How to Un Picky Your Picky Eater

Christine Miroddi Yoder
  • 3.9 (16)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Bimonthly

Is your child a picky eater? Maybe they are fussy about trying new foods or actually have a fear of trying new foods. In this podcast, we learn tips and strategies on how to get your picky eaters enjoying mealtimes by shifting mindset, working with their sensory system, improving their oral motor skills, remediating gut issues and more. Your host is a mom and a pediatric feeding therapist with extensive training in oral motor, speech, sensory feeding, mindset, and nutrition. We talk everything from breastfeeding to detoxing and everything in between! Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christine-miroddi-yoder/support

  1. Jun 15

    The Biggest Lie We Accidentally Teach Kids About Food

    The Biggest Lie We Accidentally Teach Kids About Food What if one of the most common questions parents ask at the dinner table is actually making picky eating harder? The moment a child takes a bite, we often ask: "Do you like it?" But what if that's the wrong goal altogether? In this episode, I explain why your child doesn't have to love a food to learn to eat it and how expecting them to immediately enjoy every new food can create unnecessary pressure. Instead, I'll show you how to model flexibility, encourage curiosity, and help your child develop a healthier relationship with food. Whether your child is a typical picky eater or struggles with trying any new foods, this simple mindset shift could completely change the way you approach mealtimes. In this episode, you'll learn: Why children don't need to love every food they eat The hidden problem with asking, "Do you like it?" Simple scripts to replace pressure with curiosity How to model flexible eating behaviors for your child Why "good enough" is often a better goal than "I love it" What it may mean if your child won't even taste a new food Remember: The goal isn't to raise a child who loves broccoli. The goal is to raise a child who can say, "It's not my favorite, but I can still eat it." Ready to take the next step? If your child eats fewer than 20 foods, refuses entire food groups, or won't even taste something new, generic advice may not be enough. The first step is understanding why they're stuck. 👉 Take my quiz to identify your child's feeding profile and discover the best next steps for helping them become a more confident and flexible eater. www.thepickyeaterstest.com  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another parent who could use a little encouragement at the dinner table.

    9 min

  2. Jun 1

    What If Your Child Ate 20 New Foods This Summer?

    School is over. Summer is here. And if you're like most parents of a picky eater, you're hoping this will finally be the season things get better. But here's what I see every year: parents tell themselves they'll focus on feeding once the school-year chaos ends… then summer gets busy, vacations happen, life gets in the way, and suddenly another year has passed with little progress. In this episode, I'm sharing why waiting rarely makes feeding challenges easier and the biggest mindset shift that changed how I approach helping families. You'll learn why feeding therapy isn't about outsourcing the problem to a professional, why meals often become a stressful "test" for both parents and children, and how real progress starts long before a child takes a bite. We'll also talk about: Why summer is the perfect time to rebuild your child's relationship with food The hidden parent-child-food dynamic keeping many families stuck How curiosity and connection create more progress than pressure and rewards What feeding success actually looks like Simple ways to create positive food experiences this summer Plus, I'm introducing the FREE Summer of Good Food Challenge—a simple, fun way to help your child build confidence around food while creating positive family memories along the way. Download the FREE Summer of Good Food Challenge here:https://foodologyfeeding.mykajabi.com/offers/2BF4ZLzX/checkout  If you're tired of dreading mealtimes and ready to stop waiting for the "perfect time" to work on feeding, this episode is for you. Because progress doesn't start when your child eats broccoli—it starts when you begin rebuilding their relationship with food.

    13 min

  3. May 18

    The 1 Thing 80% of Parents Miss (And It's Costing Them)

    In this episode, we break down one of the most important foundations in preventing picky eating from expanding: the Plate Boundary. Many parents unintentionally shrink their child’s food repertoire by offering unlimited refills of preferred foods. Over time, this leads to children skipping other foods on the plate—until once-accepted foods like fruits or vegetables begin to drop off the “safe foods” list. You’ll learn how to stop this pattern using a simple but powerful structure that stabilizes mealtimes and protects food variety. We walk through: • Why unlimited preferred foods can actually increase pickiness • What the Plate Boundary is and how it works • The difference between “accepted foods” and “learning foods” • How to set up plates correctly so variety is naturally maintained • Exact scripts to use when your child asks for more • What to expect in the first few weeks of implementation • Common parent challenges (and how to respond without breaking the boundary) You’ll also learn when NOT to use the boundary—especially with new or learning foods—so you can support exploration without pressure. This is a foundational shift in how you structure meals. When implemented consistently, it helps prevent foods from dropping off your child’s accepted list and creates the conditions for a more flexible, varied eater over time. Everything else in picky eating work builds on this stability.

    21 min

  4. May 4

    How I Turned My Husband Into a Steak Guy — and What It Taught Me About Picky Eaters

    What do picky husbands and picky kids have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode, I'm sharing a little story from my own kitchen — how I spent years assuming my husband didn't like steak, never made it, and just… accepted it as fact. Turns out, I was wrong. And once I actually set a goal and committed to a slow, low-pressure approach, it didn't take long at all. In this episode you'll learn: Why assumptions are the enemy — and how skipping exposure keeps picky eating stuck The power of starting where your child is comfortable instead of where you want them to be How to modify gradually so new foods don't feel scary or forced Why no expectations + one meal at a time is the mindset that actually moves the needle What it looks like when kids (and husbands!) take ownership of trying something new If you've been avoiding a food because you think your kid hates it… this episode is your sign to try again. 🎧 Listen, share, and tag a parent who needs to hear this one!

    9 min

  5. Apr 20

    Why Won't My Child Eat Any Food?

    Worried Your Child Isn’t Eating Enough? If your child is: Eating fewer foods (not more) Refusing meals more intensely over time Making mealtimes stressful or overwhelming You’ve probably heard: “It’s just a phase.” But what if it’s not? In today’s episode, we break down the difference between typical picky eating and when something deeper is going on—and why waiting it out can actually make things worse. 🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode The key difference between normal picky eating and feeding struggles Why “just wait it out” can backfire The real reasons kids refuse food (it’s not just behavior) Red flags that signal it’s more than a phase How to shift from forcing food → to understanding what’s getting in the way The first step to getting your child unstuck

    12 min

  6. Apr 6

    What To Do When Your Child Refuses To Eat Dinner

    What To Do When Your Child Refuses To Eat Dinner What do you do when your child refuses to eat dinner? If you’ve tried making separate meals, pushing “just one bite,” or hoping they’ll eat when they’re hungry—but nothing seems to work—this episode is for you. We break down why dinner is often the hardest meal of the day for picky eaters, what’s actually happening when your child refuses food, and why common strategies can make things worse. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to start approaching dinner differently—without turning it into a battle. Because dinner refusal isn’t just about the food… it’s a sign that something deeper may be getting in the way. 🎯 Ready to take the next step? If you’re not sure why your child is refusing meals, start here: 👉 Take the quiz: www.thepickyeaterstest.com Already know your child is stuck in the Fearful or Stuck stage? 👉 Visit our website to learn more about how we help families move forward: www.foodologyfeedingtherapy.com

    12 min

  7. Mar 23

    Let's Play 20 Questions....

    Why does my child gag on food? Why will they only eat snacks? Did I cause this? If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, you are not alone. These are the exact questions parents ask us every single week when they call Foodology Feeding Therapy looking for help with picky eating, food refusal, gagging, sensory challenges, and mealtime stress. In this episode, I answer 20 of the most common questions parents ask about picky eating. But something interesting happens as we go through them… Most of these questions actually point back to the same underlying issues. Because picky eating is rarely just about the food. Instead, feeding challenges are often connected to deeper factors like: • Nervous system safety • Sensory processing • Oral motor skills • Feeding experiences • Gut health • Structure and environment around meals When those pieces aren’t working together, quick tips like “just offer it more” or “have them take one bite” can actually make things worse. In this episode we talk about: • When picky eating is normal — and when it’s not • Why some children panic around new foods • Why kids refuse dinner but ask for snacks later • What gagging and spitting food out actually mean • The real reason many kids refuse vegetables • Why forcing bites often backfires • Why picky eating is almost never caused by just one thing And most importantly — how understanding the reason behind the behavior completely changes how you approach mealtimes. Because once you identify what’s actually blocking your child’s eating, progress becomes much more possible. Take the Next Step If this episode sounds exactly like your child, the best place to start is identifying your child’s stage of eating. Inside our program we categorize picky eaters into three stages: Fearful – food feels unsafe and overwhelming Stuck – limited foods but some willingness Curious – starting to explore new foods The strategies that help a curious eater can completely backfire for a fearful eater. Take the quiz to find your child’s stage: Take the Picky Eater Quiz: https://thepickyeaterstest.com

    31 min

  8. Mar 9

    Why Food Exposure Isn't Working

    Many parents are told that the solution to picky eating is simple: “Just keep exposing them to new foods.” So they put new foods on the plate. They keep offering them. They follow the “no pressure” rule. And yet… nothing changes. In this episode, we unpack why food exposure sometimes fails — and what most feeding advice is missing. Exposure is not just a parenting strategy. It’s a nervous system process. If exposure doesn’t match your child’s stage of readiness, it can unintentionally increase resistance instead of building comfort. In this episode, I explain the three nervous system stages that influence how children respond to food exposure: • The Fearful stage — when the nervous system prioritizes safety and predictability • The Stuck stage — when children can tolerate food nearby but resist interaction or change • The Curious stage — when children begin to explore, taste, and expand variety Understanding these stages helps explain why some children progress quickly with exposure while others seem to get more rigid. We’ll also discuss why feeding progress requires more than repetition — and how factors like sensory processing, oral motor skills, gut comfort, and mindset all influence a child’s readiness for new foods. If you’ve been offering foods over and over without progress, this episode will help you understand why that happens and what may be missing. In This Episode We Discuss • Why the common advice to “just keep offering it” doesn’t work for every child • How the nervous system influences picky eating • The difference between exposure and readiness • The three stages children move through when expanding their diet • Why some children need more structured support to progress with food Take the Next Step If you’re not sure which nervous system stage your child is in, start with the quiz: Take the Picky Eater Quiz: 👉 https://thepickyeaterstest.com  The quiz will help you determine whether your child is in the Fearful, Stuck, or Curious stage and what that means for their feeding progress. If you already know your child is in the Fearful or Stuck stage, that’s where our deeper work happens. You can learn more about the Mealtime Roadmap program here: 👉 https://foodologyfeeding.mykajabi.com/mealtime-roadmap Inside the program we help families move step-by-step from Fearful → Stuck → Curious → Foodie using a whole-child approach that addresses sensory processing, oral motor skills, gut health, and mindset. Connect With Christine Website: https://foodologyfeeding.com  Take the Quiz: https://thepickyeaterstest.com

    13 min
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3.9
out of 5
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About

Is your child a picky eater? Maybe they are fussy about trying new foods or actually have a fear of trying new foods. In this podcast, we learn tips and strategies on how to get your picky eaters enjoying mealtimes by shifting mindset, working with their sensory system, improving their oral motor skills, remediating gut issues and more. Your host is a mom and a pediatric feeding therapist with extensive training in oral motor, speech, sensory feeding, mindset, and nutrition. We talk everything from breastfeeding to detoxing and everything in between! Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christine-miroddi-yoder/support

Information

  • Creator
    Christine Miroddi Yoder
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    161
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Christine Miroddi Yoder
  • Show Website
    How to Un Picky Your Picky Eater

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