Picky Eater Help

Expert Feeding Help
for Professionals and Parents

Melanie Potock’s keynotes, courses, books & articles focus on raising kids to be healthy, happy eaters. From babies to toddlers to teens, “Coach Mel” is here to help.

Raising a Healthy Happy Eater Isn’t Always Easy

Get Expert Advice on Feeding Babies, Toddlers & School Age Kids,

Including Extreme Picky Eaters

Upcoming Events & Courses

On-Demand Courses

Visit the Course Library

Live In-Person Events

Raleigh, NC on April 6, 2024
Canada on April 12-13, 2024
Atlanta, GA on April 27, 2024
Anderson, SC on April 29, 2024

Live On-Line Courses

No Upcoming Classes

Babies

This book is designed to answer the most common questions about feeding babies and toddlers up to age three. It also debunks myths while offering practical tips on making mealtimes joyful and less stressful. It teaches a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to responsive feeding that’s focused on nurturing trust and communication between parent and child. Read more about Responsive Feeding here.

Toddlers & Preschoolers

In her award-winning book, Raising a Healthy Happy Eater, Melanie and her co-author, pediatrician Dr. Yum, teach parents how to guide their children on the path to adventurous eating.  Parents report that toddlers are the most challenging to feed, thanks to active little bodies and fleeting attention spans.  Learn how to lay positive foundations for eating at 6 months of age, navigate the “terrific twos” and avoid picky eating in the preschool years!  Get the brand new, updated 2nd edition. Read more about feeding young children here.

School Age

Kids can cook right along with their parents from an early age, but it’s especially important from preschool and into the elementary school years.  What’s the number one food group that parents struggle with the most?  Vegetables!  The secret to helping kids love any kind of food is to follow Melanie’s Three E’s: Expose, Explore, Expand.  You’ll learn how to use the Three E’s and create veggie-love in Melanie’s book, Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes.  Read more about feeding school-age kids here.

More fun!

As a speech language pathologist, Melanie combined her love for language, little kids and food by writing a children’s book!  You are Not an Otter: The Story of How Kids Become Adventurous Eaters is available on Kindle, in paperback, and in both English and Spanish.  Don’t miss the parent tips in the back of the book!  Learn about all of Mel’s books here.


I know I have issues… but thanks for following me anyway.😉

🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock


🐇✂️Yesterday’s Easter post on how to cut a Marshmallow Bunny safely for young kids blew up in my DMs! 😳 Comments like “I had no idea” prompted me to share today’s post on what to put in Easter Baskets to keep it fun, but also keep it safe. 
 
👉🏼You’re going to want to save this post and now is the time to send it to friends and family so these items don’t appear and things get awkward Sunday morning…

🤍👋🏼🤍Hi, I’m Melanie, a speech language pathologist and feeding specialist who is here to help you keep your kids safe while discovering the joy of all kinds of food!

❓Got questions? Drop them in the comments, happy to help!

✨Note: This safety post does not include allergens, especially in certain melt-away candies…always read the label and/or check with the manufacturer before letting the Easter bunny share it with your Littles. 

🐇Happy Bunny Day everyone, 
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #chokinghazards #toddlertrouble #easterbasket


🐇Marshmallow candies are a THING in Easter baskets, and many adults have no idea how easy it is for a child to choke on even a piece of a marshmallow.

✂️You can’t cut them smaller than a child’s airway and they are so lightweight and fluffy, they are easily inhaled. The stickiness and squishy texture acts as an ideal plug – making them extremely difficult to dislodge.

👋🏼🤍👋🏼Hi, I’m Melanie, as speech language pathologist and swallowing specialist devoted to helping you with your child’s feeding development…and that includes food safety. SAVE THIS POST under “holidays” on your phone and now is the time to share with friends and family.

✨Most major health organizations recommend waiting to serve a child marshmallows (yes, even in hot chocolate) until age 4. Why not age three you ask?

👉🏼The size of a 3 vs a 4-year-olds airway isn’t that different, and can vary depending on the overall size of the child…BUT, the attention span of a 4- year-old is typically very different than a 3-year-old. It’s simply too easy to laugh or inhale before starting a sentence and that sticky little pillow of a marshmallow is now a plug in your child’s airway.

❓Tell me, did you know this about marshmallows? Also, anybody ever play that marshmallow game where you stuff as many marshmallows in your mouth and try to talk? Stop it. Don’t play that. Don’t model that for kids. I’m serious. 🤍

🥰Thanks…good talk. 
🤍🐇🤍Melanie
#melaniepotock #eastersunday #eastercandy #easterbunny #chokinghazards


😛When kids put their tongues INSIDE their cup to drink, not only do they spill but it’s a habit that can be hard to change and so messy!💦💦💦Unless you try my hack…

🥰#affiliate #ad 🥰The magic is in the ezpz logo – it’s textured so they can feel it on their tongue, giving them feedback to rest their tongue in the right spot on the cup! Plus, toddlers recognize symbols like a happy face! Over time, they’ll start pulling their tongue back on their own (keeping it behind their lower lip) but the first step is teaching “outside the cup, not inside” 😉

🥰Bonus tip! The Tiny Mat might be tiny, but it’s mighty! It makes mealtimes easier no matter what the age and the raised edge keeps everything contained and catches all those rolly-poly foods like peas, green beans and round cereals. 

💜Use code Melanie10 for 10% off at ezpzfun.com for your entire purchase and make mealtimes easier! #ezpzmealtime #affiliatecode 

🥳#melaniepotock #originalidea 

 #feedingtherapy #feedingtherapist #slpfeeding


👋🏼Hey Atlanta speech therapists, occupational therapists & feeding specialists! 🔥I never discount this ARFID course at this hot rate, and I won’t be back in your area in 2024, SO I HOPE YOU’LL JOIN ME! 🥰 I’m so excited to speak in one of my favorite cities, and since this is a four-hour morning Masterclass so you’ll have time to explore all the sites on Saturday afternoon too! DM me for details! (Parents wanting to learn more about ARFID always welcome too!) ❤️Melanie
 #melaniepotock #arfidawareness #arfidsupport #arfidtreatment #ashaigers


🤦🏼‍♀️Telling parents to put milk in a sippy or straw cup to give to babies & toddlers lying down is an irresponsible marketing tactic. There, I said it. 

⚠️What’s more, it’s dangerous. Babies can begin to hold their bottle or a cup with handles at about 6 to 7 months of age. But the AAP states absolutely no objects in the crib with baby till after the first birthday. How many parents are buying a cup because it’s being advertised as a no-spill cup while laying down and putting baby to bed in the crib and have no idea of the pitfalls of this practice?

💦Although babies and toddler can have small portions of water between 6 and 12 months of age, laying down and drinking an entire cup full is a bad idea – but my main concern is milk of any form.

🥛Drinking milk while lying down increases the risk of ear infections, which can in turn create speech and language delays. It also leads to tooth decay, unless baby’s teeth and gums are immediately cleaned after drinking. 

😳Plus, it’s incredibly easy to walk away and leave our kids unattended if they are content to lay back and sip. NEVER leave a baby alone to drink anything on a couch, bed or other raised surface, even for a minute. It’s too easy for kids to roll and get injured, but it’s also an easy way to aspirate (where liquid enters the lungs).

👉🏼If you have followed me for a while (see my pinned posts) you know that I don't love no-spill valves used on a daily basis. As I was watching one of the ads today, I watched the baby biting on the straw, trying to suckle and brace their jaw - and I cringed. Learning to drink from a straw is easily taught in one day even to a 6 month old, but handing a baby (who can't yet drink upright) a cup to drink laying down is like putting floaties on little arms in the deep end of the pool. 

🤱BTW, the mechanics of breastfeeding are different with less concerns for pooling and bacteria growth.

🤍Thanks for listening. I rarely get so worked up, but this type of advertising has me concerned – and I hope you’ll share this post to raise awareness. 
❤️Melanie
#melaniepotock

#feedingbaby #feedingtoddlers #cupsforkids #otitismedia #pediatricians #feedingtherapy #feedingtherapists


🥰Simply the BEST feeling to give you my most popular on-demand “picky eater” course TODAY for 50% off! 

🙌🏼The ONLY course taught by 4 experts - my favorite pediatrician, psychologist, RDN & me.🥰Expires March 31 at midnight ET!

🔗Link & code in my stories or DM me if that’s easier. Code = SPRING50

❓Got questions? Drop them in the comments!
🤍Melanie

👉🏼discount codes not retroactive…please be sure to enter your code at checkout 

#ashaceus #melaniepotock #ashaigers #slpfeedingtherapy #slpfeeding


😳ARFID, sometimes thought of as extreme picky eating, means your kid is walking around with a very full bucket of anxiety, especially food anxiety. 

👋🏼Hi, I’m Melanie, a pediatric feeding specialist who helps kids with ARFID find joy in food! I also train other therapists…don’t miss the incredible discount on my Atlanta course at the end of this post.

👉🏼One subtype of ARFID is often related to food trauma, including a choking incident or a severe allergic reaction. It’s not always the case, but in can be…

🤔I recently learned about @foodallergycounselor where parents and kids can access mental health professionals specifically trained in food allergy anxiety. #goodtoknow 

🤍And if you’ d like to learn from me about how to help kids with ARFID in feeding therapy, (parents welcome too!) please join me in Atlanta on April 27th for a morning Masterclass titled ARFID: The Anxious Eater. VERY SPECIAL pricing for the next few days of just $125 (typically $225-$250) and limited seating. Go to mymunchbug.com/melanie-potock-live-events/ or DM me for the direct link.

❓Tell me in the comments – what questions do you have about ARFID?

❤️Melanie
#melaniepotock #extremepickyeating #arfidawareness #slpfeeding


⚠️Here’s why I don’t offer longer teethers to babies till after about 4 months of age…please read to the end…

👋🏼Hi, I’m Melanie, a speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding development in children. I’m here to help you start your baby on solids and solve picky eating problems too!

👉🏼The right teether at the right age is important for helping baby develop oral skills for feeding and speech. 

👋🏼👋🏼Babies begin to bring their hands to their mouth and suck on their fists at about 3 months of age and also try to grasp objects intentionally (not reflexively). That means they try to do it on purpose, but there little hands aren’t that coordinated and that’s why…

❌You don’t want to use teethers right away that have a long projection, even if it’s silicone. Babies this age need round teethers or ones with short nubs they can gnaw on. It’s so easy for them to poke their delicate eyes until they have better control of their hands. It takes time to develop this coordinated hand to mouth movement! 

👉🏼At about 4 1/2 to 5 months, longer silicone extensions on a teether are great, because baby can control it in their mouth, getting it a bit farther back without accidently shoving it too far…that’ so uncomfortable!

❤️Once they can control a longer teether, a little texture on the silicone projection will help their tongue move to the left and right, an important skill for starting solids at 6 months of age!

🛍️You’ll find my best teethers for each age on my Amazon Shop: Amazon.com/shop/mymunchbug with notes on which are best for each age. 

❤️DM me if you have questions!
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #feedingtherapist #startingsolids #slpfeeding


😤Are you frustrated with your picky eater? I know what’s that like…I had one very adventurous little eater until I didn’t.

🤍Great at starting solids, superb oral motor skills, loved to cook with me…and then UGH. The Terrific Twos (isn’t’ that what it’s called?) and she got pickier and pickier.

🪜And shortly after that, I changed careers to become a pediatric speech pathologist and eventually specialized in feeding development. Little by little, I got a whole new bachelor's degree plus a graduate degree…and did that all important post graduate training, and so much more.

👋🏼Hi, I’m Melanie, and you’re on my page because you want to raise an adventurous little eater, from the moment you start solids and throughout the school years. I am here to help! Thanks for following me…and speaking of, here are 7 facts about me – thanks for saying hi in the comments! 

🍏7 years in a pediatric hospital outpatient setting, including working in the NICU & on the Autism Team

🎓Over a hundred hours in post-graduate continuing education courses (Phew! My brain hurts sometimes)

📚Author of 6 books, including the award-winning Raising a Healthy Happy Eater, co-authored by Dr. Yum of @doctoryumproject 

🎤Keynotes & full-day lectures in 4 different countries over the past 20+ years.

❤️Madly in love with my first grandbaby who is ALMOST ready to start solids! 

🐴Past equestrian, hoping to get back in to riding soon…

🍏🍎🍏Favorite foods: As long as it isn’t moving on the plate, I love it.

🥰Thanks for following me!
Mel
#melaniepotock #feedingtherapist #onceuponafarm


✨Learn my easy hack for visualizing correct portion sizes per age…you can use this trick when feeding babies to big kids! (Up to age 7)🥰

🥰Remember, this is a starting portion and with several foods on the plate there’s more volume overall - and of course they can have more if they want more, if it’s readily available. This is just where we start so that kids pay attention to their own hunger and satiety cues and so we don’t waste food.♥️

✨Learn more tips for feeding kids by taking an on-demand course on my video course library!
👉🏼mymunchbug.com/course-library/

😳Were you surprised by this strategy? Don’t miss the graphic at the end of this reel!
❤️Melanie
#melaniepotock #ashaigers #responsivefeedingtherapy


💔Do you know a child who’s been diagnosed with “failure to thrive?” As a parent, that medical terminology can be heart breaking, especially when feeding our babies is already a struggle and we are trying so hard to help them grow...

💕 So, let’s reframe our thinking. Failure to thrive doesn’t need to become part of a family’s vocabulary.

🏥Let’s leave it in the medical chart and instead, use “trying to grow”…💗

🤔What do you think? Shall we change the mindset and just leave the other term for the insurance folks? I like this idea…
❤️Melanie
#melaniepotock #preemie #failuretothrive #pediatricfeeding #ashaigers


Melanie Potock

Pediatric Feeding Expert and Author

Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP is a mom who once had a picky eater.  She’s experienced first-hand the stress that parents feel when they are worried about their child’s nutritional health.  Fast forward to today, and you’ll find Melanie blending her knowledge of feeding therapy with practical parenting strategies that help the entire family eat healthier.  She’s an international speaker and author of six books, including co-authoring the award-winning Raising a Healthy Happy Eater.  Whether you’re raising a child who seems to be on the path to loving all kinds of healthy foods (and you want to keep it that way) or if your child is stuck in the chicken nugget rut, “Coach Mel” is here to guide you.

Melanie's Advice Shared In...

  • Washington Post
  • PBS Kids
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Autism Parenting Magazine
  • CNN
  • ASHA Blog
  • ASHA Leader
  • Parents.com
  • The Bump
  • New York Times
  • WebMD
  • Parents
  • Romper
  • Fit Pregnancy
  • Georgia Chapter AAP
  • Fatherly
  • Care.com
  • Dr. Greene
  • Yahoo Parenting

Courses for Parents & Professionals

Melanie offers both on-demand courses and live-streaming Masterclasses.  CEUs are optional for both OTs and SLPs, yet audience members include parents, RDs, pediatricians & other health care professionals.

Need help with a picky eater, or just want to prevent kids from falling into the chicken-nugget rut?  As a parent, SLP or OT, what do you need to know about child nutrition?  What about the anxious eater – Could this be more than just picky eating?  Melanie’s on-demand course subscriptions provide the answers!

Want more in-depth instruction in a small group, virtual setting?  Register for one of Melanie’s Masterclass!

Explore course options here.

Booking Signing

Parenting Advice

Melanie’s advice has been shared in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Parents Magazine and more. Over 150 articles for both parents and professionals are found here or contact Melanie for a personal one-hour coaching session via video chat.

Masterclass participants get a 25% discount on coaching.

Learn more about professional and parent coaching here.

Keynote Speaking

An international speaker, award-winning author and pediatric feeding specialist, audiences find Melanie’s advice to be practical and possible, even in the most challenging cases.  That’s because Melanie is in the trenches, working closely with the most extreme picky eaters and supporting families and health professionals around the world. Melanie has been invited to speak at over 100 different events, including the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s National Conference and the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo.

Audiences say it best: If you are looking for a professional speaker who can “provide practical solutions” for parents, caregivers and therapists and your company needs a “highly knowledgeable, organized presenter” with “energy and enthusiasm” who can deliver a “dynamic course”, then your best choice is Melanie Potock. Contact Melanie here.

Product Consulting

Need expert input on your new parenting product?  Melanie has provided expert advice for Orgain, Inc., Holland Health Care, Inc., Healthy Height, Inc., NumNum, LLC and numerous health care and parent product companies.

Looking for an expert to educate your team on how children learn to become adventurous eaters, baby-self feeding or the importance of purees?  Feeding is developmental, just like learning to crawl, walk, run. At least 1 in 4 typically developing children have trouble learning to eat!  Raising a healthy, happy eater requires the right tools and the right advice.  Melanie provides company education and collaboration via webinars, social media and creating educational videos for your audience.

Contact Melanie here.

Blog

feeding advice for parents and professionals

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Parenting a Picky Eater,

50 Easy Ways to Get Your Kid to Eat New Foods

By Salma Abdelnour Gilman It may seem like an impossible dream right now, but your kid has the potential to love all kinds...Read More
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Sensory Concerns,

A Special Needs Guide for Learning to Eat with Your SEVEN Senses – Part One

  Most of us think of five senses and the human body: Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. But, when it comes...Read More
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Parenting a Picky Eater,

3 Ways to Explain Baby-Led Feeding to Your Extended Family

By Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP Whether it’s a holiday dinner, a virtual family brunch or an outdoor family picnic, well-meaning relatives may...Read More
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Parenting a Picky Eater,

Planting for Kids

By The Lettuce Grow Team Melanie Potock has a knack for taking eaters of all ages from picky to passionate. Here are a...Read More