By Anastasia Schenk, Pediatric Feeding Specialist & Founder of Early Eaters Club
At 2 years old, Emma refused to touch anything but crackers. Her parents, in frustration, tried every trick in the book—bribing, pressuring, even hiding vegetables in sauces. But nothing worked. Just another typical “picky eater,” right?
For many parents, it’s easy to chalk up food struggles to a passing phase or simple defiance. But what if picky eating wasn’t just a stage? What if it was actually the body’s way of expressing deeper developmental needs—signals that, if ignored, could shape a child’s lifelong relationship with food?
As a pediatric feeding specialist and integrative nutrition coach, I’ve spent years decoding these signals. What I’ve found—both professionally and as a mother—is that food refusal isn’t just about taste. It’s about development, trust, and timing. And most importantly, there are things we can do before age 3to prevent long-term struggles and raise resilient, joyful eaters.
A New Approach to Feeding: Beyond the Plate
The Early Eaters Clubwas born from my belief that feeding is more than meals—it’s the foundation of a child’s future health. Research shows that the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to age 2, play a critical role in shaping lifelong nutrition habits, immune development, and even emotional regulation.
But many parents are overwhelmed. Social media is flooded with hacks, pressure tactics, and unrealistic feeding expectations. What’s often missing is whyfeeding challenges happen and howto respond in a way that builds trust rather than fear.
At Early Eaters Club, we blend clinical research with compassionate, real-world guidance to help parents understand their children’s food behaviors and build a confident foundation early.
Habit #1: Support Sensory Exploration
Did you know that food refusal is often linked to sensory development, not just taste? Between 18 months and 3 years, many children enter a phase of neophobia—a fear of new foods—that’s neurologically normal but often misunderstood.
Instead of labeling kids as “difficult,” we need to give them time and space to explore food through touch, smell, sight, and sound. Yes, playing with food can actually be good for them.
Studies show it can take 10 to 15 exposures(or more) before a child accepts a new food. If we pressure or punish during this phase, we risk turning natural hesitation into long-term avoidance.
Early Eaters Club teaches parents how to build sensory confidence through simple, playful strategies—like food play, exploration plates, and low-pressure family meals—that nurture curiosity, not fear.
Habit #2: Build Predictable Routines Without Pressure
Children thrive on predictability. A clear mealtime structure helps their bodies learn when to expect food and builds a sense of safety around eating. In contrast, grazing, bribing, or using food as a reward can disrupt their natural hunger and fullness cues.
Emerging research in pediatric nutrition and eating behavior shows that when we use external rewards or pressure, children are more likely to lose their internal ability to self-regulate. Over time, this can contribute to disordered eating patterns and emotional reliance on food.
Instead of asking, “How do I get my child to eat more broccoli?” we encourage parents to ask, “Have I created a mealtime environment that feels calm, safe, and consistent?”
The answer often lies in setting regular meal and snack times, offering food without pressure, and allowing children to decide how much they want to eat from what’s offered. It’s not always easy—but it’s one of the most powerful ways to preserve a healthy relationship with food.
Habit #3: Build Emotional Safety Around Food
Feeding is one of the earliest and most intimate parent-child interactions. Babies quickly pick up on our energy—whether we’re anxious, frustrated, or relaxed. That emotional environment becomes part of their internal wiring around food.
A child who senses stress at the table is more likely to associate food with anxiety. On the other hand, when we create calm, connected mealtimes—even when challenges arise—we lay the foundation for food security and emotional regulation.
This connection goes deeper than many realize. Studies have shown that emotional tone during feeding significantly predictslater eating behaviors, including willingness to try new foods and overall mealtime enjoyment.
At Early Eaters Club, we coach caregivers to approach meals not as tasks, but as opportunities for connection. We encourage mindful modeling, language that celebrates food exploration (not just consumption), and routines that foster attachment as much as nourishment.
Why Prevention Works
Many of the most common feeding issues—picky eating, food aversions, sensory defensiveness—can be minimized or even prevented when we address them early. By focusing on the root causes instead of quick fixes, we give our children the tools to become confident eaters for life.
Our work is grounded in the belief that it’s easier to build strong foundations than to fix broken ones later. That’s why Early Eaters Club offers holistic programs that include:
- Courses on early feeding milestones + family food prep systems
- One-on-one consultations for picky eating or feeding delays
- Sensory-based food exploration activities
- Nutrition education for immunity, digestion, and development
- A new line of toddler-friendly meals, snacks, games and feeding tools (coming soon)
These tools don’t just solve problems—they preventthem, by helping families build nourishing habits before problems escalate.
Changing the Narrative
Too often, we describe children as “picky,” “manipulative,” or “difficult” at mealtimes. But when we understand the developmental, sensory, and emotional layers of feeding, we see a different picture.
Children aren’t trying to be difficult—they’re trying to communicate. And when we meet them with empathy and structure, rather than judgment, we create space for lasting transformation.
At Early Eaters Club, we’re not here to fix your child. We’re here to guide you, as a parent, in raising eaters who trust themselves, their bodies, and their food.
Raising a lifelong healthy eater begins long beforeschool lunches and vegetable negotiations. It starts with small daily choices—building sensory comfort, honoring routines, and creating emotional safety at the table.
Because when children feel safe, understood, and empowered, everything changes—one bite at a time.
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