Nutrition from Crib to College

PEDIATRIC, CHILD, TEEN & YOUNG ADULT NUTRITION CARE

Nutrition Care from Crib to College

Whether you’re navigating picky eating, growth concerns, sports nutrition, digestive issues, eating disorders, or fueling independence in college, our pediatric-trained dietitians provide compassionate, evidence-based support for families in Kansas City, St. Louis, and virtually.

Book your first appointment

Watching your child struggle with food is exhausting.

You’ve probably Googled endlessly, tried every trick, and still feel stuck. Our team is here to break the cycle and give you the guidance and tools you need. Here’s what makes us different:

Pediatric-Specialized Dietitians

Not all nutrition experts understand child development. Ours do.

Family-Centered Approach

We work WITH you, not against your family’s reality

Insurance-Friendly

95% of families don’t pay out-of-pocket for sessions

Virtual & In-Person Options

Support that fits your busy life

The Impact of working with a Dietitian

“Denise Skinner was fantastic with my teenage son!

She was upbeat, gave lots of ideas about great snack choices and things for him to focus on until our next appointment. She also sent us a summary of his visit and recommendations of food counselors. She went above and beyond and was wonderful! Thank you for your time Denise!”

BG

Who We Work With

Starting strong with curiosity, connection, and confidence. We help families take the stress out of early feeding.

Common concerns we support:

Starting solids
Allergies & intolerances
Weight gain concerns
Picky eating & food refusal
Bottle-to-cup transitions
Constipation, reflux, and sensitive stomachs
Our approach focuses on building positive mealtime experiences and letting your child lead with trust and safety.

Our team includes two Certified Breastfeeding Counselors here to provide experienced, professional support in your child’s early feeding journey.

Get Started

Fueling growth, learning, and a healthy relationship with food. These years come with big appetite changes, preference shifts, and increased independence.

We support kids with:

Picky eating or selective eating
Growth & development concerns
ADHD-related nutrition needs
Digestive symptoms
Emotional eating patterns
Sports fueling basics
We help families reduce mealtime battles and build a strong foundation for lifelong eating habits.

Book Your First Appointment

Adolescence is a time of growth — physically, socially, and emotionally. Nutrition can feel overwhelming for teens (and their parents), especially with social media and body pressures.

We provide support for:

Eating disorders & disordered eating
Sports nutrition & performance
PCOS, irregular periods, hormonal shifts
IBS, bloating, reflux, constipation
Emotional eating
Body image challenges

Start here

Fueling independence with confidence and clarity. College and young adulthood bring new routines, stressors, and more responsibility around food. We help young adults navigate these transitions while nurturing a healthy relationship with eating.

We support young adults with:

Disordered eating concerns
Sports nutrition
Meal planning on a budget
Digestive issues
Convenience + nutrition balance
Stress & emotional eating
Transitioning off parents’ planning/support

Book now

HELPING YOU RAISE CONFIDENT, INTUITIVE EATERS

Our Process

How does this work?

1. Book Directly Online

No referral needed! Match with the dietitian that meets your needs, select location or virtual, and schedule a time that works best for you.

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2. Insurance Benefits Check

We’ll do the investigating for you, and our team will let you know what is covered prior to your first appointment.

3. Comprehensive Nutrition Counseling Assessment

Your initial appointment is a time for us to get to know each other and for your dietitian to learn a bit more about your goals, questions you have, and develop a plan together.

For clients ages 0–18, we ask that an adult attend the initial visit. Your dietitian will then discuss what’s appropriate for follow-up sessions.

4. Ongoing Care

Follow up appointments are when the real work gets done as we dive deeper into how food and nutrition play a role in your life and what changes can be made to improve it.

What to Expect

Insurance + Rates

Self-Pay Rates

1 hour session $145

Call 816-635-0739 or contact via contact page for more information about self-pay rates.

Insurance

The Tasty Balance is within network with United Health Care, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. Please note that you are responsible for verifying nutrition counseling services covered on your plan. We are not in network with Medicare at this time.

We also accept HSA/FSA cards.

Benefits Check

We provide a benefits checks to review your insurance plan to see if nutrition counseling will be covered and what you can expect to pay. To start this process please schedule directly online or reach out through the contact page.

Otherwise, see the below document for a step-by-step guide on calling your insurance to verify benefits and a list of common insurance terms.

Download Our Pre-Auth Call Guide

In-Network with

& and many more plans

We also accept HSA and FSA cards.

“My daughter sees Allie Howard virtually and we are BEYOND lucky to have Allie as part of our team!

Allie is kind, flexible, and extremely patient! She works so well with our daughter and has made such an impact on her feeding therapy!”

J.L.

UNABLE TO MEET IN PERSON? WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.

Virtual Appointment Options

Telehealth provides the convenience of meeting from your own home. You have the option to meet through a virtual platform that is confidential and easy to use.

This allows you to have more consistent communication and support and is a great option if you are not located in the Kansas City or St. Louis areas. Mix it up as well, maybe we meet in person one session and the next virtually!

Commonly Asked Questions by Parents

There are a variety of reasons you might want to seek out a dietitian for your child; here are some of the more common reasons we see that our team also specializes in:

Your child’s growth (height or weight) has changed noticeably or isn’t following their usual pattern
A doctor has mentioned slow growth, rapid weight changes, or nutrient deficiencies
Ongoing issues like constipation, stomach pain, reflux, or fatigue related to eating
Very picky eating that limits food groups (not just normal phases)
Strong fear or anxiety around certain foods or textures
A medical condition that affects diet (e.g., food allergies, diabetes, celiac disease, digestive conditions)
Neurodivergent children (such as autism or ADHD) who struggle with eating variety or routines
Athletes who need help fueling properly for sports and growth
Stress, guilt, or shame around eating
Frequent dieting talk or worry about body size (this is a good time for early support)
Food struggles that are affecting family meals or school life
You feel confused by nutrition advice online
You want reassurance that your child is getting what they need
You want help building healthy habits without pressure or restriction

It depends! Whether your child should attend or not depends on their age and the reason for the visit. Younger children may not need to be present. If you’re unsure, please contact our scheduler, Ashley, at 816-635-0739 or admin@thetastybalance.com.

We get it! Talking about food can be difficult, especially if there is a lot of shame or embarrassment surrounding choices and body image. We do our best to create a very safe space and no judgement zone. Your child does not need to be ready or willing to talk about food for a nutrition appointment to be helpful. Many kids (especially those who feel pressure, anxiety, or frustration around eating) need time to build trust first.

Here’s what that can look like:

Appointments may start with parent-focused conversations, observation, or play-based interaction rather than direct food talk.
Our dietitians are trained to meet kids where they are, never forcing conversation or change.
Progress often comes from building trust, offering consistent support, and removing pressure around food — not from lectures or trying to force eating. Sometimes that means spending time talking about a favorite activity or animal to help build a safe, comfortable connection.

That can vary and that’s completely normal!

Every child is different, and progress depends on factors like age, personality, the reason for the visit, and how much stress or pressure has been around food in the past. For some families, small but meaningful changes (like less mealtime tension or more willingness to sit at the table) can happen within a few sessions. For others, especially when anxiety or long-standing feeding challenges are involved, progress is more gradual.

From our experience, the most effective way to see progress is to begin with weekly or bi-weekly (every other week) sessions. This allows you and your child time to practice what’s discussed, notice what’s working (and what feels challenging), and return with specific pain points to focus on. As things become more manageable, we can gradually space out appointments while continuing to provide education and accountability.