Childs Play Nutrition

Touch, smell, play, taste… and all before ‘eating’

Who else WAAAAY overloads their burgers? 😆
(They don’t make ‘em like THAT at the Golden Arches) 😉
All 5 food groups in one bite … winning!

Get Permission Institute currently has a FREE parent webinar for 'Navigating Challenging Mealtimes with Anxious Eaters'. 1.75 hours of content to view within 30 days.
JUMP ON IT!!

Dear Parent: Navigating Challenging Mealtimes with Anxious Eaters Families, this is for you! Marsha Dunn Klein, a pediatric feeding expert, will help you find a path to mealtime peace and enjoyment. After this workshop, you will better understand your child and know exactly which factors influence mealtimes.

Hearing the dreaded "YUCK!" meal after meal is exhausting! 😵‍💫
Changing the way we respond can be a real game-changer.
💡Get curious about the why (it may be a sensory change that can be made)
👇Reduce pressure (pressure is likely to increase food fussiness)
⏰Patience and time. Check in with your own feelings before responding to your child.

If fussy eating is becoming more common in your household, reach out to us for a chat
Happy feeding!

I love being a dietitian and getting together with like-minded professionals to discuss ways to best support our clients. Today I met with dietitian, Kaitlin from littlebeginningsnutrition and dietitian, Lisa from nuancednutrition_apd to chat all things feeding, paediatric nutrition, neurodiversity and parenting.

✨Supporting one another and supporting our communities✨

Tonight I made dinner from a recipe I found.
I went to a special shop for the noodles.
The kids helped by making the sauce.
The whole family was involved…
It has to be one of the WORST meals I’ve ever made. It’s a stodgy mess.
I didn’t say anything.
We served it up, and the kids are eating it.
Moral of the story … kids look to us for our reactions. And sometimes they just surprise us.

🌟 Balance is Key: Enjoying food, family and activities is part of maintaining a healthy relationship with food.

🏖️ Special Occasions: Holidays are special! It’s a time for family gatherings, outings, and trying new foods. Enjoying these moments is important for your mental well-being.

🚴 Stay Active: Plan some fun physical activities. Go for a swim, bike ride, or a walk with family and friends.

🧘 No Guilt: There’s no need to feel guilty about enjoying your favorite foods. Guilt-free eating helps maintain a positive mindset and healthy habits in the long run.

One to add to your podcast list 🎧

Season 1 OUT NOW Practical expert advice you can trust

What is Responsive Feeding?

Responsive feeding is all about tuning in to your baby's hunger and fullness cues. It's a nurturing approach that encourages healthy eating habits and a positive relationship with food from an early age. 🍎🥦

How can you practice responsive feeding?

Watch for Cues: Look for signs your baby is hungry, like lip-smacking or reaching for food, or turning their head away and pushing food away when they are full.
Create a Positive Environment: Make mealtimes relaxed and enjoyable. Take the pressure off feeding. Minimise distractions and engage with your child during mealtimes.
Offer a Variety: Introduce different tastes and textures to help your baby explore new foods.
Be Patient: Allow your baby to eat at their own pace. Don’t pressure them to finish everything on the plate.

Remember, it's all about building trust and fostering a healthy relationship with food. Happy feeding! 🍼💛

The ‘supportive seating while eating’ message has trickled down to my 4 year old.
Nice seat, buddy 😎

Talk about a sensory experience!

Warm apple pie, cold custard, crunchy pastry, sweet filling - all enjoyed oustide in the sprinkling rain on the trampoline!

There can be a lot going on for our kiddos when it comes to eating.
We use our 5 common senses when eating
👀 sight
👃 smell
🫳 touch
👂 sound
😋 taste

The other 3 (less-commonly known) are 'vestibular' and 'proprioceptive' and 'interoceptive'.
Vestibular is our sense of balance (posture, head/neck control)
Proprioceptive is our sense of body movements (muscles, ligaments), and
Interoceptive is our sense of what is happening inside our bodies (hunger, thirst, toileting)

Sometimes, there's a little TOO much going on for kiddo's and they can get overwhemlmed with these sensory inputs at mealtimes.
The picture shown was a child-led request and a very enjoyable experience (until it wasn't). Allowing children to pasue and listen to their bodies and stop eating when they are full/had enough is a great start to tuning into their bodies.

Do you have a child who experiences sensory overload, or you are unsure what could be driving mealtime meltdowns. Reach out to Child's Play Nutrition for help
www.cpnutrition.com.au

NEW AVAILABILITY opening mid-July!

Are you a parent struggling with a 'fussy eater' or a child who needs additional support with nutrition and feeding? Reach out to our Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) and feeding therapist today!

Child's Play Nutrition offers in-home services to families in Maitland and the Hunter region, and telehealth Australia-wide.

Contact Child's Play Nutrition to find out more about our services - or visit our website www.cpnutrition.com.au

“Mum, can I cut this carrot?”
…
The answer: Sure!!

Engaging with food is an important step that comes BEFORE eating a food. Children need to feel safe with food before they are inclined to try it. For some children, heightened sensory responses can leave them feeling overwhelmed about a food and they may avoid trying it altogether.

Leaning into their own curiosity about a food is the perfect time to say yes. Always supervise when knives are involved, but also giving them autonomy to explore is important.

“I can use these for crunch and sip tomorrow!” (Great idea, Miss 7) 👌🏻

When you see a child’s lunch box filled with all white food or packaged items, remember that there might be more to the story. For some families, fresh fruits and vegetables might be out of reach, and watching them come home uneaten isn’t an option in these tough times. Others may have fussy eaters who find comfort in predictable, easy-to-eat foods, especially in the already stressful preschool/ school environment, which can be even harder for our neurodiverse kids. Children with sensory differences often have a limited range of safe foods due to textures, flavours, or smells. What might seem like a picky eater or a defiant child is actually a little person just trying to manage sensory overload the best way they can.

Instead of judging, let’s show empathy. We might not all share the same beliefs about what food “should” be eaten or what is “healthy”, but we need to recognise that for some kids, they can’t “just eat one strawberry” or “just one square of sandwich with seeds in it” no matter how pretty you make it look and sound. We literally support kids who when they see a green pea, will gag and vomit, let’s not jump to the conclusion this is crappy parenting, a wilfully defiant child or a spoilt kid…. because quite often, there is a lot more going on than we realise.

The ‘tid -bits’ container 🙌🏻

Having pre-cut veggies ready to go in the fridge is not only time-saving, it’s also helps to reduce barriers to healthy eating and reduces food waste.

Often parents tell me they don’t bother offering vegetables because it only gets wasted when the child doesn’t eat it.
Easy solution - put it in your ‘tid-bits’ container and you’ve got yourself a handy snack or addition to lunches/dinners.

It takes around 10-15 times of being offered a new food before it is accepted by your child (sometimes even longer). In the meantime, continue to offer new foods alongside accepted foods, and be a role model for your child in eating the foods you would like them to eat.

What would go in your tid-bits container?

Poo...it's not something we talk about much (unless you're a dietitian).

Constipation in children is common and often causes pain and discomfort. It can also decrease appetite and therefore the amount of food they are willing to eat at mealtimes.

Common signs include:
- Sore tummy
- Bloating
- Pain going to the toilet
- Hard or pellet-like poo
- Dark coloured, sticky poo that smells worse than your average poo
- Passing large 'logs'

Although over the counter medications and supplements can ease constipation, a high-fibre and varied diet including vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and grains, plus adequate amounts of water, is the ideal treatment for managing constipation long-term.

Have you checked in on your kids p**p lately? com.au

Nutrition is never one-size-fits-all. That’s why our go-to response is often “it depends.” While certain foods boast more nutrients, it doesn’t mean nutrient poor options should be off limits. ⁠
⁠
The crucial point is recognizing that not every food is a complete package. That’s why a well-rounded diet, featuring a mix of nutrient-rich and enjoyable treats, is the cornerstone of overall health and well-being.⁠
⁠
Consider a sugar-free soft drink like coke no sugar —it won’t spike your calorie count or blood sugar, but it might sneak in some artificial ingredients. Does that make it forbidden or “bad”? Not necessarily; it simply is what it is. Let’s face it, water might not be the life of the party.⁠
⁠
Bottom line: no need to take sides. It all depends on your unique circumstances. 🌱✨

Once they're upset at the meal, not much else good can come from staying and trying to get them to eat. It's a battleground in which no one wins 👇

🥕 close the meal and try again in a few hours
🍗 they'll make up for any missed opportunity when their appetite returns

🌱 Elevate your nutrition game with a rainbow of 30 different types of plant-based delights! 🍏🍇🥕

Why go for the big 3-0? Variety is a game-changer for your gut health! 😋

It's easier than you think!

💡 Mix up your meals with beans, grains, and pulse pastas.
💡 Add a pop of colour with diverse fruits and veggies.
💡 Dare to be different and try new plant foods!
💡 Add some crunch with nuts and seeds.
💡 Get creative with different salad mixes.
💡 Don't forget frozen veggie goodness! 🍓🥦❄️

Ready to take on the big 30 challenge? Swipe to see what you can include and more! Don't forget to TAG US in your creations. 🌈🍏🏆 🌟🥗🌱

Children use a huge amount of energy each day to play, learn and grow!
They have smaller tummies than an adult and need regular meal times (every 2-3 hours during the day).
This equates to approx. 5-6 food opportunities throughout the day (3 main meals and ~ 2 snacks).

If you are struggling with your child’s eating, planning meals /snacks, or experiencing difficulty with behaviours around your child’s eating that affect food intake, reach out to book an appointment with Child’s Play Nutrition.
[email protected]

Study Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-22/mooroopna-park-school-free-food-profound-student-improvements/101346996

‘Sausage’ rolls for tomorrows lunchbox.

Boosted with lentils and zucchini and swapping sausage meat for lean beef mince.

This will be a new lunchbox food for my kiddos, so I’ll be sure to pack plenty of other ‘familiar or preferred foods’.

Try out the recipe here: https://nomoneynotime.com.au/healthy-easy-recipes/clares-homemade-sauso-rolls

Are your kids ravenous as soon as they get home?

Afternoon snack plates are a great option.
- minimal effort
- use what’s in the fridge
- all on one plate

What would your snack plate be?

If mealtimes are becoming stressful in your house, consider looking into Ellyn Satter's 'Division of Responsibility' (DOR). It helps us to understand that we (the parent and the child) each have roles to play and sets up a solid foundation for feeding expectations. Check out the link for more info.

Eating is the only task that requires every one of our organ systems, and requires those systems to function correctly. It's also complex for our muscles... just one swallow involves 26 muscles and 6 cranial nerves to coordinate together!
It requires simultaneous coordination of our 8 sensory systems. No wonder it can be overwhelming for some kids with sensory processing challenges.
Our bodies are truly amazing 🏆

Hi there!
My name is Felicity - I am an accredited practising dietitian (APD), and director of Childs Play Nutrition. I help children and families to enjoy a wide variety of food through responsive feeding techniques and food-play experiences.
As a registered APD I am bound to an ethical code of conduct to provide evidence-based nutrition information that is BS-free.
As a mum of two young (and wildy individual) kiddos, I respect and value the uniqueness that each family brings to the table.
Whether you are seeking individualised support, or just needing some feeding tips, feel free to reach out to me: [email protected]