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Unfortunately, this is a widely spread misconception. A child will improve the variety in their diet with increased visual, contextual, sensory and categorical familiarity. For some children building this familiarity is simply a matter of time. Yet, for others, teaching them a range of familiarization strategies will assist them greatly. Support can come in so many forms too. This article that I wrote is a great comparison between shoe shopping and getting the right feeding advice.

We subconsciously attach so much value to ourselves as parents through how we feed our children. It was our first “job” as a parent! How could we not? When feeding is harder for our child than others, it is hard on us too. You are allowed to feel anxious, worried and frustrated. And it takes strength to acknowledge these feelings. Soon, we start to see the power of LET instead of GET. Letting your child explore foods, instead of getting your child to eat them. Letting your child belong at the mealtime without getting them to “just take a bite”. The journey is unique for each child and there are many strategies that will help them and you find mealtime peace and work towards a broader diet. One of my most popular articles on strategies is this one on the 10 reasons your child is not eating the family meals.

In short, no and sometimes yes. The key to the difference in my answer is about TRUST. Feeding is an internal process. It is something that we want our children to tune into and respond to. So, hiding vegetables in a way that ruins trust does not have your long term nutrition goal at heart. Making vegetables portable by putting them in a muffin or in a hydrating home-made iceblock, when the child knows it is there, may help them build familiarity with the taste of the vegetables and it keeps them on offer. It is always important to #offerarainbow. Variety and familiarity building are so important!

Generally, we look at a range of “red flags”. Yet, if you are feeling stressed at mealtimes, I always find that it is better to reach out and get assistance early. I have a free brochure for you to download to open conversations with your family members and health providers available in this article: When do you get help for your fussy eater?

This depends on your location, your needs, the type of feeding assistance you need, your funding options and the health professionals that you want to have involved. 

For example, my 0-2yr video master class is “pay what you want” and then after you have purchsed that introductory program, you can book a one-on-one video consult for only $45. 

For preschoolers, I run Food Playgroup (if you are Melbourne based) and that is $42/session and goes for up to 2 hours (including parent discussion time whilst the kids play in the provided play area). I also do home visits, online consults and have video bundles that suit all budgets.

For primary schoolers, I run the online sensory food school. This program is tailored to helping children work in an online peer group through strategies to assist with sensory aversions, anxiety, oral motor skill building and boost familiarity with a range of new foods.
If you sign-up to my newsletter, you get a 25 minute video on what feeding assistance is like, how to advocate for seeing the type of health professional that you need for your situation. I am always happy to assist you with referrals to services.

I also recommend joining Jo Cormack, Natalia Stasenko and I over at YOUR FEEDING TEAM for all your in between time feeding assistance. It is a small-fee subscription service.

Hence, as you can see, support ranges in price and you can get great support to meet your needs without breaking the bank.
*All prices on my site are in Australian Dollars.