Tips & Tricks
Our Tips & Tricks page is full of easy, everyday ideas to make mealtimes smoother and more positive. From creative ways to introduce new foods, to simple sensory play activities and stress-free mealtime routines, these quick tips give caregivers practical tools they can use right away. Each idea is designed to help build confidence, encourage exploration, and make feeding time feel more fun for the whole family.
Identifying Sensory-Related Feeding Challenges
Gag reflex: Children may gag at the sight, smell, touch or taste of certain foods. This reflex could stem from sensory sensitivities or underlying difficulties in chewing or swallowing.
Texture preferences: Children may display a preference for specific textures — such as crunchy or soft — and an insistence on specific brands, colors or flavors. It can often result in avoiding foods outside of these preferred textures
and they will only accept specific textures and types of food.
Discomfort with messiness: Children may have avoidance or discomfort with messy hands or face. This can be demonstrated during meals or in activities like crafting or playing in the sand.
Food pocketing: This presents when children excessively stuff their mouths or pocket food in their cheeks. Food pocketing may be due to poor coordination, poor sensory awareness in the mouth, and/or chewing difficulties.
Extended mouthing behaviors: Extended mouthing behaviors are when children continue to mouth and chew on various objects outside of typical developmental windows, such as chewing on clothing, pencils, or straws. These can be signs of sensory processing difficulties.
Building a Sensory Rich Vocabulary
Encouraging children to build comfort with new foods through playful exploration. Try having them become familiar with noticing what new foods smell, look or feel like. Ask questions like: is it sweet, sour, bitter? Is it dry, wet, crumbly, squishy, or sharp? Is it warm or hot?
By using descriptive language, children can better express their likes and dislikes, which helps them feel more confident and open to trying new foods. Playful interactions like touching, smelling, or experimenting with different textures can make the experience fun while expanding their comfort with a vareity of sensory experiences.
Celebrate Small Victories
If your child has a sensory processing disorder, feeding disorder, or other developmental disability, it's important to remember how scary it is for your child to try new things. What may be normal or exciting to other children is often filled with anxiety and other challenges for your child. Instead of celebrating a cleaned plate, celebrate the interaction of new or un preferred foods whether it be tolerating having them placed in front of them, touching or even smelling these foods. Your child needs to understand you are proud of them and all their hard work.
Remember to not pressure your child to eat new or certain foods, as this can create more resistance or create negative mealtime experiences.
Instead, introduce new foods by following the sensory-friendly tips above to allow your child to gradually overcome their fears. Celebrating small victories can go a long way!
Pay Attention to Textures
One of the most helpful sensory-friendly strategies for picky eaters is to focus on food textures. Some children strongly prefer crunchy foods and avoid anything soft or mushy, while others have the opposite preference. Recognizing these patterns can make mealtimes less stressful and more successful.
One approach is to pair different textures together. For example:
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Chips with guacamole
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Graham crackers with peanut butter
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Apple slices with yogurt
Often, it isn't the flavor a child dislikes, but the way the food feels. For instance, tomatoes or blueberries may be rejected because of their squishy texture. However, when blended into pizza sauce, muffins, or smoothies, children may eat them without hesitation.
By observing texture preferences, you can better identify which foods your child struggles with and explore new ways to serve them. This way you child continues to get important nutrients, even from foods they may typically avoid.
Introduce New Foods Gradually
Mealtimes can feel stressful for children, especially those who prefer structure and routine. One way to reduce anxiety is to keep mealtimes as consistent as possible. This may include:
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Maintaining the same seating arrangements at the table
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Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner and regular times each day
Children thrive on predictable routines, and knowing what to expect helps them feel secure.
Once your routine is set you can begin to slowly introduce new foods. Something completely unfamiliar can feel overwhelming, so it's best to start small. Try pairing new foos with familiar favorites. For example:
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Dipping strawberries into favorite yogurt
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Mix small amounts of vegetables into pasta or rice
It is important to stay calm if your child chooses not to eat the new food. Avoid pressure or showing frustration, as this can increase mealtime stress. Instead, focus on consistency and patience and over time gradual exposure can help new foods feel less intimidating.
Provide Options and Control
Some children show better success when they are involved in the process and feel like they have some control in what they are eating. A simple "We're having burgers tonight. Do you want french fries or tater tots. Do you want ketchup or ranch?" will help your child feel in control of what's on their plate. By being involved in mealtime decisions, your child will eventually replace negative feelings towards mealtime with positive and happy feelings.
