Food is where life’s lessons begin
At Kid Food Explorer’s we’re here to help kids explore with confidence, curiosity, and play.
Let’s write a better story for our kids
Have you ever felt like you didn’t quite fit in—whether as a kid or even now, navigating parenthood? I have.
Growing up neurodivergent with learning disabilities, I was labeled “less than” before I even knew the words to fight back. I couldn’t sit still. I didn’t learn to read until I was nine. I stood out for all the “wrong” reasons. And that shame of not measuring up? It sticks with you.
Now, as a parent, I see that same shame creeping into how we talk about food and feed our kids. The pressure to get it right. The weight of good vs. bad choices. The unspoken judgments that make kids—and parents—feel like they’re failing.
That’s why I created Kid Food Explorers—to rewrite the story. Because no child (or parent) should carry the weight of not feeling enough.
Hi! I’m Dani.
✔ Pediatric dietitian
✔ Mama to three adventurous girls
✔ Air Force wife
✔ Poodle enthusiast 🐩
✔ Lifelong food explorer
✔ And co-author of Food Positivity: How to Ditch Diet Culture and Talk to Kids About Food, a parenting book that helps families raise healthy, confident eaters without diet culture
But most importantly? I’m someone who knows what it’s like to feel like a “problem to fix.”
I’m impulsive. I can’t sit still. I have zero filter and tend to overshare (you’ve been warned 😉).
And yet, the very traits that once made me feel too much are exactly why I do this work today.
The moment that changed everything
It was 2010. I was teaching a highly celebrated, NIH-funded “healthy eating” program at an Air Force base and a local Boys & Girls Club.
The lessons were fun. The kids were engaged. And yet… the faces looking back at me? They were filled with guilt. Shame. Self-doubt. That stopped me in my tracks.
Because here’s the hard truth: Making nutrition fun didn’t change the deeper message. The lesson was still about control, judgment, and perfection.
These kids weren’t just learning about food. They were learning whether they—their choices, their bodies—were “good enough.” And that was unacceptable. I didn’t want to teach kids what to eat—or why they “should” eat it—because the truth is, there is no one right way.
Instead, I wanted to give them something real—an experience that sparked curiosity, built confidence, and turned food into a bridge to something BIGGER.
Something that connected them to their culture, their classmates, and real-life skills they’d actually use. Without shame, pressure, or the feeling that they were already failing just by being themselves.
Because just like every person is different, every food journey is different. And every child deserves the space to discover, explore, and grow on their own terms.
How Kid Food Explorers was born
At the same time I was teaching that “healthy eating” program, I was also earning my Master’s in Health Communication.
For a thesis project, I developed a research-backed framework to integrate food education into K-6 core curriculum—blending STEAM learning, sensory play, and life-ready skills into a curiosity-driven, pressure-free experience.
Then, on a trip to a pineapple farm in Costa Rica, I had my lightbulb moment. I learned that a single pineapple takes up to three years to grow.
And suddenly, food wasn’t just food.
✨ It was science.
✨ It was culture.
✨ It was connection.
That realization became the foundation for Kid Food Explorers—and sparked the creation of my Growing Adventurous Eaters® book series.
Because when kids explore food with curiosity, confidence, and play, they don’t just learn about what’s on their plate. They learn about themselves, the world, and each other.
Every step of my journey—every ‘aha’ moment, every challenge, every lesson—led me here.
To Kid Food Explorers, this work, and helping families rewrite the food story for the next generation.
The Journey to Kid Food Explorers
The moments that shaped how we redefine food education for kids.
🧠 1980s | A Kid on a Leash
Before ADHD was well understood, my boundless energy meant wearing a harness—uncommon at the time, but necessary. My brain has always been wired for curiosity, movement, and big ideas.
🎨 1999-2002 | Learning, Made Fun
At the Denver Art Museum, I helped kids explore art through interactive, hands-on activities—an early spark that would later shape my approach to food education.
🧪 2004-2006 | Science Meets Lunch
Through Program ENERGY, I led hands-on nutrition lessons in K-6 Title I schools, transforming classrooms into food labs where kids could touch, taste, and experiment.
🤔 2007 | First ‘Something’s Off’ Moment
During my dietetic internship at Johns Hopkins, I saw how traditional kids’ nutrition programs were harmful. The lessons were full of shame, guilt, and fear, and that just didn’t feel right.
⚡ 2010 | The Lesson That Changed All
While teaching a popular kids’ “healthy eating” program, I noticed something unsettling. The lessons were fun, but their faces told a different story—guilt, shame, self-doubt.
That was the moment I knew: We needed a better way—one that sparked curiosity, not fear.
📚 2010 | A New Vision for Food Education
For my Master’s thesis, I developed a framework to integrate food education into the K-6 core curriculum, using STEAM learning, sensory play, and life-ready skills.
🍍 2010 | The Pineapple Epiphany
On a pineapple farm in Costa Rica, I learned it takes three years for a single fruit to grow. It hit me: Food isn’t just fuel—it’s a story of science, culture, and connection. This idea became the foundation for the Growing Adventurous Eaters® book series.
✍️ 2013 | Two Years in the Making
Two years of research and writing later, I finished the first draft of Where Do Bananas Come From? A Book of Fruit—a STEAM-based food education book that brings food stories to life.
🚀 2015 | Taking Control Myself
After countless proposals and no responses, I stopped waiting for permission and launched Experience Delicious LLC to make hands-on, inclusive food education accessible to all families.
🎨 2016 | Bringing Stories to Life
Partnering with the amazing illustrator and visual storyteller Mary Navarro, we brought my food adventures from words and doodles on a page to vibrant, engaging worlds.
💡 2017 | Crowdfunding a Community
With the support of a wonderful community, we raised $10,000 on Kickstarter to publish Where Do Bananas Come From?, proving families were hungry (pun intended 😉) for this approach to food education. (Read the story.)
🔥 2019 | Protecting the Mission
I trademarked Growing Adventurous Eaters®, securing a protected space for curiosity-driven, child-led food education.
🌍 2020 | Rebranding for a Global Reach
I rebranded as @kid.food.explorers, creating an online space where families and professionals could learn, connect, and celebrate inclusive food exploration.
🚀 2021–Today | Growing a Movement
Kid Food Explorers isn’t just a brand—it’s a movement. Through books, workshops, and hands-on resources, I help families rewrite their food story—one bite-sized adventure at a time.
Education & Credentials
Education:
- Masters of Science, Health Communication, Boston University, 2011
- Dietetic Internship, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 2007
- Bachelor of Science, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, 2006
Credentials:
- Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), 2007-Present
- Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES), 2013-2023
- Certified Specialist Sports Dietetics (CSSD), 2012-2023