Eating Strategies

The best thing you can do for a child with ARFID is to work with a multi-disciplinary team — but let’s be real, the wait lists are long, and most places don’t have the availability to offer that kind of support right away.

So, for many of us, help starts at home. Managing ARFID is a game of trial and error, what works for one child might not work for the next, and what worked yesterday might be totally rejected next week. It can feel like a rollercoaster, but every tiny step forward… a new food on the plate, a tiny lick, even just tolerating something new nearby — is a huge win.

This section is packed with real-life, tried-and-tested strategies by parents globally to help make mealtimes a little easier.

Reminder: We are not medical professionals. Every child with ARFID is different, and while these ideas may help, it's always best to consult with specialists to ensure you're taking the right approach for your child.

“Gradually health professionals are becoming more aware of ARFID, there are training programmes and even diploma in ARFID. But it is all very "patchy" and parents might well still meet with a health professional who has had no experience of the disorder. I find that it is often the parents who are better informed than many health professionals, and it is they who have unfortunately to lobby for care pathways and diagnosis.”

— Dr. Gillian Harris, Clinical Psychologist. BA, MSc.PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS

Food Chaining

Food chaining is a structured approach to expanding a child’s diet by introducing new foods that are similar in texture, flavour, or appearance to foods they already eat and accept.

It’s a gentle, step-by-step method that builds on familiar "safe foods" to help children with ARFID feel comfortable trying new foods without pressure or distress.

Rather than forcing unfamiliar foods, food chaining works by creating small, gradual changes that help a child expand their food choices in a way that feels safe and manageable.

    1. Start with Safe Foods – Identify foods your child already eats and enjoys. These will be the foundation for food chaining.

    2. Find Similar Alternatives – Introduce foods that share a similar texture, flavour, shape, or colour but have slight differences.

    3. Make Small, Gradual Changes – Alter the food slightly over time, allowing your child to get used to minor differences.

    4. Encourage, But Don’t Force – Let your child explore new foods at their own pace. No pressure, no bribing—just encouragement and exposure.

    5. Repeat & Expand – Once a new food is accepted, build on that success by introducing another similar food.

  • Identify Your Child’s Safe Foods

    Make a list of foods your child eats regularly. Note their textures, flavours, temperatures, shapes, and colours.

    For example, if your child eats crispy chicken nuggets, they may struggle with soft, grilled chicken but might tolerate homemade baked chicken tenders with a similar crunch.

    Introduce Similar Foods

    Find foods that are closely related to your child’s favourites.

    • If they eat plain pasta, try adding butter, then a mild cheese, then a simple tomato sauce.

    • If they like French fries, offer homemade baked fries, then roasted potato wedges, then mashed potatoes.

    Keep Textures and Colours Familiar

    For children with strong sensory preferences, textures and colours matter more than flavour. Keep these as close as possible to their preferred foods when making changes.

    • If they love crackers, try introducing similar crackers with a different brand or shape before moving to slightly softer textures like toast.

    • If they prefer white foods, slowly add in off-white or pale-coloured options before brighter foods.

    Use Dips and Coatings

    Dips and coatings can help new foods feel more familiar.

    • If they eat chicken nuggets with ketchup, try adding a tiny piece of grilled chicken dipped in the same ketchup.

    • If they like yogurt, mix a small amount of a new fruit puree into it.

    Change One Thing at a Time

    Avoid overwhelming your child with too many changes at once. Modify just one aspect (texture, shape, colour, or brand) before moving on to another.

    Example: If your child eats smooth apple sauce, you could introduce apple sauce with a little pulp, then soft baked apples, then peeled raw apple slices, and eventually unpeeled apple slices.

    Make Food Fun & Low-Stress

    • Use cookie cutters to make new foods more exciting.

    • Offer foods in small portions to avoid overwhelm.

    • Use fun plates, colourful forks, or playful food arrangements.

    • Let your child help in the kitchen to increase familiarity with new foods.

    Be Patient & Celebrate Small Wins

    Some foods may take weeks or months before your child feels ready to try them. Celebrate tiny victories, even if they only touch, smell, or lick a new food at first.

  • Food chaining is a slow and gradual process — progress happens in tiny bites, not big leaps.

    It can take weeks or even months for a child with ARFID to feel comfortable with a new food, and that’s okay.

    The goal isn’t to rush but to build trust and familiarity with food in a way that feels safe. A single lick, a small nibble, or even just tolerating a new food on their plate is progress. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory.

    Patience is key, and the focus should always be on creating a positive, pressure-free experience rather than achieving quick results.

  • Chicken Nuggets → Grilled Chicken

    Breaded frozen chicken nuggets
    ↓
    Homemade baked chicken tenders
    ↓
    Lightly breaded pan-fried chicken
    ↓
    Grilled chicken with crispy edges
    ↓
    Plain grilled chicken

    French Fries → Mashed Potatoes

    Frozen fries
    ↓
    Homemade baked fries
    ↓
    Roasted potato wedges
    ↓
    Soft cubed roasted potatoes
    ↓
    Mashed potatoes with a few lumps
    ↓
    Smooth mashed potatoes

    Plain Pasta → Pasta with Sauce

    Plain pasta
    ↓
    Pasta with melted butter
    ↓
    Pasta with mild cheese
    ↓
    Pasta with a small amount of white sauce
    ↓
    Pasta with a mild tomato sauce

Food chaining takes time and patience, but it’s a gentle way to help your child explore new foods without anxiety. Progress may be slow, but every tiny step counts.

Keep it pressure-free, flexible, and positive, and remember — your child’s comfort and trust in food is the most important goal.

If food challenges are significantly affecting your child’s nutrition, growth, or daily life, consulting a dietitian or feeding therapist can provide additional strategies and support.

Food Pairing

Alongside food chaining, another effective approach to help children with ARFID eat more is food pairing. This involves serving a new or less preferred food alongside a safe, familiar food that your child already trusts. The goal is to make mealtimes feel less intimidating by keeping something on the plate that feels comfortable while gently encouraging exposure to new foods.

  • Always include a "safe food" – Make sure there’s at least one food on the plate that your child will reliably eat. This reduces anxiety and helps them feel in control.

    Keep new foods nearby – Instead of mixing foods together, serve them side by side. This allows your child to explore at their own pace without pressure.

    Let them engage at their comfort level – Encourage touching, smelling, or even playing with the new food before eating. No pressure to take a bite immediately.

    Use familiar dips or toppings – Pairing a new food with a favourite dip, sauce, or texture can make it more approachable. For example, if your child loves ketchup, serve it alongside a new protein.

  • Cheese crackers + a small cube of cheese (for introducing cheese in a different form)

    Chicken nuggets + a piece of lightly breaded homemade chicken

    Plain pasta + a tiny spoonful of a mild sauce on the side

    Toast + a very thin spread of butter, then gradually increasing the amount

Food pairing takes the pressure off and builds familiarity over time. Even if they don’t eat the new food right away, regular exposure in a low-stress way increases the chances of acceptance over time.

Tiny Taste Exposure

Another practical strategy for helping kids with ARFID is Tiny Taste Exposure, which focuses on micro-exposures to new foods in a completely pressure-free way. Instead of expecting a child to eat an entire portion, this method encourages them to engage with tiny amounts — literally as small as a crumb, a dot of sauce, or a single grain of rice — to reduce fear and build familiarity over time.

  • Start with the smallest possible amount – A speck of a new food (on a spoon, fork, or their finger) is enough to begin.

    No pressure to eat – Encourage looking, touching, smelling, or licking the food first. If they’re comfortable, they can take a tiny bite, but if not, that’s okay too.

    Pair with a familiar food – Serve the new food alongside a safe food so they don’t feel overwhelmed.

    Use fun tools – Let them try with toothpicks, fun spoons, or special plates to make it feel like an experiment rather than a demand.

    Celebrate every interaction – Even if they just poke the food with their finger, that’s progress! Praise their effort, not the outcome.

    • A single pea on the plate (not to be eaten, just to exist there at first).

    • A tiny dot of sauce on the corner of a cracker they already like.

    • Licking a new food without eating it to explore its taste.

    • Holding or squishing a piece of fruit before trying a nibble.

By breaking down the process into tiny, manageable steps, this method removes the pressure and fear, allowing kids to gradually build trust with new foods at their own pace. Over time, those tiny bites can turn into bigger ones, leading to a more diverse and balanced diet.

Serve & See

Another practical strategy for kids with ARFID is the Serve & See method, which focuses on repeated, pressure-free exposure to new or non-preferred foods without any expectation to eat. The goal is simply to normalise the presence of new foods at the table, helping children gradually build familiarity and comfort over time.

  • Include a non-preferred food on the table or plate – Not to be eaten, just to exist in their space.

    No pressure, no talking about it – Let the food be there without drawing attention to it.

    Make it part of the routine – Serve it regularly, even if it goes untouched.

    Encourage interaction in any form – Maybe they pick it up, move it, or smell it—that’s progress!

    Stay patient – It might take dozens of exposures before they feel comfortable trying a bite, and that’s okay.

  • Children with ARFID often need many exposures to a food before they feel safe trying it. By making new foods a normal, no-pressure part of meals, you remove anxiety and build familiarity — so when they are ready, the food won’t feel so foreign or scary. Even if they don’t eat it today, just seeing it regularly is a step forward.

Deconstruct & Rebuild

For kids with ARFID, a full meal or a mixed dish can feel intimidating. Deconstruct & Rebuild is a strategy that breaks meals down into their separate components, allowing children to explore each element in a way that feels safe and controlled.

    • Serve ingredients separately – Instead of offering a full sandwich, serve bread, cheese, and ham separately so they can interact with each one on their own terms.

    • Let them mix at their pace – If they’re comfortable, they might start stacking ingredients, dipping, or eating parts together over time.

    • Keep textures predictable – Avoid unexpected surprises (like hidden sauces or mixed foods) that can trigger food anxiety.

    • Gradually rebuild – Over time, they may tolerate foods being served together in more familiar ways.

  • Many kids with ARFID struggle with mixed textures and uncertainty about ingredients. By deconstructing meals into their simplest parts, they can engage with food without fear of unexpected flavours or textures, making it easier to accept new combinations over time.

Food Play

For kids with ARFID, the pressure to eat can be overwhelming. Food Play removes the stress and focuses on simply exploring food in a fun, low-pressure way, without the expectation of eating.

    • Let them touch, squish, and explore – Give them food to stack, poke, paint with, or sort. This builds familiarity without the pressure to eat.

    • Use fun tools – Offer cookie cutters, tongs, chopsticks, or tiny spoons to encourage playful interaction.

    • Make it creative – Let them build faces with fruit, arrange food by colour, or “cook” with dry pasta—anything that turns food into a relaxed, sensory experience.

    • Stay neutral – No pressure, no comments like “Just try a bite”—let the focus be on engagement, not eating.

  • Many kids with ARFID feel anxious about unfamiliar foods. Food Play removes the pressure and makes food feel safe, helping them get comfortable with new textures, smells, and appearances. Over time, this can reduce anxiety and increase willingness to explore new foods in a non-threatening way.

Routine & Rituals

Many children with ARFID struggle with food-related anxiety, and unpredictability can make eating even more stressful. Routine & Rituals help by making mealtimes feel safe, structured, and predictable, reducing anxiety and resistance.

    • Keep mealtimes consistent – Serve meals and snacks at the same times each day so your child knows what to expect.

    • Use familiar plates, cups, or utensils – Having a preferred plate, fork, or seat at the table can create a sense of security.

    • Announce what’s on the menu – Let them know ahead of time what’s being served to avoid surprises.

    • Follow a comforting pre-meal routine – A simple ritual like washing hands, setting the table, or a few deep breaths can help ease into mealtime.

    • Stick to gradual changes – If introducing a new food, keep everything else familiar so there’s stability in their meal experience.

  • Children with ARFID often thrive on routine, and uncertainty can trigger food-related anxiety. By making mealtimes predictable and structured, you help create a sense of control and safety, making it easier for them to engage with food without feeling overwhelmed.

The Snack Ladder

Kids with ARFID often eat tiny, safe portions and may struggle with eating enough food for proper nutrition. The Snack Ladder is a gradual way to increase portion sizes and comfort with new foods, one small step at a time.

  • Start with their safe food – Choose a food they already eat comfortably, like a cracker or yoghurt.

    Increase the portion slightly – Instead of one cracker, serve one and a half. Instead of a teaspoon of yoghurt, offer a teaspoon and a half.

    Keep it gradual – Slowly build up over days or weeks, allowing them to adjust without noticing a drastic change.

    Use visual guides – Stack extra crackers side by side, or show them a plate with both the old portion and the slightly bigger portion so they can see the difference.

    Praise effort, not amount – Focus on comfort and progress, not finishing a plate.

  • Children with ARFID often get overwhelmed by large portions, and sudden increases can trigger food refusal. The Snack Ladder helps their brain and body adjust gradually, reducing stress while improving intake over time.

Reverse Food Exploration

For kids with ARFID, trying new foods can feel overwhelming, especially if they’re expected to taste first. Reverse Food Exploration takes the pressure off by letting them interact with food in a way that feels safe before even considering eating it.

    • Start with looking – Place the new food on a separate plate or somewhere nearby, so they can get used to seeing it.

    • Encourage touch – Let them hold, squish, or move the food around with no expectation of eating.

    • Introduce smelling – Encourage them to bring it close to their nose and describe what they notice.

    • Allow licking or small interactions – If they’re comfortable, they can lick, nibble, or even just tap it on their lips.

    • Celebrate tiny steps – Even if they just poke at the food with a fork, that’s progress!

  • Many kids with ARFID need time to build trust with new foods before they feel ready to eat them. Reverse Food Exploration allows them to engage in a way that feels safe, reducing anxiety and making food feel less threatening over time.

Same But Different

Many children with ARFID find comfort in familiar foods, but introducing something completely new can be too much. Same But Different helps expand their diet by making small, subtle changes to foods they already eat, keeping them in their comfort zone while slowly increasing variety.

  • Stick to the same brand, but a different flavour – If they eat one flavour of crisps, try another from the same brand. If they like one type of yoghurt, introduce another with a slight flavour change.

    Adjust shape, not texture – If they eat sliced apples, try apple sticks or cubes. If they eat round crackers, try a square version.

    Vary colour slightly – If they eat white bread, try light brown bread. If they eat plain pasta, try tri-colour pasta.

    Change cooking methods – If they eat oven-baked chicken nuggets, try air-fried or pan-seared nuggets with the same seasoning.

    Keep the same food, but serve it differently – If they eat dry cereal, try it with milk on the side for dipping instead of in a bowl.

  • Children with ARFID often resist big changes but are more open to tiny, familiar adjustments. Same But Different gently introduces variety without triggering fear, helping them build confidence in new foods without feeling like they’re eating something completely unfamiliar.

Tool & Tips

Having a variety of strategies in your toolkit can help you find the right approach for your child. This list of tips & tools comes from parents and individuals with ARFID around the world.

What works for one child may not work for another, and what works today may not work next week.

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