About the Real Food Moms
As working moms, we get it. The demands on our time, our bodies, and our patience never seem to end. When one thing falls into place, there always seems to be some new challenge, ahem, “growth opportunity”, right behind it.
And we wouldn’t trade a minute of it for anything.
Well, maybe a few of the minutes…
Here’s the real deal: as the Real Food Moms we could not do all that we do without having the food in place. Everything springs from that basic foundation. Eating real foods every day gives us the health, energy and clarity of mind (most of the time!) that are basic requirements for our job description, both professionally and as moms. And we both had to learn that the hard way. It’s not just about our kids, ladies: our own eating habits matter.
The recipes, tips, support and advice you’ll find here have all sprung directly out of our personal and professional experience. We are walking the talk in our own lives. Between the two of us, you get the combined expertise of a registered dietitian and health educator with over 15 years of teaching experience. With degrees from Johnson and Wales and Columbia University, the Real Food Moms are well trained in the culinary, nutrition and teaching departments.
We also have a bunch of holistic certifications from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, The Wave Work Institute, and The Mind Body Institute in Washington DC, because healthy family eating is about a lifestyle, not just the food.
You, like us, hold the future in your hands with the care of your precious kids.
We believe in you, and we’ve committed our professional lives to supporting you to support your children. Because someday they will be supporting us…
Just kidding ☺
But they will be.
In case you want them spelled out, here are our professional credentials:
Jeannette Lee Bessinger, aka the Clean Food Coach (www.thecleanfoodcoach.com), is a board certified health counselor and mother of two teens.
An award-winning lifestyle and nutrition educator, Bessinger developed a nutrition- and cooking-based obesity prevention program for Head Start parents and toddlers with a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics. With a grant from the Rhode Island Department of Health, Bessinger helped design a citywide obesity prevention/intervention plan for families.
Designer and lead facilitator of a successful hospital-based lifestyle change program, she acts as a consultant and speaker to public and private groups and coalitions working to improve the health of schools and cities in the U.S. Her simple, practical approach has helped hundreds of women successfully meet the challenges of imbalanced health and nutrition with hope and grace.
She is co-author and recipe designer for The Healthiest Meals on Earth, The Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (Dec 2010), and The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer Cookbook (spring, 2011) with Dr. Jonny Bowden.
Tracee Yablon-Brenner is a registered dietitian, board-certified holistic health counselor, owner of Nutrition is Healing, co-founder of Real Food Moms, LLC, and mother of two girls. She completed her internship in dietetics at New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center, and is American Dietetic Association trained in childhood and adolescent weight management. Yablon-Brenner is a member of the American Dietetic Association and Pediatric and Diabetic Practice Groups, the American Botanical Society, the Haworth School Wellness Committee, and Action for Healthy Kids.
Together, Bessinger and Brenner are the Real Food Moms (www.realfoodmoms.com), dedicated to educating parents about family nutrition and whole foods cooking. They have co-authored two comprehensive and practical guides for family nutrition, Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby and Toddler and Simple Food for Busy Families.