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An Introduction to Mealtimes Hi, I'm Dr Kyla

I’m here to help you feel good about mealtimes, and change the way we feed this generation of children.

Food and mealtimes are overwhelming for so many families. There’s the process of starting off on solid food, surviving the fussy toddler stages and navigating school lunchboxes and family mealtimes, all whilst battling a myriad of misinformation and our own learned and sometimes negative relationships with food.

My mission is to empower you with the skills and confidence to support your baby, your toddler and your school-aged child to love their food and feel comfortable in their bodies.

We can raise our children to respect their bodies and trust their hunger, and feel confident around food. It’s not always easy in our diet-obsessed culture, but it is possible.

My approach will set your kids up for a future of eating that supports them to grow and thrive. I can't wait for you to join me! 

Kyla

I’m a Perth-based paediatric dietitian with a passion for helping families to feed their children well, without the overwhelm. I have a PhD in childhood weight management and 15 years experience working with restrictive eaters in both my clinic and online programs. I’m also a Mum of two girls, Elsie and Cleo, and I know the struggle today’s parents have with navigating limited time, information overwhelm, picky eaters and societal expectations.

I believe that Australian parents need a reliable, practical and supportive service to help them feed their children with confidence and without the stress. As my parenting journey has evolved, so have the services I offer. I’m proud to have developed online memberships to meet the needs of parents introducing solids (Baby Mealtimes), navigating fussy eating (Toddler Mealtimes) and packing school lunches and feeding the whole family (Family Mealtimes). I’m currently working on changing the way we talk about food in schools (School Mealtimes). 

The overwhelming response to my programs shows me just how many families are looking for support. My memberships have grown into powerful online communities full of wisdom and encouragement, supported by me and my hand-picked team of experts.

An Introduction to Mealtimes Meet the Mealtimes team of feeding experts

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Dr Kyla Smith

APD, AN, Founding Director

Dr Kyla is a paediatric dietitian with a passion for helping families to feed their children well, without the overwhelm. She has a PhD in childhood weight management and over 15 years experience working with restrictive eaters in her clinic and online programs. Kyla is a Mum of two girls, Elsie and Cleo, and she knows the struggle today’s parents have with navigating limited time, information overwhelm, picky eaters and societal expectations.

Dr Gemma-mealtimes

Dr Gemma Coleman

APD, AN

Dr Gemma (She/Her) has a PhD in childhood nutrition, and gets fired up about... pretty much everything. Gemma and Kyla worked together for over a decade in Nutrition and Dietetics teaching and research, and then joined forces to expand the Mealtimes team. Gemma has worked in community nutrition with children, parents and teachers in schools and other settings. She believes every person should get the support they need to eat well, feel comfortable in their bodies, and love all kinds of food.

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Gina Journet

APD, AN

Gina is a paediatric dietitian who has worked in private practice and clinical settings before joining the Mealtimes team in 2021. Gina has worked with people of all ages and backgrounds and has seen the impacts diet-culture can have on us all. Gina is passionate about helping families to build a positive relationship with food and enjoy mealtimes together.

Natalie Smith Dietitian

Natalie Smith

APD, AN

Natalie Smith has worked as a dietitian for over a decade, in a variety of clinical settings. She’s a Mum of two young toddlers and credits them for her dedication to supporting parents with practical strategies that they will actually have the time and energy to implement. Nat is passionate about families enjoying food together, without a side serving of guilt or worry.

Sara Beckett2

Sara Beckett

SP

Sara is a Speech Pathologist with more than 15 years of experience in paediatric communication and feeding. Sara loves working in diverse multidisciplinary teams that support and empower families to be at the centre of decision making for their child's development and wellbeing. She enjoys helping families access up to date and evidence-based information quickly and easily.

Claire Hyland

Claire Hyland

Nutrition Content Officer

Claire is a nutritionist with over 13 years of experience working in community nutrition and health promotion. In this time, she has worked with schools, sports clubs, workplaces and other community settings. Claire is a mum of two toddlers which has made her even more passionate about helping families enjoy all kinds of food together.

Interns

Each year we provide an internship opportunity for one or two student dietitians to work with us in the summer before their final year. Our amazing intern alumni include:

  • Alicia Trehern
  • Hannah Weiss
  • Isabella Brookes
  • Mia Evans
  • Amie Seet

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