BCBA Corner: Feeding Fun at Home

Mealtimes can be a wonderful opportunity for connection, growth, and fun—but for many children, eating new foods or managing different textures can feel overwhelming and scary. Here are some simple strategies you can try at home to make eating more enjoyable and to support your child’s progress with feeding:

1. Make Food Playful!

Before asking your child to eat, start with exploration. Let them touch, smell, or even play with food on their plate. For example, use cookie cutters to make fun shapes, build “food towers,” or create silly food faces. This helps decrease pressure and increases comfort with new foods. Don’t be afraid to get a little bit messy!

2. Pair New Foods with Favorites

Offer a small portion of a new food alongside something your child already enjoys. This reduces aversiveness and increases the likelihood of interaction with the new item. Repetition is key!

3. Celebrate Small Steps

Remember—tasting doesn’t have to mean chewing and swallowing right away! Smelling, licking, or even placing a new food on the lips are important steps to celebrate. Each success builds confidence around eating.

4. Keep Mealtime Positive

Avoid forcing or pressuring your child to eat. Instead, use encouragement, positive reinforcement, and modeling. Show them that trying new foods can be fun by enjoying them yourself! Get their siblings involved and make it a family affair!

5. Utilize Antecedent Strategies

Try introducing one new food at a time. Utilize antecedent strategies by having a highly preferred food readily available. Present the instruction: “first (new food), then (highly preferred food).” Be consistent, yet flexible and remember to accept touching, smelling, or licking the new food as a win before providing access to the highly preferred food as a reinforcer! 

6. Add a Little Novelty

Children love excitement! Try introducing new foods during a “taste test game,” where the whole family gets to rate a food with thumbs up, sideways, or down.

7. Respect Preferences, Encourage Flexibility

Some textures and tastes may take time. If your child refuses, calmly remove the food and try again later in a different form (e.g., raw vs. cooked carrots, crunchy vs. smooth applesauce).

With consistency, patience, and a playful approach, your child can build a positive relationship with food and expand their diet in ways that feel safe and enjoyable for both you and your child!

Stephanie Higgins, BCBA