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 Potock
Pediatric Feeding Expert and Author
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
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.
🤔Just feed them what you’re eating” they say…EXCEPT…
The foods that we all enjoy… can also be the ones that worry me most.😳
Choking hazards / toddler safety / feeding therapy
I get it, one family, one meal. ❤️
Love that. BUT…
❌Children under the age of four aren’t ready for some of the foods that enjoy. They don’t have the skills, the airway protection or the ATTENTION to manage many foods safely. And THEN…
😳Choking is often silent, fast, YET preventable.
✨Certain foods are higher risk because they are:
• Round
• Firm
• Sticky
• Hard to chew
🍇🌭🥜🍬That’s why foods like grapes, hot dogs, nuts, popcorn, and chewy or hard candy need a little extra attention or shouldn’t be offered at all.
But here’s the good news
👉You don’t have to avoid ALL of these foods.
You just need to prepare them safely:
👉 Cut grapes lengthwise
👉 Slice hot dogs into thin strips
👉 Spread nut butter thinly or chop nuts into very tiny piece for toddlers
👉 Soften harder foods via roasting or steaming (like veggies)
And just as important 👇
✔️ Have your child sit while eating
✔️ Stay close – keep an eye on them. Choking typically has no sound.
✔️ Watch for overstuffing
🍿🍬And that popcorn and candy? Absolutely not, ESPECIALLY in a dark movie theater. Wait till age four.
👉 Comment HANDOUTS and I’ll send you my safety guides (in English & Spanish) plus so much more!
💕Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists help kids find joy in food.
choking hazards / toddler safety / baby led weaning safety / feeding therapy / picky eating help / safe food prep / parenting toddlers / starting solids safely / infant feeding tips
You don’t need 🎩fancy meals👨🏼🍳to raise healthy eaters…
you need connection. 💛
Family meals / picky eating / feeding therapy / child development
And I get it… evenings are busy.🤦🏼♀️
Schedules are full. Kids are tired. You’re tired.
But here’s the gentle truth:
✨ Family meals build language
✨ They boost reading skills
✨ They improve school success
✨ They help kids make safer choices
✨ They reduce stress for everyone at the table
💕And most importantly?
They give your child a daily moment to feel seen, heard & connected.
✨It’s ok to start small✨
Even a few meals a week can make a meaningful difference.
You’re not just feeding your child
You’re raising a compassionate human, a better reader, and a smarter kid – and so much more.🤍
Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists help kids find joy in food. The content above is from my latest book, Responsive Feeding.
Got a toddler? Want to drink your coffee while it’s still hot ? ☕️Need seven minutes to clean up the kitchen ? 🧹Just want a few minutes to breathe? 🧘🏼♀️ Never underestimate the power of a mango pit.🥭
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #pickyeaters #feedinglittles #toddlermomlife
Starting Solids and maybe a bit confused on how this is supposed to happen?🤔
Starting solids / baby feeding / feeding development
I get why this exciting phase in feeding development can be confusing!
Your baby goes from feeding “easily”… to suddenly pushing food out, gagging, or barely eating
🤦🏼♀️And it feels like something
went wrong
But nothing went wrong ❤️
In the early months, feeding is reflexive
Then those reflexes fade
Because your baby is learning a new skill – those reflexes TEACH them how to eat.
✨ Moving food
✨ Managing textures
✨ Coordinating chewing & swallowing
📖And learning looks messy!
This is the exact transition I guide you through in my book, Responsive Feeding so you know what’s normal and how to support it with confidence. But if you don’t have that book (hello Amazon!) you can…
✨ Comment HANDOUTS for a free guide and much more!
(available in Spanish too!)
✨ Be sure you’re following me first,
and yep, they’re all free!
Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists help kids find joy in food.❤️
starting solids / baby led weaning / purees / gagging vs choking / feeding development / infant feeding / baby first foods / starting solids tips
It’s your job to decide what’s on the menu, but you can always give your kids a few choices! Love this mom!
DROP A ❤️ to let her know she’s doing a great job!
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #feedingtherapy #slpfeeding #pickyeaters #responsivefeeding
“My kid is never truly hungry” - as a parent, do you ever feel that way?❤️
picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler behavior / appetite / low appetite kids
✨I want you to hear this first:
You’re not doing anything wrong.
Some kids truly don’t feel hunger the way we expect.
But here’s what I’ve learned after 25+ years as a pediatric feeding therapist👇
There is almost always a reason behind low appetite.
Sometimes it’s environmental:
👉 grazing all day
👉 milk, snacks, pouches filling them up
And sometimes it’s physical:
👉 constipation
👉 reflux
👉 nutrient deficiencies
👉 medications
And often?
It’s a combination.
And here’s something I failed to mention in the slides above - ✨ One thing that plays a BIG role? Anxiety.
What questions do YOU have about appetite vs hunger and how important they are to becoming an adventurous eater (and overcoming picky eating too)? DROP THEM IN THE COMMENTS.
🥰Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists help kids find joy in food.
Hi baby and toddler parents, what’s your favorite brand of high chair, and why? How long do you use your highchair as a “feeding chair”???
If you’re a parent…Maybe you think raising an adventurous eater is about what you cook…
But it’s really about what’s consistently available. It has to keep showing up!
Picky eating / ARFID / feeding therapy
I get why this feels overwhelming.
You’re busy. You don’t have time to prep “perfect” meals all day. But let’s try to simplify it.
Here’s the shift:
👉 Exposure does not have to be complicated ❤️It just has to be consistent
🫑These sliced peppers?
They’re doing more than you think ✨
✔️ They build familiarity
✔️ They reduce pressure at meals
✔️ They make it easier to offer vegetables again & again
✨And that’s how kids learn to eat new foods.
❌Not from one perfect meal…But from hundreds of low-pressure exposures over time.
✨ Small, boring steps = BIG progress in feeding
👉 💬Tell me in the comments…
What’s one good you’re motivated to prep each week because you’re seeing it make a difference for your child?
❤️Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists help kids find joy in food.
It’s when you’re acting like everything is totally fine while also acting like you’re not acting.😂
🥰Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists help kids find joy in food.
Parenting a picky eater is basically a full-time job on top of your other full-time job(s)🤦🏼♀️
picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler meltdowns
You’re not just “making dinner”
You’re…
✨ making multiple versions of the same meal… again
✨ reheating food that never gets eaten…again
✨ negotiating bites like it’s a hostage situation…again
✨ wondering how your child survives on 3 foods yet still, your doc isn’t worried. (but, no shade on our wonderful pediatricians here!)
✨ and if you’re not sure what “pretend pretending” means…you’re doing it. It’s when you’re acting like everything is totally fine while also acting like you’re not acting.😂
💪🏻And somehow… you’re also
folding laundry
💪🏻cleaning the bathroom
💪🏻answering emails
and trying to stay calm at the table 😅
Here’s the part most people don’t see 👇
This isn’t about “all kids are picky” or “they’ll eat when they’re hungry”
⭐️Picky eating is layered.
It’s feeding development + sensory preferences + learning history + sometimes a little or a lot of anxiety.
Which means…
👉 You need a plan that actually makes sense for YOUR child💛
And yes… it can get easier.
💬COMMENT COURSE and I’ll send you a discount code for my on-demand courses
✨ picky eating
✨ paci weaning
✨ bottle weaning
It’s all going to be OK, you got this❤️
🥰Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists help kids find joy in food.
I’d marry you with pepper rings 🫑❤️
Picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler behavior
🫑💍Melanie
Thanks for following me!❤️
picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler behavior / mealtime struggles /
baby led weaning / feeding development / pediatric feeding disorder /
sensory feeding / responsive feeding
Juice feels healthy… but for babies? It’s not the win we think it is. 💛
Feeding tips / baby led weaning / feeding development
I get why so many parents offer juice.
It sounds healthy. It comes from fruit. It feels like a good choice.
But here’s what I want you to know 👇
👉 Most juice offers no real nutritional benefit for babies
It’s mostly water & sugar… without the fiber that whole fruit provides
👉 It can crowd out real nutrition
Tiny tummies fill up fast, and juice can replace the foods babies actually need to grow
👉 It’s linked to cavities, diarrhea & nutritional imbalances
Not exactly what we’re going for at this stage
👉 And yes… even store-bought juice can contain concerning levels of arsenic & lead
✨ So what should you do instead?
✔️Stick with breastmilk or formula as the primary drink before age one
✔️Offer water in small amounts once solids are established
✔️Serve whole fruits for natural sweetness, fiber & skill-building
👉 After age one, juice can be offered sparingly, not as a daily habit
And of course, there are a few ⭐️medical exceptions⭐️
For example, your pediatrician may recommend small amounts of prune, apple, or pear juice for constipation💩
But for everyday feeding?
❌Skip the juice.
💬 Tell me… were you ever told juice was “healthy” for babies?
🥰Melanie
✨ Thank you for following me for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents & therapists help kids find joy in food.
picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler nutrition / baby led weaning / feeding development / toddler health / responsive feeding / starting solids / pediatric feeding disorder / first foods
Pediatric Feeding Expert and Author
Melanie's Advice Shared In...
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.
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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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
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
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
