Supporting Children with Food Neutrality with Katie Shepherd and Lara Paciorek (Food Explorers)

Today I’m talking to Katie Shepherd and Lara Paciorek from Food Explorers based out of Connecticut and Massachusetts, USA.  Katie founded Food Explorers in January 2018, after leaving a job as a Retail Dietitian with no back up plan. While that job wasn't the right fit, Katie discovered the joys of children’s cooking classes and how it combined her love of food and working with children.

Food Explorers started as a little side dream, and has a grown in a full-time, ever-growing company with multiple instructors, over 100 summer camps, and an immeasurable number of community partners, schools and recreation departments that, make the Food Explorers mission possible.

After welcoming her baby boy, Jack, in July of 2021 and then embarking on the journey of baby led weaning and introducing foods and flavours, Katie dove even deeper into how our relationship with food can impact us from childhood. Working together with Lara, now the Assistant Director in the company, but previously teaching the cooking skills, the mission of Food Neutrality was introduced to their classes.

They hope to always inspire kids to explore new foods and flavours, teach them valuable cooking skills and more importantly to show children that food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared.

Exploring food encourages children to learn through sensory experiences, hands-on activities and working together to create delicious results. Children will have the freedom to explore thanks to their unique "food neutral" approach to teaching about food. 

In the episode today, Katie and Lara talk about Food Explorers, how it came about, how they work and their passion and mission behind educating young people. It’s a very inspiring business that really puts thought and consideration at the centre of teaching about relationship with food and body, also being very supportive of parents in the process. I hope that you enjoy the conversation.

Find out more about Food Explorers:

Website: https://food-explorers.com/

Instagram: @foodexplorersct

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