Try these tips:

• When introducing a new food, encourage interaction with the food in a less invasive way by gradually progressing through the following levels: tolerating on the table/plate, touching, smelling, kissing, licking, biting, chewing, and swallowing.
• Introduce an "all done" bowl. Don’t allow your child to leave the table until all of the food on his plate is either ingested or interacted with (pick up, kiss, lick, etc.) and placed into the all done bowl.
• Use a timer or visual schedule to encourage your child to stay at the table for the duration of the meal.
• Ignore any negative mealtime behaviors. This includes verbal protesting, pushing foods away, letting food fall to the floor, etc. Use timeouts when necessary in the event of disruptive mealtime behaviors.
• Continue offering new foods many times, even if the foods were refused in the past. Be patient and persistent.

• Schedule regular meals for the family. Have everyone remain seated at the table for the duration of the meal.
• Avoid grazing. Offer only water between meals and snacks. This will support a regular hunger-satiation pattern and may help lead to increased daily food consumption.
• Minimize auditory and visual distractions at mealtime by turning the television off and keeping toys away from the table.
• Try limiting meals to 30 minutes and snacks to 10-15 minutes.
• Do not rush through meals. Your child may need extra time given their developing self-feeding skills.
• Mealtime is meant to be a social experience. Talk with your child about the food you are eating, ask him questions about his day, or discuss his favorite things.
• Be sure that your child's seating allows free use of hands to encourage self-feeding.
• Model positive feeding behaviors for your child throughout the meal.

• Get your child involved in mealtime preparation in any way possible (helping cook the food, or set the table). This increases their comfort level with a variety of foods, prepares them for what foods they will be presented with during the meal.
• Allow your child to make choices between foods whenever possible. Make sure that you will be happy with whatever choice your child decides upon (e.g. offer the choice of broccoli vs. green beans but not broccoli vs. cookies).
• Avoid sippy cups. Use straw cups or open cups instead. Babies as young as six months can begin to use straw cups. Sippy cups can create an open-bite and a tongue thrust swallowing pattern in some children, which adversely affects articulation and dentition.
• After age 18 months, try to avoid feeding your child as much as possible. Developmentally, children at this age are ready to be fully independent eaters.
• It’s OK to get messy! The sensory experience of getting messy can foster greater exposure to and acceptance of foods. Allow your child to attempt self-feeding as much as possible, even it means making a mess.

• Avoid categorizing foods as ‘healthy’ and ‘not healthy’. Many people associate healthy foods as not tasting good or not being as fun to eat as non-healthy foods. Rather, consider referring to healthy foods as "strong foods" or "growing foods" to create positive associations with these foods.
• Modify the language used with reference to food from negative to positive. For instance, rather than your child saying, "I don't like it!"; encourage phrases such as "It's a new food," or "It's not my favorite."
• Use 'first-then' language. Let your child know that he may eat a preferred food after eating/interacting with a novel/non-preferred food.
• Use positive directives. For instance, instead of telling your child, "Stop banging your spoon," instruct your child to, "Put your spoon on the table."
• Children have a natural desire to be in control. Offer your child choices when appropriate. These may include choosing which plate or cup to use and may also include choosing which vegetable to eat.

• Read product labels before buying foods. Don't just read through the calorie and fat content. Rather, study the list of ingredients to be sure that you are offering healthy choices for your child. Consider avoiding foods that contain artificial colors or flavors.
• Offer foods that will provide rich sensory experiences such as foods with stronger and/or distinct tastes. It is preferable to use adult foods (e.g., graham crackers, bananas, avocados) rather than baby/toddler food products.
• Try to offer a well balanced meal that includes the following three components: a whole grain, a protein, and a fruit/vegetable.
• Be sure to make nutrition the number one feeding goal for your child. In a feeding therapy program, nutrition should be prioritized over other goals such as use of utensils or advancement to solids.
• If your child is not receiving adequate nutrition from foods in his diet, consider adding a nutritional supplement, such as Pediasure, or a multivitamin.