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.
ARFID- with 3 new slides for you♥️
😳 “SLPs don’t treat ARFID.” ?????
This is a hot topic, and four words simply aren’t enough to explain
something this complex.
So I’ve added 3 new slides to this post to help break it down, including
important language directly from ASHA’s Scope of Practice.
👉🏻 And here’s something we can’t overlook: Counseling IS within our scope
of practice, including counseling around the thoughts, feelings & behaviors
that arise because of the disorders we treat.
Back in January, I approached ASHA about this statement because I believe
the words we use matter. They can influence whether children get the right
therapy, the right team & potentially the insurance coverage they need.
Here’s what I want to be very clear about:
❌ SLPs do not diagnose ARFID.
❌ SLPs do not provide psychotherapy.
But understanding anxiety does not make us psychotherapists, just as
understanding nutrition does not make us dietitians & understanding GI
disorders does not make us gastroenterologists.
💕 It makes us better feeding therapists.
Children with ARFID deserve access to mental health professionals AND
appropriately trained feeding specialists working collaboratively within
their respective scopes.
I’ve spent years studying, treating, teaching & speaking about ARFID and
anxious eating, and I’m passionate about helping feeding professionals
understand where we fit on that team.
👉🏻 Please read all the way through the carousel, including the 3 new
slides. This topic deserves more than four words.
Comment ASD for my on-demand course ARFID, Autism & Anxiety, PLUS a discount code💞
🎤 Need a speaker for your hospital, clinic or organization? DM me. I have
just 5 in-person openings remaining for 2027. Having taught my ARFID
Masterclass at Cleveland Clinic and other incredible hospitals and clinics
in 4 different countries, I would love to bring this course to your
community too.
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, ARFID, pediatric feeding disorder, feeding therapy, SLP
scope of practice, ASHA, counseling, anxious eating, pediatric feeding
specialist
Parents of picky eaters sometimes tell me, “We’re not making progress!”🤦🏼♀️
Not always, but often...
That’s not the case. ♥️ It’s that progress comes in tiny steps, and THEN, it snowballs.
Learning isn’t a straight line.
Children move forward.
Pause.
Move forward again.
That’s development.
Celebrate every small step.
🥇Because those tiny wins become big victories over time.
🤔❓What questions can I answer? Be sure you’re following me @mymunchbug_melaniepotock to see the replies and tips!
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, feeding progress, picky eating, feeding therapy, toddler development, responsive feeding
👋🏼Little kiddos have little hands for snacks & school lunch which means…
😩Children can’t eat what’s trapped inside a package they can’t open.
One of the first things I discovered as a new feeding therapist over 25 years
ago was this:
Those little wrappers may seem easy to us, but for young children they can
require more hand strength, coordination, and time than we realize.
That’s why I created this simple lunchbox hack using @postit tabs!
✔️ Snip the package open at home.
✔️ Fold the opening over.
✔️ Add a Post-it® Repositionable Filing Tab.
✔️ Now your child simply grabs the tab and pulls.
♥️It only takes a few seconds during lunch prep, but it helps children become
more independent and gives them more time to eat instead of wrestling with
their food.
As feeding therapists, we often ask, “What’s getting in the child’s way?”
Sometimes the answer isn’t the food.
It’s the package.
💕 Small changes like this can make lunchtime feel much more successful.
🗣️Comment BOX and I’ll send you a link to fun tools & lunchboxes that are
easy-open!
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, lunchbox tips, picky eating, feeding therapy, school lunch,
toddler independence, fine motor skills, back to school lunches, feeding
therapist, lunchbox hacks
Maybe “chic” isn’t the right word...
Maybe it’s freeing. 💜
The moment we stop chasing perfect eating and start celebrating progress, mealtimes begin to feel different—for our children and for us. Same is true for speech development…and it’s chic to protect your baby’s hearing in every loud environment. These are just a sampling of what I believe is freeing, or chic!
✨ Which slide made you smile and think, “That’s us”?
🗣️Comment the number below (1–6). I’d love to know which one was your favorite.
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, picky eating, feeding therapy, responsive feeding, toddler meals, food play, family mealtimes
♥️Parents often apologize when they meet me, because they are worried that their child’s picky eating is their fault.
It’s not. No need to apologize.
You love your child.
You’re doing your best with the information you have.
That’s all any of us can do.
All you want is a peaceful family mealtime.♥️
3 TIPS:
✨Feeding therapy is customized for your kid! Seek help if you’re stressed about your child’s nutritional health.
✨BOOKS are the next best thing to learn how to raise an adventurous eater.
✨Talk to your pediatrician on how to find help. Schedule a private call and come prepared with your talking points. Sounds intense, I know, but stress that you’re stressed!
🎙️Comment BOOKS if you’re ready for practical, evidence-based strategies you can start using today. Be sure you’re following @mymunchbug_melaniepotock to get the links!
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock picky eater help, feeding therapy, family meals, responsive feeding, toddler meals
Maybe Your Kid Doesn’t Hate Lunch... They Might Hate Their Lunchbox.
Sometimes the biggest problem is the lunchbox itself.
A lunchbox that’s hard to open, has too many containers, or a setup that feels overwhelming can make lunchtime much harder than it needs to be.
💜 Comment BOX and I’ll send you my favorite lunchboxes, containers, and fun tools that make school lunches easier (and a little more exciting) for kids. #amazonaffiliate
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, school lunch, lunchbox, picky eating, back to school, feeding therapy, school cafeteria, kids lunches
“My child came home from school with a full lunchbox.”🤦🏼♀️
If you’ve ever had that thought during the first weeks of school, you’re not alone. As a feeding therapist, I’ve seen many children eat beautifully at home but struggle in the school cafeteria.
Sometimes they truly don’t like the food.
But often, the cafeteria itself is the challenge.
It’s loud, busy, rushed, and full of distractions. Children are opening containers, finding seats, trying to talk with friends, and trying to finish before recess.
A little preparation at home can make a big difference.
💜 Here are a few of my favorite tips:
✔️ Practice opening every lunch container.
✔️ Pack familiar favorites during the first week.
✔️ Now’s the time for “Lunchbox Dinner” at home.
✔️ Talk through what the cafeteria will be like.
✔️ If your child has food allergies, practice creating a designated eating space with a large paper napkin. It helps as a “cleaner” space but also is a visual boundary for kids sitting on either side of your child.
✔️ Give your child time to adjust before worrying about an untouched lunch.
🎁 Comment MAP and I’ll send you my FREE Lunchbox Packing Map to help make lunchtime feel more predictable, independent, and less stressful.
These ideas are inspired by Chapter 11 of the award-winning book, Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater (written by me and pediatrician Dr. Yum!) because feeding is about so much more than the food itself.
💾 Save this post before school starts so you have these tips when you need them.
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, back to school, school lunch, school cafeteria, lunchbox, picky eating, feeding therapy, feeding therapist, school anxiety, ARFID, ADHD, autism, food allergies, lunch routines, parenting tips, child development
Can’t get enough family, friends & 🦀🦀🦀🦀 from @thecrabplace ♥️
Have you ever had fresh steamed🦀?
Crab feasts all summer!
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, Picky eaters , pediatric feeding therapy , raising adventurous eaters , Maryland Blue Crab
Did you know there are over 1 million colors in a rainbow? 🌈 And if you’re
lucky enough to see a double rainbow, like the one over my house last night... that’s 2 million beautiful reminders that
nature is full of surprises.
If you’re raising a child who struggles with trying new foods, I hope you’ll take this as your reminder not to give up.
Progress in feeding isn’t usually one big, dramatic moment.
It’s built through hundreds of tiny, patient moments:
💛 One meal.
💛 One playful exposure.
💛 One gentle nudge.
💛 One opportunity to feel safe around food.
Then one day... your child surprises you.
It might be a lick.
A tiny bite.
Or simply sitting at the table with a little less worry than yesterday.
Those moments matter. Feeding therapy helps kids make progress, but not every kiddo needs feeding therapy. Sometimes just expert strategies are enough to help experience these moments of success! Thanks for following me for tips.🤍
🌈 By the way...if you’re looking for guidance or if you’re a therapist
getting started in feeding therapy - my most popular on-demand course,
Feeding Development: Understanding the Spectrum of Picky Eating, is 50% off right now! If you’d like practical, evidence-based strategies to help your child (or the families you support) build a healthier relationship with food, comment RAINBOW and I’ll send you the link and the discount code.
✨ Be sure you’re following me so the discount code can make it to your DMs!
And if someone you know could use a little extra hope today, please share
this with them. 💛
Thanks to my friend @beachauthor for taking this video last night! Be sure
to follow her if you love reading like I do!
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, picky eating, feeding therapy, responsive feeding, toddler
nutrition, pediatric feeding, food anxiety, feeding development, parent
support
I won’t stitch the feeding therapy video - you’ve probably seen it - a feeding therapist who appears to be overly assertive in getting a child to eat while another adult holds down the child’s hands.💔This is a difficult video to watch, and a difficult one for me to comment on. I’ve wrestled with this for days.
A short clip never gives us the whole picture. We don’t know the child’s
history, the treatment plan, what happened before or after this moment, or the clinical reasoning behind what we’re seeing. The family who loves this
child is just trying to help this kiddo - let’s remember that.
But, my DMs are blowing up, asking me to do something.
So, because this reel is being widely shared, I want families to hear
something important:
This is not what MOST feeding therapy looks like in the USA today.
I’m not saying it never happens, but the majority of specialists are not
using such aggressive techniques.
In 25+ years as a pediatric feeding therapist in the U.S., and after
teaching more than 25,000 therapists over the years, I have seen our field
continue to move toward approaches that respect a child’s communication,
regulation and autonomy while still helping children take the next
developmental step.
♥️Feeding therapy can absolutely include gentle nudges. Children sometimes need support tolerating discomfort as they learn something new.
But there is a meaningful difference between gently challenging a child and
physically preventing a child from responding to that challenge.
This video does not represent the feeding therapy I teach. I’ve never used these methods and I know this is the case for the majority of feeding specialists today.♥️
My concern? I don’t want parents who see it to assume that this is what will happen if they seek feeding therapy for their child in the USA.
I’d be so grateful if you would share this post with your own followers, to
reassure our communities that feeding therapy can be, and most often is,
respectful of each child and their unique skill sets.
♥️Melanie
Melanie Potock, feeding therapy, pediatric feeding therapy, feeding
therapist, picky eating, responsive feeding, child autono
One of the easiest ways to help a hesitant eater become more comfortable around food is to take the pressure off eating altogether.
🛒Pretend grocery store is one of my favorite activities because children can interact with food in a completely different way.
✨They’re learning that food is interesting...not stressful.
✨They’re hearing food names over and over while sorting, comparing, counting, pretending, and making choices.
✨Every playful interaction builds familiarity, and familiarity often comes before willingness.
As a pediatric feeding specialist, I also love grocery play from a speech and language perspective because children are practicing so many important communication skills:
🥕 Expanding vocabulary (foods, colors, categories)
🛒 Following and giving directions
🍎 Asking and answering questions
💬 Using conversational turn-taking
🧺 Sequencing (“First we shop, then we pay, then we bring the groceries home.”)
🍌 Pretend play and symbolic thinking
🔢 Early math concepts like counting, matching, and sorting
For children with feeding challenges, pretend grocery store can become a safe place to explore foods before they’re ever expected to taste them. The conversations we have about food matter just as much as the bites we hope children will eventually take.
💕 Want to set up a tiny pretend grocery store in your playroom? Comment GROCERY and I’ll send you the link to all my top QUALITY picks, including the cutest little cart you’ve ever seen! #amazonaffiliate
♥️Melanie
Melanie Potock, picky eating, pretend grocery store, feeding therapy, food exposure, toddler activities, speech language development, pretend play, food play, pediatric feeding specialist, vocabulary development, early language, child development
One of the simplest ways to reduce toddler power struggles around food (and throughout the day) is to replace constant commands with modeling.
Instead of asking:
❌ “What do you say?”
❌ “Say please.”
❌ “Tell Grandma thank you.”
Try saying the words yourself.
👉🏻For example:
Toddler: “I need more ketchup.”
You: “Oh, you’d like more ketchup, please? Absolutely! Here you go.”
You’re not ignoring manners.
You’re teaching them.
Toddlers learn through repetition, connection, and hearing language used naturally. When every interaction becomes a quiz (“What do you say?”), children can become more focused on avoiding correction than on learning the skill.
And here’s the fun part...
When they eventually say “please” all on their own, celebrate it!
💕 “Oh, I love hearing ‘please!’”
💕 “That was such a nice ‘please.’ Yes, I’d be happy to get that for you.”
💕 “Thanks for asking so politely!”
That positive feedback is often much more powerful than reminding them to say it in the first place.
👉🏻Of course, there are moments when we do prompt children to use polite words. I simply try to reserve those moments instead of making every interaction a command.
Model first.
Redirect gently.
Celebrate their independent efforts.
❤️ Manners are caught just as often as they’re taught.
🥰Melanie
Melanie Potock, toddler manners, positive parenting, toddler communication, language development, speech therapy, parenting toddlers, responsive parenting, gentle parenting, modeling language, reducing power struggles
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.
