Rachel Rothman, MS, RD, CLEC

Registered Dietitian and Pediatric Feeding Expert

 

Counseling

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Each nutrition consultation is individualized for your family and your child's needs.  From picky eating to feeding difficulties to poor growth to general healthful nutrition counseling.  We work together to come up with a realistic plan for you and your family, focusing on your short term and long term goals. 

Classes and Coaching

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Infant and toddler group classes available in-person in San Diego and online. Rachel offers introduction to solids feeding classes for families of infants and classes for making mealtimes more peaceful with toddlers and preschoolers. Group online coaching available as well.

Blog: Recipes and more

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Child-approved recipes and feeding tips, from easy snacks to toddler approved dinners, Rachel’s recipes have you covered. Rachel shares evidenced-based feeding tips to help you feel confident and relaxed when feeding your little ones.

“I started working with Rachel when my 3.5 year old daughter was becoming increasing picky about the foods she would eat. I was concerned not only about her calorie intake but also about her becoming even more picky in the future. Rachel opened my eyes to a better approach to mealtimes and feeding, as well the importance of creating a relationship with food for my daughter. I also came away with a really helpful list of ways I can make dinner more fun and inviting, which has made her open to more new foods, without any coaxing. Mealtimes aren't stressful for either one of us anymore and I am so grateful to Rachel for that! ” - Jennifer, mom of Maya, 3.5 years old

 
 

Are you ready to feel more confident while feeding your child? Contact me today!

 
Featured
Make mealtimes more peaceful: create a pre-meal routine in 4 simple steps
Make mealtimes more peaceful: create a pre-meal routine in 4 simple steps

We often talk about a bedtime routine, or a routine prior to getting out the door in the morning. Our little ones need that structure when they know what is to come and get used to the routine.

A common hurdle I hear from families in my practice is that their children have a hard time transitioning to the table, most commonly at dinnertime. When dinner rolls around, it has been a long day (usually for everyone in the family) and getting little ones to sit at the table can be a challenge. Enter the pre-meal routine. Take a look at my 4 step plan which is sure to help make getting to the table a little less painful for everyone. I find preparing for the meal is often overlooked!

Breakfast Rotations
Breakfast Rotations

How does your family do breakfast? A common pain point I find with clients is that their child seems to eat the same food over and over again for breakfast, the child becomes tired of said food and stops eating that food completely - leaving parents unsure of what to serve. Many times, we think about variety in lunches and dinners, but we fall short in making sure we are providing variety with breakfast. Here I post 8 breakfast ideas - very easy, full of nutrition, and provide variety throughout the week.

Kid-approved Spinach and Banana Blender Muffins
Kid-approved Spinach and Banana Blender Muffins

Spinach muffins are popular - and rightfully so: they are an easy snack to create and full of vitamins and minerals from the spinach like vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and potassium (just to name a few). Spinach is a food that some kiddos have yet to acquire a preference for in it’s natural state (although don’t give up - keep offering!).   I never quite found my favorite recipe, I wanted to create something without refined sugar, but also that I could fully create in the blender, so I decided to create my own.

Getting Started with Your Child in the Kitchen
Getting Started with Your Child in the Kitchen

One of my favorite recommendations to families that may have a picky or selective eater is to get them helping in the kitchen, which can assist to encourage them to try new foods. Creating food is a sensory experience: we are touching, smelling and tasting - which are all beneficial to trying new foods! There have been so many times my daughters have surprised me by trying something new (check out the picture of my 4 year old eating raw spinach).

DIY Date and Oat Balls
DIY Date and Oat Balls

love DIY meals and snacks. In my mind, a DIY snack is one in which everyone gets to create their own version of the food item that’s on the menu. These date and oat balls are easy to make, nutritious, and even young toddlers can participate. I made a date and oat slurry in the food processor, and then provide some optional mix-ins for my kiddos prior to rolling these into a ball. It’s a fun sensory and fine motor activity as well: little hands are able to touch the sticky mixture and work on rolling that mixture into a ball!

Sheet pan broccoli and tofu
Sheet pan broccoli and tofu

Sheet pan meals have been gaining in popularity, and it’s no surprise why. Place everything you need on a sheet pan, bake, and you are done. These meals are easy to make, usually delicious and have minimal clean up. I typically follow a recipe, but decided to create my own when I had broccoli and tofu on hand.

Preschool Lunch Ideas Handout
Preschool Lunch Ideas Handout

In my last post, I provided you with 5 tips for a better school lunch.  Here, I am putting my plan into practice.

Zucchini Oat Mini Muffins
Zucchini Oat Mini Muffins

We usually eat dinner early in our house, and tonight was an exceptionally early dinner. You know those days… when you just can’t wait until bedtime. The trouble was, after dinner we had some time to spare. The kiddos were playing nicely together, so I decided to whip up this batch of easy muffins - they include one of my favorite vegetables, zucchini, and some fruit, banana, which acts as the sweetener. I added in a little almond flour for a boost of nutrition and you have a winning snack all around!

All about TEFF
All about TEFF

If you have checked out my recipes, or been following my blog for a while, you may have noticed Teff is one of my go to grains used in some of my baked goods. Teff (found as flour or whole grain) is one of my favorite ingredients to have on hand. Since I use it in so many recipes, I thought I would share a bit more about one of my favorite foods.

4 Practical Tips for a More Peaceful Halloween
4 Practical Tips for a More Peaceful Halloween

How do you feel about Halloween? Stressed out? Excited to see your kids in costume? Worried about your children’s candy consumption? Around this time, I get a LOT of questions about Halloween, how much candy do I let my kids eat? What do I do with the leftovers? My child will not sit still to eat dinner, how can I get them to eat something healthy before they eat candy? My tips below may surprise you, but I have compiled my 4 favorite tips for a successful Halloween.