Frequently asked questions
Picky eating is common in toddlers and usually includes rejecting certain flavours, textures, or colours, but children still eat a reasonable range of foods. Food refusal, on the other hand, goes deeper. It’s when eating itself becomes stressful meals may end in tears, your child may refuse entire food groups, or mealtimes feel impossible. If your child consistently rejects most foods or mealtimes are a constant struggle, it’s more than picky eating and worth specialist input.
If your child:
Eats fewer than 15–20 foods regularly,
Has dropped previously accepted foods,
Shows distress at mealtimes (crying, gagging, pushing food away, leaving the table),
Has weight or growth concerns, or
Mealtimes feel like the most stressful part of your day,
then it’s time to seek help. These are signs the cycle is entrenched and won’t resolve with general “fussy eating” tips. Early intervention makes progress faster and less overwhelming.
Because food refusal isn’t just about behaviour it’s about what’s happening in the body. As a Specialist SLT in paediatric feeding, I don’t just look at what your child eats but why and how. I assess swallowing safety, oral motor skills, sensory processing, and the emotional side of feeding. This goes far deeper than generic advice and means we can find the real root of your child’s refusal, not just try surface-level fixes. That’s why families see long-term change instead of temporary wins.
Yes. Every child’s journey looks different, but when we take a structured, responsive approach, children begin to expand their diet. Sometimes it starts small: touching or licking a new food, tolerating it on the plate but these are powerful shifts that build into long-term progress. Many families I work with go from meals centred around the same three foods to eating a variety of family meals together.
The Feeding Breakthrough Package is a 3-month, high-touch programme. Together we:
Pinpoint the real reasons your child is refusing food (sensory, motor, emotional).
Review video footage of your child eating so I can give you precise, practical steps.
Build a step-by-step plan that empowers you to make changes at home every day.
Coach you through meals, so you know exactly what to do in the moment.
Real change happens when strategies are applied daily. What we do together in sessions enables you to carry the shift forward at home, so mealtimes start to feel lighter, calmer, and more successful.
No because meal plans don’t fix the root of the issue. If your child is refusing food, it’s not about finding the “right” meal, it’s about building skills and safety so they can eat more. Instead of rigid meal plans, I give you the strategies, frameworks, and step-by-step guidance that help your child develop the confidence and ability to eat a wider variety. This is about long-term progress, not short-term swaps.
That’s exactly why families come to me. You may have tried sticker charts, sneaky veg, or advice from Google or well-meaning professionals but if your child’s refusal is still entrenched, it means the root hasn’t been reached. My role is to get to that root and give you a plan that actually matches what your child can manage. Even when families feel “nothing works,” the right approach creates real breakthroughs.
Some families see changes within weeks reduced distress at mealtimes, a child tolerating more on their plate, or early steps towards trying something new. For others, it’s slower but steady. What’s consistent is this: once you stop guessing and start working with targeted, responsive strategies, the cycle begins to shift, and progress feels possible again.
Frequently asked questions
Picky eating is common in toddlers and usually includes rejecting certain flavours, textures, or colours, but children still eat a reasonable range of foods. Food refusal, on the other hand, goes deeper. It’s when eating itself becomes stressful meals may end in tears, your child may refuse entire food groups, or mealtimes feel impossible. If your child consistently rejects most foods or mealtimes are a constant struggle, it’s more than picky eating and worth specialist input.
If your child:
Eats fewer than 15–20 foods regularly,
Has dropped previously accepted foods,
Shows distress at mealtimes (crying, gagging, pushing food away, leaving the table),
Has weight or growth concerns, or
Mealtimes feel like the most stressful part of your day,
then it’s time to seek help. These are signs the cycle is entrenched and won’t resolve with general “fussy eating” tips. Early intervention makes progress faster and less overwhelming.
Because food refusal isn’t just about behaviour it’s about what’s happening in the body. As a Specialist SLT in paediatric feeding, I don’t just look at what your child eats but why and how. I assess swallowing safety, oral motor skills, sensory processing, and the emotional side of feeding. This goes far deeper than generic advice and means we can find the real root of your child’s refusal, not just try surface-level fixes. That’s why families see long-term change instead of temporary wins.
Yes. Every child’s journey looks different, but when we take a structured, responsive approach, children begin to expand their diet. Sometimes it starts small: touching or licking a new food, tolerating it on the plate but these are powerful shifts that build into long-term progress. Many families I work with go from meals centred around the same three foods to eating a variety of family meals together.
The Feeding Breakthrough Package is a 3-month, high-touch programme. Together we:
Pinpoint the real reasons your child is refusing food (sensory, motor, emotional).
Review video footage of your child eating so I can give you precise, practical steps.
Build a step-by-step plan that empowers you to make changes at home every day.
Coach you through meals, so you know exactly what to do in the moment.
Real change happens when strategies are applied daily. What we do together in sessions enables you to carry the shift forward at home, so mealtimes start to feel lighter, calmer, and more successful.
No because meal plans don’t fix the root of the issue. If your child is refusing food, it’s not about finding the “right” meal, it’s about building skills and safety so they can eat more. Instead of rigid meal plans, I give you the strategies, frameworks, and step-by-step guidance that help your child develop the confidence and ability to eat a wider variety. This is about long-term progress, not short-term swaps.
That’s exactly why families come to me. You may have tried sticker charts, sneaky veg, or advice from Google or well-meaning professionals but if your child’s refusal is still entrenched, it means the root hasn’t been reached. My role is to get to that root and give you a plan that actually matches what your child can manage. Even when families feel “nothing works,” the right approach creates real breakthroughs.
Some families see changes within weeks reduced distress at mealtimes, a child tolerating more on their plate, or early steps towards trying something new. For others, it’s slower but steady. What’s consistent is this: once you stop guessing and start working with targeted, responsive strategies, the cycle begins to shift, and progress feels possible again.