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.
Picky eating • Sensory play • Food play ideas for toddlers
One of the biggest myths about picky eating is that every interaction with food has to involve eating it.
❤️Sometimes the best progress happens when there is no expectation to taste at all.
If your child has sensory differences or is a picky eater, try creating opportunities to simply play with food.
Here are 3 inexpensive ideas:
🚜 1. Jell-O + toy vehicles
Make a box of @jello and hide clean construction trucks, dinosaurs, or farm animals inside. Scoop it, squish it, dig through it, and wash the toys afterward.
🫛 2. Dry foods...then progress to cooked pasta.
Start with dried beans (for older children who no longer mouth objects), oats, rice, or pasta in a sensory bin with measuring cups, spoons, and small toys. Ready for the next step? Buy inexpensive pasta in bulk, cook it, toss it with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and refrigerate it. Cool, slippery pasta makes a wonderful sensory experience for little hands!
🥣 3. “Painting” with food
Use plain yogurt, applesauce, or pudding on a tray or cookie sheet. Paint with fingers, toy cars, silicone brushes, or spatulas. Add a drop of food coloring if your child enjoys bright colors. Add a bowl of “bubble water” and clean water for relief if the sensation is just too overwhelming.
💜 “But isn’t this wasting food?”
It’s a question I hear all the time.
Think of it this way: we don’t consider finger paint, Play-Doh, crayons, or craft supplies “wasted” when they’re helping children learn. Food can be a learning tool, too. A box of Jell-O or a bag of inexpensive pasta can provide hours of sensory exploration that helps some children become more comfortable around food. For many picky eaters and children with sensory differences, that’s an investment in feeding development, not a waste.
The goal is to occasionally create a low-pressure opportunity for learning, curiosity, and confidence.
💜 Sometimes the shortest path to eating a food... is learning that it’s safe to touch it first.
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock / picky eater, sensory play, messy play, food play, toddler activities, feeding therapy, sensor
Honored to teach the team at St. Luke’s and thrilled they are opening registrations to the professional community of feeding therapists!
I’d love to come to your clinic/hospital to teach in 2027! DM me to book!
For the St. Luke’s event, don’t miss Courtney’s email address on the final slide. ❤️
🥰Melanie
melaniepotock / pediatric feeding disorder / ARFID / tube weaning / extreme picky eating / OT / SLP
🥤 Does your picky eater cover their ears or even run away when the blender starts? For many sensory-sensitive children, it isn’t the smoothie they dislike...it’s the sudden, loud noise that comes before it.
❤️One simple trick is placing a folded kitchen towel underneath the blender. The towel helps absorb some of the vibration, which can reduce the overall noise.
💜 A few important safety tips:
✔️ The thicker the folded towel, the more sound it may absorb.
✔️ Make sure the blender sits flat and stable before turning it on.
✔️ Never block the blender’s air vents, and make sure there’s adequate airflow around the motor to help prevent overheating.
Sometimes, a small environmental change is all it takes to help a child feel comfortable enough to stay engaged, participate in cooking, and eventually enjoy the finished smoothie.
👇 Don’t miss the Green Dragon Polka Dot Smoothie from my book, Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Child Learn to Love Vegetables with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes.
🗣️Comment VEGGIES for the link to look inside the book sent directly to your inbox!
🐉RECIPE
✨1 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
✨¾ cup fresh or frozen pineapple
✨½ cup fresh or frozen green grapes
✨Small chunk frozen or fresh banana
✨½ peeled orange (try freezing it!)
✨Small wedge of lime, rind on, seeds removed
✨Tiny (pea sized) piece of ginger or pinch powdered ginger
✨Ice if you want it extra cold
✨1/8 cup chocolate chips
👉🏼✨Blend everything except the chips until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed.
🪄MAGIC MOMENT: Kids add chocolate chips and blend briefly for polka dots!
Serves 2 adults, or 4 little kids
NOTE: Omit chocolate chips for children under age two
🥰Your kids can help by peeling fruit, adding ingredients, and sprinkling in the “magic”
🗣️REMEMBER to COMMENT VEGGIES for the link to look inside the book sent directly to your inbox!
🥳More playful recipes like this in my latest paperback, with over 50 color photos. Comment VEGGIES for the link!
sensory processing, sensory sensitive kids, loud blender, toddler sensory tips, picky eating, feeding therapy, toddler cook
🍿 One more reason I love this popcorn brand...Yes, it’s yummy, but even more important…
@smartfoodpopcorn took the time to print an important safety reminder right on the bag:
⚠️ “CHOKE WARNING: DO NOT GIVE TO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 4 YEARS OLD.”
As a pediatric feeding therapist, I really appreciate seeing brands include clear choking warnings like this. It’s an important reminder for parents, grandparents, babysitters, and anyone caring for young children.
🍿Popcorn is a choking hazard because it’s light, dry, and easy to inhale before it’s fully chewed. Those hard hulls can also become lodged in the airway.
🎬 And here’s one more thing to remember: Popcorn is often eaten in dark movie theaters or while everyone is focused on a screen during movie night at home. Choking is typically silent, so those are exactly the moments when it’s easiest to miss the signs that a child needs help.
❤️share this please - you could save a child from choking❤️Thank you to brands that help educate families while they’re shopping.
😊Coach Mel Tip:
Even if an older sibling is enjoying popcorn, keep it completely out of reach of younger children. Toddlers love to grab what the big kids are eating!
👇 Follow me @mymunchbug_melaniepotock for more tips like this!
🥰Melanie
Toddler safety • Choking hazards • Feeding therapy • Popcorn safety • Toddler snacks • Starting solids • Pediatric feeding • Parenting tips
Weaning off screens at mealtime, especially with extreme picky eating…Well, it isn’t about rushing to take it away…it’s about understanding why it’s there in the first place.
Picky eating / ARFID / feeding therapy
As a parent and a feeding specialist, I get why screens become part of the routine. They help kids stay seated, stay calm, and actually EAT.
👉🏼 That’s not failure. That’s problem-solving. But if you’re ready to move away from screens, here’s the key:
❌You don’t remove the screen first.
❤️You replace the distraction (zoning out) with what they may truly need…
✔ Sensory support
✔ The sense of safety around new foods
✔ Trusting that they can do hard things
✔ Learning to tolerate the unfamiliar
Then, and only then, do screens start to fade.
🎯 Feeding Therapy Challenge is back! For the past 7 days, I’ve been tackling some of the questions, myths, and mealtime struggles I hear most often in feeding therapy. Follow along, save the posts that resonate, and tag a friend who’s in the thick of it. Let’s learn together. 💜
✨ Let’s talk about “extinction bursts” for a moment: This is when a behavior temporarily gets bigger before it fades away.
👉🏼 You might see:
• More protests
• Bigger emotions
• Stronger demands for the screen
This doesn’t mean it’s not working
It means your child is noticing the change – and that’s a little scary, so protests happen. But if you’ve built the foundation, stay calm, stay lovingly firm, and stay the course.
So…
💚 Stay consistent
💚 Support their sensory system
💚 Hold the boundary with empathy
And yes… it will pass
If this is something you’re working on right now, tell me:
👉🏼 What prompted your sweet kiddos reliance on screens at meals? What was the WHY?
🥰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.
picky eating / screen time kids / feeding therapy / ARFID / toddler meals / mealtime struggles / sensory feeding / pediatric feeding disorder / responsive feeding / child development
If you’re a feeding therapist…THIS post is for you - thanks for sharing with colleagues ❤️
🎯 Feeding Therapy Challenge is back! For the next 2 days, I’m tackling some of the questions, myths, and mealtime struggles I hear most often in feeding therapy. Follow along, save the posts that resonate, and tag a friend who’s in the thick of it. Let’s learn together. 💜 Follow @mymunchbug_melaniepotock for trusted advice based on 25+ years as a pediatric feeding therapist.
Got questions… drop them in the comments!
🥰Melanie
food allergies, allergy awareness, feeding therapy, starting solids, pediatric nutrition
No, family meals don’t have to look like a Norman Rockwell painting.🤍
👉🏻Research consistently points to the value of eating together, but perfection isn’t required.
A snack on the porch, together
Breakfast at the counter, together
Pizza on soccer nights, together
🤍Connection matters more than perfection.
❓What’s one family meal tradition your kids love?
🎯 Feeding Therapy Challenge is back! For the next 3 days, I’m tackling some of the questions, myths, and mealtime struggles I hear most often in feeding therapy. Follow along, save the posts that resonate, and tag a friend who’s in the thick of it. Let’s learn together. 💜
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock/ family meals, responsive feeding, connection, picky eating, feeding development
“My child never seems hungry.” Sound familiar?
🎯 Feeding Therapy Challenge is back! For the next 4 days, I’m tackling some of the questions, myths, and mealtime struggles I hear most often in feeding therapy. Follow along, save the posts that resonate, and tag a friend who’s in the thick of it. Let’s learn together. 💜
Sometimes it’s grazing.
Sometimes it’s constipation.
Sometimes it’s reflux, medications, or something medical that deserves attention.
Keeping kids on a schedule for snacks and meals (about two hours apart) can help…
Appetite and your child’s physiology are closely related.
Put on that detective hat!
Appetite isn’t just about willpower. It’s information.
🥰Melanie
Learn more at MelaniePotock.com ❤️
appetite, picky eater, feeding therapy, mealtime struggles, pediatric feeding disorder
Safe Foods/ ARFID / Pediatric Feeding Disorders
🎯 Feeding Therapy Challenge is back! For the next 5 days, I’m tackling some of the questions, myths, and mealtime struggles I hear most often in feeding therapy. Follow along, save the posts that resonate, and tag a friend who’s in the thick of it. Let’s learn together. 💜
👉🏻swipe for EACH CAPTION
🥰 Melanie
❤️I completely respect everyone else’s opinions on this! This is based on my 25+ years of experience helping these kids. Wild to think I’ve treated over 10,000 kids!
For some kids, the term “safe” could work fine - but I find it best not to use it with children.
⚠️The fear is real. The danger is not.
What if the words we use around food are shaping how kids think about eating?
Anxiety will spread in any space we give it…
Kids absolutely have foods that feel familiar and comfortable. But in feeding therapy, I try not to label foods as “safe” in front of children. Instead, we can talk about:
💜 Preferred foods
💜 Familiar foods
💜 Foods we’re learning to make friends with - I love that one for my younger clients!
Moving toward the feeling of safety ❤️
Small language shifts can support flexibility instead of fear.
What’s a phrase you’ve changed that made a difference?🤔
Save this one for your next mealtime.
My child is NEVER hungry for dinner.” 🤦🏼♀️
If that sounds familiar, take a peek at what happens between meals.
🎯 Feeding Therapy Challenge is back! For the next 6 days, I`m tackling some of the questions, myths, and mealtime struggles I hear most often in feeding therapy. Follow along, save the posts that resonate, and tag a friend who`s in the thick of it. Let`s learn together. 💜
👉🏻Picky eating. Endless snack requests. A child who seems to survive on a handful of crackers and three bites of yogurt. I see this all the time in feeding therapy – you are not alone here!❤️
When meals feel stressful, grazing can feel like a relief. Your child is eating something. Everyone feels calmer. The pressure eases for a little while.
But here’s the challenge: when little tummies are constantly topped off, they don’t always have the chance to build the appetite that helps support mealtime.
💜 A few reminders:
✔️ Appetite is just one piece of the puzzle. Some children need additional support and strategies to expand their diet.
✔️ A feeding schedule isn’t about withholding food or “making kids hungry.”
✔️ It’s about creating a predictable rhythm so children can recognize their hunger and fullness cues over time.
✔️ Meals and snacks offered at consistent times can support calmer, more connected family meals.
If you’re trying this at home, aim for:
• Predictable meals and snacks
• Breaks between eating opportunities (try for 2 hour breaks)
• Low-pressure mealtimes
• Consistency over perfection
Remember to offer water throughout the day too! Tiny shifts, repeated over time, can make a big difference.
💬 Tell me in the comments: Is your child an all-day grazer or a hangry meal skipper? I have a feeling many of us fall into one of those two camps.
🥰 Melanie
Thank you for being here for weekly feeding guidance grounded in 25+ years of feeding therapy, helping parents and therapists support children in finding more joy and less stress around food.
picky eating • toddler snacks • grazing vs meals • child never hungry at dinner • feeding schedule • responsive feeding • building appetite • feeding therapy tips • family meals • adventurous eaters
Comment ARFID for info - please don’t wait. ❤️
🍷Meanwhile, i’ll be right here sipping a glass of wine, practicing patience and thinking all the creative ways that I’ll soon have to say “no, the Masterclass is full till next year “ 🤦🏼♀️😉
Melanie 🥰
Melanie Potock / extreme picky eating / ARFID / pediatric feeding therapy / SLP ARFID
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
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
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
