From Tears to Tastes: Easing Mealtime Struggles

Written By Chloe Willett

🌈 Making Mealtimes Easier: How Feeding Therapy Can Help Your Child

Mealtimes should be a time for connection—not conflict. But for some families, feeding challenges turn mealtime into a daily stressor. If your child struggles with eating, feeding therapy might offer the support you’ve been searching for.

👶 Signs Your Child May Benefit

Feeding therapy could be a game-changer if your child:

  • Eats a limited range of foods or avoids entire food groups

  • Gags, vomits, or spits out food

  • Has difficulty moving from purées to solid textures

  • Is noticeably underweight or has poor weight gain

  • Reacts emotionally with meltdowns or crying during meals

  • Has mealtime battles and refuses family meals

These signs suggest deeper struggles that go beyond “just being fussy.”

🔍 Understanding Why Eating Can Be Hard

Every child is different, but common reasons for feeding difficulties include:

  • Medical issues such as nerve or muscle conditions

  • Sensory sensitivities—textures, smells, or flavors can feel overwhelming

  • Emotional factors—past choking incidents can lead to food-related anxiety

  • Learned behaviors from previous mealtime stress

Feeding challenges aren’t about defiance—they often stem from discomfort or fear.

🎨 How Therapy Makes a Difference

Healthy Lifestyles Australia offers feeding therapy designed to help kids become more comfortable with food in a positive and playful way. Therapy includes:

  • Creative food play to reduce anxiety and encourage exploration

  • Gradual food exposure tailored to the child’s pace

  • Supportive conversation to build confidence and reduce resistance

  • Evidence-based methods guided by trained dietitians

Programs typically begin with an initial consultation and run fortnightly across five sessions. It's all about creating small wins that build up over time. Sessions are held in clinic over two locations, otherwise in-home can be considered after evaluation and depending on funding (private or NDIS).

From a personal note as a dietitian, I had a young client who previously saw a dietitian in clinic and found it difficult to focus and engage. The client was also distressed when I started seeing them during home visits that focused on discussions and giving the parents “homework”. However, after switching to a feeding therapy model for our sessions, the client is more keen to engage and the session provides practical advice for the parents e.g. the client is willing to try fruit pieces in jelly but not yet whole fruit.

A good analogy is to ask yourself “would I eat this?” if a giant plate of purple goop was put in front of you. The answer is probably “no”. But we can develop the skills and confidence to approach it, such as touching, playing, smelling and maybe even licking. Small steps can lead to great strides.

📞 Ready to Explore Therapy?

To learn more or schedule an assessment, visit Healthy Lifestyles Australia's Feeding Therapy page or call (07) 3088 2323.

Chloe Willett
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