About the Author

Karen Ansel, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and freelance writer specializing in health, wellness, food, and nutrition. Her work has been published in national women’s heath magazines such as Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Cooking Light, Fitness, Prevention, Shape, Weight Watchers, Natural Health and Marie Claire. Karen is the New York City media representative for the New York State Dietetic Association and a contributing editor for Woman’s Day magazine. She received her B.A. from Duke University and her Master’s in clinical nutrition from New York University. Karen lives in Long Island, New York, with her husband and two children.

Charity Ferreira is a food writer, recipe developer, and former pastry chef whose work has appeard in Gourmet, Cooking Light, Sunset, and Bon Appetit, as well as the food section of the Los Angeles Times. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, she turned her lifelong interest in food and nutrition to baby and toddler cuisine when her son and twin nieces were born. She is the author or co-author of five cookbooks including Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Mediterranean. She and her family live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Thayer Allyson Gowdy is a San Francisco–based photographer who has been featured in numerous magazines, including Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, InStyle Home, and Parents, and in such books as Healthy Baby and Pattern Prints.