Doctor Yum

10/09/2026

🥛 Raw milk is not worth the risk, especially for children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new policy statement on the dangers of raw, unpasteurized milk. As a pediatrician, this topic brings back a heartbreaking memory from my residency.

I cared for a middle-school-aged boy who developed a devastating infection that spread throughout his body, including his brain and spine. The bacteria were resistant to many antibiotics. He endured months of intensive treatment, including antibiotics delivered directly into his spinal fluid. Eventually, he died. The source of the infection was traced to unpasteurized milk his family had unknowingly been drinking.

I have never forgotten him. ❤️

Today, as raw milk is promoted online for its supposed health benefits, I worry that families aren't hearing enough about the very real risks. Raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria and other pathogens that cause severe illness, and children are particularly vulnerable.

Here are a few important facts:
🥛 Pasteurization makes milk safer by killing harmful germs.
🦴 Pasteurization does not eliminate milk's calcium, magnesium, zinc, fat, or protein.
🚫 There is no good evidence that raw milk is a safe or effective way to treat milk allergies. Children with a cow's milk allergy should follow their healthcare professional's guidance about appropriate alternatives.

Milk can be a nutritious food for children who tolerate it, but it should be pasteurized. The potential benefits of raw milk do not outweigh the risk of serious, sometimes life-threatening infection.

Let's help families make informed decisions based on evidence, not online hype. And let's support policies that protect children from preventable foodborne illness.

Please share this with a parent or caregiver who needs to hear it. ❤️

10/02/2026

While Dr Yum Team is busy bringing thousands more kids onto the Dr. Yum Adventure, I am heading to the AAP National conference in San Diego. After a few hour delay I am hoping all of us pediatricians in the DMV will finally make it there tonight. We'll see you at the Human Booth #3015!

10/01/2026

🌟 Even MORE adventures are beginning! 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome five new programs to the Dr. Yum Adventure community! 🎉
These incredible organizations are helping children discover that learning to eat can be the most fun adventure—full of curiosity, exploration and curiosity. 🥕🍓🥦
🧭 Allegheny Highlands Public Schools — Low Moor, VA
🧭 Child Care Resources, Inc — Zanesville, OH
🧭 North Brookfield Elementary School. — North Brookfield, MA
🧭 Evanston Child Development Center — Evanston, WY
🧭 First Connections — Emporia, VA
We’re so excited to have you, your students, and their families along for the adventure! . 🌈🍎
Welcome to the journey! 🚀

08/25/2026

💛 Remembering Dolly Parton and her impact on the children.
Dolly Parton was, of course, a prolific songwriter, performer, and cultural icon. But today, we’re remembering another part of her legacy...her extraordinary commitment to the well-being of children.
Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, she turned her own childhood experience into an incredible gift for children around the world: books, given free to children from birth through age five, inspiring a love of reading and opening doors to possibility. More than 332 million books have been gifted to children through the program.

Six years ago, we had the unexpected honor of grazing the orbit of that work. We were partnering with the Randolph Partnership for Children in North Carolina to bring the Dr. Yum Adventure to local families. They asked us to share our bookmarks to be tucked inside the free Imagination Library books being delivered to young children in Randolph County.
These bookmarks shared five simple ways families could use the Dr. Yum website to find nutrition resources and support healthy eating at home.
It was a small contribution to a much bigger effort, but it meant so much to us to have even a tiny place in something Dolly created for children.
Her music may be the part of her legacy we hear most often. But her work on behalf of children is the part we hope continues to echo for generations.
Thank you, Dolly, for using your remarkable gifts to give children something that belongs to all of us: the opportunity to imagine a bigger, happier world. 📚💛
Photo credit: Shawn Miller / Library of Congress

08/24/2026

🌟 New adventures are beginning! 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome five new programs to the Dr. Yum Adventure community! 🎉
These incredible organizations are helping children discover that learning to eat can be an adventure—full of curiosity, exploration, confidence, and fun. 🥕🍓🥦
🧭 First Start Partnership for Children and Families — Chambersburg, PA
🧭 Floyd Head Start — New Albany, IN
🧭 Wabash Area Development Inc. — Enfield, IL
🧭 Dover Foundation YMCA — Shelby, NC
🧭 CAP Agency — Rosemount, MN
We’re so excited to have you along for the adventure! Together, we’re helping kids try new things, build healthy habits, and become confident, curious eaters—one food adventure at a time. 🌈🍎
Welcome to the journey! 🚀

06/19/2026

06/11/2026

🫛🫛🫛When Bags first saw the recipe for Dr. Yum Adventure’s “1, 2, 3 Pea Salad,” he was skeptical.
As a food service leader serving more than 1,000 Head Start students every day, he was used to serving peas cooked — not a fresh salad with THREE kinds of peas and fresh herbs. Would kids actually eat it?

But that’s the power of a thoughtfully designed recipe built around how children learn to eat.
When adults model curiosity, openness, and a growth mindset around food, children respond. Food learning isn’t about pressure or perfection — it’s about exploration, repeated exposure, and creating positive experiences together.

This clip is such a great reminder that sometimes the adults are on the food adventure too. Multigenerational change is one of the goals of the Adventure. 💚

06/08/2026

At 6 months, your baby is ready to be a true food explorer! This is the time to introduce many new flavors and textures. With practice, babies will accept these new foods and will ask for more. Simple modifications to family meals are a great way for your baby to build new skills and become an adventurous eater. Our "baby food option" recipes on doctoryum.org have these simple modifications right in the recipe, so you don't have to guess.

Review these tips about which foods to offer your baby and how much. Always contact your pediatrician with any questions or concerns regarding your baby's nutrition. To find tons of baby food recipes and tips, visit the Baby Food Toolbox and our "Raising Adventurous Eaters" series of free feeding guides on doctoryum.org.

06/01/2026

🤔What happens when teachers start seeing food as part of education — not just mealtime?
In this clip from our May 18 webinar, Bagnoli Casamir, Food Service Manager from the Child Development Council of Franklin County shares how Dr. Yum Adventure transformed the mindset of their Head Start team serving more than 1,000 children every day.
Teachers became deeply engaged and excited to bring food learning into the classroom — calling, texting, and emailing to coordinate lessons, ingredients, and activities. 🌟What emerged was something bigger than a curriculum: real partnership between educators and food service professionals, all working together to create joyful, meaningful experiences around food for children.
This is what systems change looks like. ❤️
Thank you to Bags and the incredible team at the Child Development Council of Franklin County for your leadership and passion for children’s health and learning.
CDCHR
👉 Find the full webinar here: https://www.doctoryum.org/en/pages/food-adventure