Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP is a mom who once had a picky eater.Ā Sheās experienced first-hand the stress that parents feel when they are worried about their childās nutritional health.Ā Fast forward to today, and youāll find Melanie blending her knowledge of feeding therapy with practical parenting strategies that help the entire family eat healthier.Ā Sheās an international speaker and author of six books, including co-authoring the award-winning Raising a Healthy Happy Eater.Ā 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, āCoach Melā is here to guide you.
Melanie Potock
Pediatric Feeding Expert and Author
Expert Feeding Help
for Professionals and Parents
Melanie Potockās keynotes, courses, books & articles focus on raising kids to be healthy, happy eaters. From babies to toddlers to teens, āCoach Melā is here to help.
Raising a Healthy Happy Eater Isnāt 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 thatās 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.Ā Parents report that toddlers are the most challenging to feed, thanks to active little bodies and fleeting attention spans.Ā Learn how to lay positive foundations for eating at 6 months of age, navigate the āterrific twosā and avoid picky eating in the preschool years!Ā 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 itās especially important from preschool and into the elementary school years.Ā Whatās the number one food group that parents struggle with the most?Ā Vegetables!Ā The secret to helping kids love any kind of food is to follow Melanieās Three Eās: Expose, Explore, Expand.Ā Youāll learn how to use the Three Eās and create veggie-love in Melanieās book, Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes.Ā 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 childrenās book!Ā 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.Ā Donāt miss the parent tips in the back of the book!Ā Learn about all of Melās books here.
Got a toddler? Want to drink your coffee while itās still hot ? āļøNeed seven minutes to clean up the kitchen ? š§¹Just want a few minutes to breathe? š§š¼āāļø Never underestimate the power of a mango pit.š„
š„°Melanie
#melaniepotock #pickyeaters #feedinglittles #toddlermomlife
Starting Solids and maybe a bit confused on how this is supposed to happen?š¤
Starting solids / baby feeding / feeding development
I get why this exciting phase in feeding development can be confusing!
Your baby goes from feeding āeasilyāā¦ to suddenly pushing food out, gagging, or barely eating
š¤¦š¼āāļøAnd it feels like something
went wrong
But nothing went wrong ā¤ļø
In the early months, feeding is reflexive
Then those reflexes fade
Because your baby is learning a new skill ā those reflexes TEACH them how to eat.
āØ Moving food
āØ Managing textures
āØ Coordinating chewing & swallowing
šAnd learning looks messy!
This is the exact transition I guide you through in my book, Responsive Feeding so you know whatās normal and how to support it with confidence. But if you donāt have that book (hello Amazon!) you canā¦
āØ Comment HANDOUTS for a free guide and much more!
(available in Spanish too!)
āØ Be sure youāre following me first,
and yep, theyāre all free!
Melanie
āØ 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.ā¤ļø
starting solids / baby led weaning / purees / gagging vs choking / feeding development / infant feeding / baby first foods / starting solids tips
Itās your job to decide whatās on the menu, but you can always give your kids a few choices! Love this mom!
DROP A ā¤ļø to let her know sheās doing a great job!
š„°Melanie
#melaniepotock #feedingtherapy #slpfeeding #pickyeaters #responsivefeeding
āMy kid is never truly hungryā - as a parent, do you ever feel that way?ā¤ļø
picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler behavior / appetite / low appetite kids
āØI want you to hear this first:
Youāre not doing anything wrong.
Some kids truly donāt feel hunger the way we expect.
But hereās what Iāve learned after 25+ years as a pediatric feeding therapistš
There is almost always a reason behind low appetite.
Sometimes itās environmental:
š grazing all day
š milk, snacks, pouches filling them up
And sometimes itās physical:
š constipation
š reflux
š nutrient deficiencies
š medications
And often?
Itās a combination.
And hereās something I failed to mention in the slides above - āØ 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.
š„°Melanie
āØ 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, whatās your favorite brand of high chair, and why? How long do you use your highchair as a āfeeding chairā???
If youāre a parentā¦Maybe you think raising an adventurous eater is about what you cookā¦
But itās really about whatās consistently available. It has to keep showing up!
Picky eating / ARFID / feeding therapy
I get why this feels overwhelming.
Youāre busy. You donāt have time to prep āperfectā meals all day. But letās try to simplify it.
Hereās the shift:
š Exposure does not have to be complicated ā¤ļøIt just has to be consistent
š«These sliced peppers?
Theyāre doing more than you think āØ
āļø They build familiarity
āļø They reduce pressure at meals
āļø They make it easier to offer vegetables again & again
āØAnd thatās how kids learn to eat new foods.
āNot from one perfect mealā¦But from hundreds of low-pressure exposures over time.
āØ Small, boring steps = BIG progress in feeding
š š¬Tell me in the commentsā¦
Whatās one good youāre motivated to prep each week because youāre seeing it make a difference for your child?
ā¤ļøMelanie
āØ 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.
Itās when youāre acting like everything is totally fine while also acting like youāre not acting.š
š„°Melanie
āØ 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)š¤¦š¼āāļø
picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler meltdowns
Youāre not just āmaking dinnerā
Youāreā¦
āØ making multiple versions of the same mealā¦ again
āØ reheating food that never gets eatenā¦again
āØ negotiating bites like itās a hostage situationā¦again
āØ wondering how your child survives on 3 foods yet still, your doc isnāt worried. (but, no shade on our wonderful pediatricians here!)
āØ and if youāre not sure what āpretend pretendingā meansā¦youāre doing it. Itās when youāre acting like everything is totally fine while also acting like youāre not acting.š
šŖš»And somehowā¦ youāre also
folding laundry
šŖš»cleaning the bathroom
šŖš»answering emails
and trying to stay calm at the table š
Hereās the part most people donāt see š
This isnāt about āall kids are pickyā or ātheyāll eat when theyāre hungryā
āļøPicky eating is layered.
Itās feeding development + sensory preferences + learning history + sometimes a little or a lot of anxiety.
Which meansā¦
š You need a plan that actually makes sense for YOUR childš
And yesā¦ it can get easier.
š¬COMMENT COURSE and Iāll send you a discount code for my on-demand courses
āØ picky eating
āØ paci weaning
āØ bottle weaning
Itās all going to be OK, you got thisā¤ļø
š„°Melanie
āØ 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.
Iād marry you with pepper rings š«ā¤ļø
Picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler behavior
š«šMelanie
Thanks for following me!ā¤ļø
picky eating / feeding therapy / toddler behavior / mealtime struggles /
baby led weaning / feeding development / pediatric feeding disorder /
sensory feeding / responsive feeding
Juice feels healthyā¦ but for babies? Itās not the win we think it is. š
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 hereās what I want you to know š
š Most juice offers no real nutritional benefit for babies
Itās mostly water & sugarā¦ without the fiber that whole fruit provides
š It can crowd out real nutrition
Tiny tummies fill up fast, and juice can replace the foods babies actually need to grow
š Itās linked to cavities, diarrhea & nutritional imbalances
Not exactly what weāre going for at this stage
š And yesā¦ even store-bought juice can contain concerning levels of arsenic & lead
āØ So what should you do instead?
āļøStick with breastmilk or formula as the primary drink before age one
āļøOffer water in small amounts once solids are established
āļøServe whole fruits for natural sweetness, fiber & skill-building
š After age one, juice can be offered sparingly, not as a daily habit
And of course, there are a few āļømedical exceptionsāļø
For example, your pediatrician may recommend small amounts of prune, apple, or pear juice for constipationš©
But for everyday feeding?
āSkip the juice.
š¬ Tell meā¦ were you ever told juice was āhealthyā for babies?
š„°Melanie
āØ 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
š¤Seeing siblings together in feeding therapyā¦ sounds efficient, right?
Picky eating / feeding therapy / sibling dynamics / pediatric feeding therapy
ā¤ļøI totally get why parents ask for this!
It saves time. It feels easier. And if both kids are struggling, it seems like a natural solution.
š Hereās whatās going on:
āļøFeeding therapy is highly individualized
āļøKids regulate differently, even within the same family
āļøSiblings can trigger comparison, pressure, or distraction
āļøOne childās progress can unintentionally impact the other
āļøOne childās behavior often influences the otherās behavior
š The missing piece:
Feeding therapy works best when we can fully tune into one child at a time.
Thatās where we see the biggest gains in confidence, regulation, and skill-building.
š But hereās the reframe:
If youāre hoping to combine sessions for convenience, ADD IN MORE KIDS - a structured group can be a better fit.
š What do we do?
āļøInclude one-on-one sessions when possible
āļøBuild feeding groups by adding 2ā4 children of similar age and goals
āļøThis shifts the dynamic away from sibling comparison and influential behaviors
āļøSupports modeling in a more neutral, social environment
āØ Ready to run the best group therapy in your setting? š¬Comment DYP and Iāll send you links to learn about the Dr. Yum Food Adventure. Itās an evidence-based program I co-created with a team of experts, now used by more than 113,000 children to support feeding groups.
š„°Melanie
āØ 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 / feeding therapy / pediatric feeding therapy / sibling feeding challenges / feeding therapy groups / ARFID support / pediatric feeding disorder / feeding therapy strategies / responsive feeding / selective eating
Extreme picky eating (ARFID) isnāt just about foodā¦ and I get why this is so confusing.š«¤
Picky eating / ARFID / feeding therapy
Have you heard this before???
šš¼ āTheyāll eat if theyāre hungryā
šš¼ āJust have them take a biteā
šš¼ āItās behavioralā
That might makes sense at first.
But hereās what I see after 25+ years of feeding therapy š
āØ Itās a STACK:
šš¼ Physiology
Like sensory processing, medical history, appetite and so much more
šš¼Environment
Experiences, routines, family dynamics
šš¼Motor skills
It takes an experienced feeding specialist to detect subtle challenges in oral motor movement.
šš¼ Anxiety
A major driver for many kids, especially with ARFID - anxiety is often the culprit but even those actors that are slightly contributing to overall fear of food are crucial to consider.
And hereās the part most people miss š
If you focus on just ONEā¦
you miss whatās actually driving your childās eating.
āØ Thatās why quick fixes donāt work
āØ Thatās why heavy pressure backfires
We have to look at the whole child.
Comment ARFID and Iāll send you info to learn more š
ā¤ļøMelanie
āØ 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 / ARFID / feeding therapy / toddler behavior / mealtime struggles / feeding development / pediatric feeding disorder / sensory feeding / responsive feeding / child anxiety
Pediatric Feeding Expert and Author
Melanie's Advice Shared In...
Courses for Parents & Professionals
Melanie offers both on-demand courses and live-streaming Masterclasses.Ā 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?Ā As a parent, SLP or OT, what do you need to know about child nutrition?Ā What about the anxious eater ā Could this be more than just picky eating?Ā Melanieās on-demand course subscriptions provide the answers!
Want more in-depth instruction in a small group, virtual setting?Ā Register for one of Melanieās Masterclass!
Explore course options here.
Parenting Advice
Melanieās 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 Melanieās advice to be practical and possible, even in the most challenging cases.Ā Thatās 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 Associationās National Conference and the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo.
Audiences say it best: If you are looking for a professional speaker who can āprovide practical solutionsā for parents, caregivers and therapists and your company needs a āhighly knowledgeable, organized presenterā with āenergy and enthusiasmā who can deliver a ādynamic courseā, then your best choice is Melanie Potock. Contact Melanie here.
Product Consulting
Need expert input on your new parenting product?Ā 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?Ā Feeding is developmental, just like learning to crawl, walk, run. At least 1 in 4 typically developing children have trouble learning to eat! Ā Raising a healthy, happy eater requires the right tools and the right advice. Ā 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
ByĀ 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 ā 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 itās 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 PotockĀ has a knack for taking eaters of all ages from picky to passionate. Here are a...Read More
