Kids Feeding Wellness

03/18/2026

03/12/2026

Many people assume that children who avoid food are simply being “picky.” But for some children, eating feels much more complicated.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a feeding difficulty where a child limits the amount or variety of foods they eat for reasons that go beyond typical picky eating.

This can happen for different reasons. Some children have very little interest in food, others experience strong sensory reactions to certain textures, smells, or tastes, and some may develop fear around eating after difficult experiences like choking, gagging, or vomiting. Many children experience a combination of these factors, not just one, and their eating patterns can change over time.

Because of these challenges, children with ARFID may struggle to eat enough food, maintain a balanced diet, or feel comfortable trying new foods.

The important thing to know is that these eating patterns are not about stubbornness or misbehavior—they are often connected to how a child’s body and brain experience food.

If you’d like to learn more about ARFID and pediatric feeding differences, visit , an incredible organization that provides education, research, and support for families navigating feeding challenges.

PickyEating ChildDevelopment

03/10/2026

What if your picky eater’s greatest challenge…

could also become their greatest strength?

Many children who are selective with food are actually very aware of the sensory details of food—texture, smell, taste, and how it feels in their body.

That awareness can make food difficult at first.

But with the right support, it can also become something powerful.

Several chefs have shared that they were extremely picky eaters growing up before developing a passion for cooking.

Chase Bailey -

Jason Quinn -

Nickolas Gutierrez -

Juliette Feller -

Their stories remind us that food journeys don’t always start smoothly—but they can evolve in incredible ways.

We shared the stories of several chefs who turned picky eating into a passion for food.

👉 Click the link in our bio to read the full blog and learn about each chef’s journey.

03/07/2026

It’s completely normal to not like certain foods.

But when we say, “I don’t like ___,” it can unintentionally close the door on the many other ways that food could be enjoyed.

Instead of shutting it down, what if we slowed down and gave ourselves — and our children — time to explore?

The same food can taste, feel, and look completely different depending on how it’s prepared.

When we engage with food in this way, we’re not just learning about eating.

We’re are slowing down to with ourselves and our primal senses, building essential cooking skills, and having fun along the way.

And sometimes… we might just find something we like that becomes a signature staple.

If you have a picky eater, invite them to choose a food they say they don’t like.

Look up different recipes and pictures together and let them choose something that looks appealing to them.

Cook side by side as you prepare the dish and share it with loved ones - remember it’s okay if your child doesn’t try it right away.

Along this journey, you will help your child not only build the life long skill of cooking, but you’ll also teach them that food can be made in a way that tastes good to them.

03/06/2026

Your child might not be refusing food.

Their body might just not be ready to eat yet.

Think about how it feels when someone asks *you* to eat:

- in the middle of an intense work project
- when you’re extremely tired and sluggish
- right after a stressful meeting

Even if you’re technically hungry, your body may not feel ready to sit down and eat.

Children experience something similar.

Eating requires the body to feel calm, organized, and alert. When children are still transitioning from play, excitement, frustration, or fatigue, their brain often prioritizes regulation over eating.

And because children’s brains are still developing, many need a little support to help their bodies shift into a state where eating feels possible.

Before meals, try taking a quick check-in with your child.

Sometimes a simple 5–10 minute transition activity can make a big difference:

- a few minutes of movement
- a calming activity
- a moment of connection

Instead of mealtime feeling like “It’s time to eat out of nowhere,” this helps their body shift gears.

Even better, creating a predictable routine before meals helps children know what to expect. And the more predictable things feel, the easier it becomes for their body to regulate and get ready to eat.

When the body feels ready, children are much more able to notice hunger and feel interested in food.

I created a free guide with simple movement and calming activities you can use before meals.

Download it through the link in my bio!

03/04/2026

Dr. Kay Toomey (creator of the SOS Approaching) created a hierarchy a child follows as they learn to become more comfortable with new foods. Understanding this process in essential for parents to understand to gauge their child’s progress.

So often we judge a child’s success with feeding when they take a bite of new food, however, there are many steps that come before the actual eating of food.

If your child feels comfortable with a new food near them…wow! That’s great! If your child feels comfortable exploring and touching food with their hands…they are on the right path!

As long as you provide consistent exposure to the foods you want your child to eat within a safe and connecting atmosphere, they will learn at their own time with you as their trusted, steady guide.

You can download this visual for free using the link in our bio! It can be helpful to put on your fridge as a visual reminder.

03/03/2026

What looks like picky eating isn’t always about the food.

In toddlerhood, your child is learning how to regulate their body, assert independence, and decide what feels safe. Growth is happening beneath the surface — in their brain, their sensory system, and their sense of autonomy.

When we understand the development driving the behavior, mealtime shifts.
From control → to guidance.
From pressure → to connection.
From battle → to classroom.

If you’re in the thick of toddler feeding changes and wondering what happened to the child who “used to eat everything,” this series was written for you.

Launching in Spring 2026 🌷

02/27/2026

Including culturally inclusive children’s books about food in the classroom does more than teach children what people eat — it helps children understand their family’s roots.

When children see their family’s foods, traditions, and mealtime experiences reflected in books, it reinforces their identity and supports cultural continuity between home and school. Food becomes a bridge, not a divide. At the same time, reading about how other families eat introduces children to new foods, traditions, and routines in a safe, curious way. They learn early on that people eat different things, in different ways and that all of it is okay.

This kind of exposure builds respect, reduces fear of the unfamiliar, and opens the door to curiosity rather than judgment. It helps children feel proud of their own culture while learning to appreciate others — a foundation that supports both social-emotional growth and openness to new foods.

02/25/2026

New foods don’t become familiar in just a few tries. Most children need many calm, pressure-free exposures before a food feels safe enough to accept and that takes time. Seeing it, touching it, and tasting it all count as learning. If progress feels slow, it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. 💛

02/23/2026

Understanding how to responsively address food requests between scheduled meals is an important parenting tool because it supports both appetite development and a child’s long-term relationship with food.

When children are supported in waiting until the next planned meal or snack, their bodies have time to build hunger. That hunger increases the likelihood that they will eat enough when food is offered and feel more open to exploring foods that are less familiar. Offering snacks to every between-meal request, even with good intentions, can unintentionally reduce appetite and exposure to new foods that are often offered during sit down meals

A responsive approach does not mean ignoring a child’s cues. It means acknowledging their feelings, maintaining clear and consistent boundaries by communicating when food will be available again, and helping them stay regulated while they wait. Over time, this teaches children that their hunger is heard, that meals and snacks are predictable, and that food will always come again.

This consistency helps children trust the eating routine, arrive at meals with readiness, and engage with food in a more intentional way.

02/20/2026

Food neophobia is a normal part of development, especially as toddlers learn to categorize foods by how they look, feel, and taste. When something is unfamiliar, avoidance is the brain’s way of staying safe. The antidote isn’t forcing bites or avoiding new foods altogether - it’s familiarity.

Offering new foods regularly, without pressure, allows children to see, smell, touch, and explore them over time. With calm, positive, repeated exposure, unfamiliar foods can slowly start to feel safe.

Also, for children to see food as safe, they need to see others actively eating and enjoying them. If a child eats in isolation, they loose opportunities to learn from others.

02/18/2026

There is no such thing as the “right way” to feed your baby.

Some parents feel comfortable beginning with purées and progressing textures overtime, while others prefer to provide soft finger foods from the start.

You can also provide BOTH!

You don’t have to choose just one to support your baby’s feeding development.

Many believe the term “baby led weaning” means you HAVE to give your child soft fingers foods, however, the term itself simply means that a baby is in control of what they eat from options provided by their caregiver and plays an active role in feeding themselves - they are the ones in control of how fast or slow they wean from milk and onto solids.

This means a baby can self-feed using a preloaded spoon with thick purées or mashed foods OR they can feed themselves soft finger foods that are cut in appropriate sizes based on their baby’s stage of development.

With that said, traditional spoon feeding often involves a caregiver feeding their baby purées that require minimal oral motor action and can unintentionally limit a baby’s learning opportunities.

Is it okay to feed your baby purées?? OF COURSE! Just remember the longer this is done, the longer it will take for baby to learn to do it on their own.

The beautiful thing about feeding is it’s one of the first ways babies learn to be independent BUT they can only do it with your steady guidance ♥️

If you’d like some insight on how to blend spoon feeding and baby-led weaning in a way that feels right for your family, comment “blog”and we’ll send you the link!