day Snack Battles Without Being Restrictive
If snack time feels like it has taken over your whole day, what if the problem is not your toddler, but the lack of a clear rhythm?In this episode, Dr. Liz Daniels explains why toddlers ask for snacks so often, why their hunger can feel...
Episode 20: Finding the Right Fit: What Your Pediatrician Wants You to Know About Goat Milk Formula for Your Baby
If you have ever wondered whether goat milk formula is only a backup plan, or if it can be a safe first choice, this episode is for you.Goat milk infant formula is newer to many parents in the U.S., but it is not a “last resort” option....
Episode 19: ARFID in Young Athletes: The Picky Eating Red Flags Every Sports Parent Should Know with Katie Syvarth, RD, CSSD
If your kid plays a sport and is also a picky eater — this episode is for you.ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is showing up more and more in young athletes, and the patterns almost always start years&...
EP 18: Allergen Introduction for Babies: What the Science Says About Timing Prevention
If the idea of introducing peanut butter to your baby sends your heart rate up — this episode is for you.As a pediatrician and registered dietitian, I've sat across from families who are genuinely terrified of allergen introduction. The...
Episode 17 | Body Image Issues Start at Age 5 — What Parents Can Do Right Now
Episode 17 | Body Image Issues Start at Age 5 — What Parents Can Do Right NowHere's something that stops parents in their tracks when I say it in clinic: body image concerns can show up as early as age 5. Not 13. Not even 10. Five.
EP 16: Why Kids Have Big Feelings They Can't Explain: Understanding Interoception
Episode 16 | Why Kids Have Big Feelings They Can't Explain: Understanding InteroceptionHave you ever watched your child completely fall apart — hungry, overwhelmed, or just off — and they couldn't tell you why? They weren't bein...
EP 15: How to Choose Baby Formula: 3 Step Framework for Parents
Overwhelmed by the formula aisle? Dr. Liz Daniels, pediatrician and registered dietitian, shares her practical 3-step framework for choosing baby formula with confidence. This episode cuts through the conflicting advice to help you understand w...
Episode 14: How Babies Learn to Like Vegetables
Did you know your baby's veggie preferences start forming before their first bite of solid food? In this episode, Dr. Liz Daniels explores the fascinating science of flavor development, from pregnancy through the toddler years. Learn practical ...
EP 13: Decoding Diapers- Understanding Newborn Poop and Infant Nutrition
Newborn Poop 101: What’s Normal, When to Worry, and Why Baby StrainsWondering if your newborn’s poop is normal? In this episode, I break down newborn and infant poop—what’s normal, what’s not, and when you actually need to worry.<...
Episode 12: Starting Solids Part 1: 4–6 Months, Preparation and What Babies Really Need
Starting Solids: What to Know Before You BeginIn this foundational episode of Nutrition for the Early Years, I walk you through the stage before starting solids—because introducing food is about more than just the first...
Episode 11: When Kids Don't Like Milk: How to Meet Calcium & Vitamin D Needs Without the Power Struggle
What do you do when your kid refuses milk?Milk is one of the easiest ways to deliver calcium, protein, and vitamin D to growing kids. But kids are kids—and sometimes they just don’t like it.In this episode, I’m walking you ...
Episode 10: Milk for Kids, Explained: Does It Really Do a Body Good?
Milk for kids: does it really “do a body good”?In this episode, I break down the science behind milk in childhood nutrition so you can support your littles growth with ease.We’ll talk about:Why I ask about milk at ever...
Episode 9: When Toddler Picky Eating Is About the Parents (Multivitamins & When to Worry)
Your toddler won’t eat meat. They push away vegetables. They live on fruit, crackers, milk, and the occasional bite of something random — and now you’re wondering if they’re getting enough protein, enough iron, enough for their brain developmen...
Episode 8: Do Babies Need Probiotics? What the Evidence Says About Infant Gut Health and Infant Nutrition
Do babies need probiotics?In this episode of Nutrition for the Early Years, I’m breaking down what the evidence actually says about probiotics in infancy, newborn nutrition, and infant gut health.I get asked about this al...
Episode 7: Protein Needs for Kids: Culture versus Science in Pediatric Nutrition
Protein is everywhere in kids’ food—but how much do children actually need? In this episode of The Lunchbox Reformation, I explain pediatric protein needs from ages 1–8, why toddlers often get enough protein without trying, and how adult high-p...
Episode 6: Do Picky Eaters Need Multivitamins? What Parents Should Know About Kids’ Supplements
Picky eaters don’t automatically need multivitamins—and in this episode of The Lunchbox Reformation, pediatrician and dietitian Dr. Liz Daniels explains how to tell the difference between real nutrient gaps and normal toddler eating patterns. L...
Episode 5: Do Lactation Supplements Really Increase Breast Milk Supply?
If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, pumping, or worried about your milk supply, this episode is for you.Lactation supplements—foods, herbs, and products marketed to increase breast milk—are everywhere. From lactation cookies and brewer’s ...
Episode 4: Baby’s First Month of Nutrition: Breastfeeding, Formula Decisions, and Letting Go of Feeding Guilt
In this episode, I explain newborn digestion and feeding in the first month of life, including breastmilk, formula, poop patterns, reflux, and why uncertainty is normal. Learn what’s developing inside your baby’s gut and how confidence comes wi...
Episode 3: When Breastfeeding Doesn’t Work: Reframing Infant Nutrition Without Shame
Breastfeeding doesn’t always go as planned—and when it doesn’t, many parents are left carrying unnecessary guilt, shame, and confusion about formula feeding. In this episode of The Lunchbox Reformation, I explore the emotional and clinical real...
Episode 2: Nutrition While Breastfeeding: What Moms Need to Know for Infant Growth and Milk Quality
What you eat postpartum supports the breastfeeding parent more than breastmilk itself. Dr. Liz Daniels explains postpartum nutrition, breastmilk composition, and which nutrients truly matter for recovery and infant health.Postpartum nutr...