Hello! We're Jess and Nita
- Registered Dietitians, moms, friends, and passionate about raising happy, healthy eaters.
We believe feeding little ones shouldn't feel overwhelming. That's why we create simple recipes, offer evidence-based education, and realistic nutrition advice for babies, toddlers, and busy families.
Every recipe and resource we share combines our professional expertise with real-life parenting experience, helping you feed your family with confidence.
Because feeding kids is hard enough - finding trustworthy nutrition advice shouldn't be.
let's be friends
Every recipe published on Happy Healthy Eaters is created and reviewed by Registered Dietitians. We test each recipe at least three times to make sure it's going to work for you.
What you'll find on Happy Healthy Eaters
Easy, family-friendly recipes that are nutrient-dense, kid-approved, and made with simple ingredients you can easily find
Evidence-based nutrition advice you can trust, grounded in current research, professional practice guidelines, and our real-world parenting experience.
Starting solids and toddler feeding support to help you confidently navigate first foods, meal rejection, policy and everything in between.
Expert-led courses, guides, and resources designed to give you step-by-step support through every stage of your child's feeding journey.
Culturally inclusive feeding advice that celebrates family traditions and foods from around the world like these Indian, Mexican, Moroccan and Filipino first foods you can offer your baby.
Free resources and inspiration for busy families who want nutritious options without spending hours in the kitchen.
Where it started and what the pandemic has to do with us
Happy Healthy Eaters officially launched in March 2020-a time when the world was changing rapidly (iykyk) and many families suddenly found themselves navigating parenthood with less support than ever before.
As parents were isolated from family, friends, healthcare providers, & community programs, many were left wondering how to confidently introduce solid foods to their babies. We saw a growing need for trustworthy, evidence-based feeding guidance that families could access from home.
At the time, Nita was on maternity leave with her young son, and Jessica was home raising her two young boys. Drawing on our experience as Registered Dietitians and moms, we worked (really fast) behind the scenes to create our first online course and launch the Happy Healthy Eaters blog.
What started as a way to support families during an uncertain time quickly grew into something much bigger.
Alongside our nutrition expertise, we both shared a passion for recipe development and creating practical resources for families. Launching a blog filled with nourishing, family-friendly recipes felt like a natural extension of the work we were already doing.
Today, Happy Healthy Eaters continues to help parents navigate childhood feeding and family nutrition with confidence.
What inspires us most are the families we support, like you. Every question, small win, and "my child actually ate that!" moment reminds us why this work matters.
We believe early food experiences help shape lifelong relationships with food, which is why we're passionate about making nutrition practical and realistic for everyday life.
It's a pinch-me moment every day to show up here as Registered Dietitians and moms.
Our TOP Recipes
Some of your most-loved recipes from Happy Healthy Eaters-created by Registered Dietitians and tested in real family kitchens.
Seriously, if you want tasty + nutrient-dense recipes, make yourself at home.
More about Jess & Nita
Two Registered Dietitians. Two moms. One shared mission: helping parents feel confident feeding their kids, from the start.
Jessica Penner, BSc, RD
Registered Dietitian • Mom of 2 • Recovering picky eater turned food explorer
Jess is the systems-and-strategy half of Happy Healthy Eaters-helping parents cut through confusion and feel confident about how to feed their babies and toddlers.
Once labelled a picky eater herself, she learned firsthand how travel, exposure, and curiosity can reshape your relationship with food. That lived experience sparked a deep interest in nutrition, leading her into receiving the top GPA in her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutritional Sciences graduating class and ultimately becoming a Registered Dietitian in 2011.
Her career has included public health nutrition, government advisory work on infant feeding resources, and speaking on growth charts at provincial conferences. After becoming a mom, she shifted into online education-building programs and resources to help people make sustainable changes in how they eat and feed their families.
Today, she brings together evidence-based nutrition and real-life experience to help parents feel less anxious and more confident at mealtimes.
Nita Sharda, BSc, RD
Registered Dietitian • Mom of 2 • Will try almost anything once
Nita is the networking queen behind Happy Healthy Eaters-focused on nurturing connections and making this community feel extra special.
She knew she wanted to be a dietitian as a teenager and pursued that path through a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutritional Sciences and a competitive dietetic internship. Her career has spanned clinical pediatrics, public health, home care, geriatric nutrition, and private practice.
Over time, her work naturally shifted toward families and children-especially after becoming a mom herself and introducing solids to her first son. What started as local workshops quickly grew with rapid demand.
Nita brings a strong focus on practical nutrition, cultural food traditions, and helping parents feel calm and capable through every stage of feeding.
FAQ
Yes. Jessica Penner and Nita Sharda are Registered Dietitians in Canada with more than 30 years of combined professional nutrition experience. They are registered with the College of Dietitians of Manitoba.
We primarily focus on babies, toddlers and young children, including starting solids, toddler feeding, picky eating prevention and family nutrition.
Yes. Our recommendations are grounded in current nutrition research, professional guidelines and clinical experience. We use global recommendations but heavily lean into current Canadian guidelines
Yes! And, spoonfeeding. We support a flexible approach to starting solids that may include self-feeding, spoon-feeding or a combination of both depending on the family's needs.
Yes. Between us, we have introduced solids to four children and apply the same feeding principles in our own homes. We've truly come out of the early feeding years, thriving when it comes to feeding and we want the same for you.
Yes, we both take on private clients within our province, Manitoba. To get in touch with us, email us at [email protected]