We provide evidence-based guidance on growing healthy, conscious kids.
Welcome to Plant-Based Juniors! We’re Whitney and Alex and we’re so glad you found us. As Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and moms, we know how overwhelming feeding little ones can feel sometimes. We cut through the nutrition noise to bring you evidence-based guidance for growing healthy, conscious kids.
We decided to create what we were looking for.
When we became pregnant with our sons, we were frustrated with the lack of credible nutrition resources addressing this critical time, especially for families following plant-predominant eating patterns. So, we decided to create what we were looking for– straight-forward, evidence-based guidance delivered by nutrition experts on plant-forward and plant-exclusive diets from pregnancy all the way through the teen years. Plant-Based Juniors is an inclusive community welcoming anyone who is interested in enjoying more plants.
With delicious kid-friendly recipes, evidence-based nutrition and feeding information, and practical meal planning tips, we show parents that feeding kids can be both fun and nourishing.
Over the years, we’ve created multiple trusted resources for like-minded parents
including our Predominantly Plant-Based Pregnancy Guide, Nut-Free Lunch Box Book, Batch Cook Ebook, and First Bites: A Guide to Starting Solids. Our best-selling book, The Plant-Based Baby & Toddler was released May 18, 2021.
And most recently, on our mission to put plant-forward nutrition guidance into practice, we founded the PBJ’s Learning Center along with Reshma Shah, MD to offer both accredited professional pediatric nutrition courses and fun, interactive courses for parents and caregivers.
About Alex
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I absolutely love food. My earliest memories are being in the kitchen: baking cookies, rolling pasta, and experimenting with what seemed like an endless pile of my mom’s cookbooks. Decades later, and my happy place is still in the kitchen, now with my own kiddos on the counter.
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I have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from James Madison University and a Master’s in Exercise Science from The University of the Pacific. Before I got into Pediatrics, I worked as a Sports Dietitian for a Division 1 Athletic Program and specialized in intuitive eating and eating disorders. That work spills into our messaging here at PBJs and we work hard to remove any shame and guilt around food choices. It’s one of the reasons that I call myself predominantly plant-based. I eat a lot of plants and occasionally consume animal products. This way of eating brings me the most peace with food and makes me feel my best.
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As a dietitian and professional recipe developer, I’ve had the honor to collaborate on several projects. I am the chef behind Delish Knowledge and the New York Times bestselling books, Fiber Fueled and The Fiber Fueled Cookbook. I also wrote Fresh Italian Cooking for the New Generation, a recipe love letter to my childhood growing up in an Italian kitchen.
When I’m not cooking or writing, you can find me chasing my kids, stealing kisses during story time and eating tacos with my husband. I love history and politics and am absolutely terrible at math.
About Whitney
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Nutrition wasn’t my first passion. I received my undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism and had dreams of becoming the next Barbara Walters. Fast forward 15 years, and I now use my investigative skills to research and disseminate evidence-based nutrition guidance to thousands of families worldwide.
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After years of working as an entertainment journalist in Los Angeles, I went back to school to get my master’s degree in Nutrition, Healthspan, and Longevity at the University of Southern California. I completed my supervised practice at Keck Hospital, Norris Cancer Center, and Breathe Life Healing Center, a treatment facility for addiction and eating disorders. It was in school, under the tutelage of Professor Valter Longo, Director of USC’s Longevity Institute, that I was introduced to the incredible benefits of plant-based eating patterns. I switched from a diet rich in animal foods to one centered on plants, and never looked back. Years later, when I decided to become a mom, my research switched gears again – this time toward plant-based eating for kids.
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In addition to running PBJs, I also work as a speaker and consultant. I’ve hosted/produced nutrition programming for The Food Network, FitOn, and My Fitness Pal. On my Whitney E. RD website and YouTube, I share recipe and nutrition myth-busting videos. I also run a small private practice where I advise adults and children on how to properly plan plant-based and predominantly plant-based diets for fertility, pregnancy, and all stages of the life cycle.
When I’m not nose-deep in a peer-reviewed article, I can be found whipping up my favorite recipes in #whitskitch, doing yoga, and hiking around the Bay Area with my husband and two children.
Our mission at Plant-Based Juniors is to empower parents and caregivers to raise healthy, conscious kids.
We do this by providing evidence-based education on nutrition, meal planning and preparation, and feeding styles that are rooted in science, not dogma. Simultaneously, we recognize that as both dietitians and leaders in the plant-based space, our mission reaches far beyond nutrition.
Our food choices involve and affect more than health.
They are cultural, ethical, and political. The way you choose to feed your children reflects your family’s values and identity and it has implications for both human and planetary health. In following a predominantly plant-based lifestyle, we seek to benefit all life on this earth while recognizing that our unique differences dictate our approach to this lifestyle.
What is normal for one family may seem strange or inappropriate to another. Though we are predominantly plant-based, we pride ourselves on being inclusive of all eaters. Access to quality, healthy food is a privilege. We seek to engage in conversations around equity, human rights, environmental concerns, socioeconomic status, and regulations that vary from community to community.
Our hope is to create meaningful dialogue in an effort to further understanding and acceptance.
Guilt and shame around feeding choices have no place here.
Meals Made Easy with our PB3 Plate Model
Join our community and get our free 5-day mini course on pediatric nutrition for parents and caregivers. You’ll also get access to our most popular downloads — including our PB3 plate model, Meal Builder, Food Focus Guide and our Easy to follow Supplement Guide