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, Autism & Anxiety – This isn’t just picky eating.
👉🏼To watch a short video and learn more, ✨comment “AAA” and I’ll send you info on my brand new, on-demand course for professionals and parents.
✨Plus, watch for the discount code✨when I send you that link – your welcome to use it on ANY of my on-demand courses.
✨👉🏼✨Bottom line: Discovering the JOY in food is absolutely possible for kids with ARFID, ASD and/or Anxious Eaters.
🫶🏼Share this post with a friend who is searching for help. Thank you!
💕Melanie
#melaniepotock
#arfid #notjustpickyeating
🥣The first step when toddlers are learning to use a spoon is the dip, and the last step is the “slide and stop!”
🥄Here’s the SCOOP:
🥣They need a bowl with sides at least 2 inches high. That boundary helps them trap the food onto the spoon before lifting it up to their mouth.
🥣They need less food in that bowl, or they will get too much with each “slide and stop”.
❓Wondering which bowls & spoons are best to teach this crucial skill?
🗣️Comment BOWL and I’ll send you a link to my three favorites!
✨More tips like these in my “Teaching Utensils” highlights too!✨
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #startingsolids #feedinglittles #toddlerspoon
🤔Can kids be BORN with ARFID? No, but they may have a predisposition to certain aspects of their personality – let’s chat about it below.
👉🏼Kids can fall into one or more of these ARFID subtypes:
👉🏼Apparent lack of interest in eating or food – AND they may have a possible predisposition for low homeostatic appetite (not hungry) and low hedonic appetite (food is not pleasurable) – so asking them to eat, go to a restaurant, etc. INCREASES THEIR ANXIETY.
👉🏼Avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food – AND they may have a possible predisposition to emotional hypersensitivity to food characteristics, which INCREASES THEIR ANXIETY.
👉🏼Concern about aversive consequences of eating – AND they may have a possible predisposition to a more anxious temperament plus are hypersensitive body sensations that you and I would not pay much attention to, which INCREASES THEIR ANXIETY.
🫶🏼Treatment for ARFID should always address the anxiety that centers on food experiences. But, food experiences HAVE TO BE EXPERIENCED for kids to get better. So, treatment for ARFID includes feeling anxious around food – but more importantly, it’s about how to manage those anxious feelings so that they can learn to become more flexible with their food choices.
🥰HUGE thank you to Hannah and her mom at @myarfidlife for giving me permission to answer this excellent question.
❓Do you know anyone with ARFID? Drop a heart to show that you do!❤️
💕Melanie
#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #arfidawareness #ARFID
Source: Thomas & Eddy’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Avoidance Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (2019)
Feeding Littles? Adding two hooks to the back of my highchair was the game changer!🥳
✨No more searching for clean bibs AND the second hook holds an old button-down shirt to keep my clothes clean while I’m feeding baby.
🙂I hope you’ll give my hack a try! Thanks for sharing this post with a friend!🤍
Melanie🥰
#melaniepotock #feedinglittles #responsivefeeding #startingsolids #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy
🤔Ok, let’s talk about it. When a child has ARFID, will a feeding tube help?
👉🏼As a pediatric feeding specialist helping kids with ARFID, here are the 3 questions I would ask to help the family and the child decide about a feeding tube – and ONE THING I would never say…
@myarfidlife graciously allowed me to answer some of the questions posted to their account - specifically about Hannah’s journey with ARFID. Feeding tubes can be wonderful in many ways, but it’s a big decision to opt for a feeding tube.
1️⃣Ask first:
Is this tube necessary now? If the child’s nutritional health and growth are significantly impacted, and it’s urgent that they receive a nutritional formula to help stabilize their health, then maybe it is.
2️⃣Will this tube be necessary in the future? Do we have time to try other strategies to avoid tube placement?
3️⃣Is this child emotionally, medically and developmentally ready for tube placement? Consider the first two questions when answering number 3.
✨And the one thing I would never say or do…
I’d never, ever threaten a child with ARFID that “They are going to get a feeding tube if they don’t eat.” For many of my clients, the idea of eating via tube is a huge relief. It’s another way to avoid trying new foods. For many kids, a feeding tube sounds FANTASTIC.
🤍And, it can be for some kids, because it buys us time to help a child find joy in food, while still maintaining growth and sound nutrition for body and brain functioning.
🫶🏼Thank you to Hannah’s mom, for allowing me to share this excellent question found on one of their posts. And thank you Hannah for sharing your story with all of us.
♥️Drop a heart if you’d like me to answer more questions about ARFID.
🙂Melanie
#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #arfidawareness #arfidtreatment #ashaigers
Picky Eaters (or any kid!) go from FUN to YUM when veggies start with food play! In Adventures in Veggieland, I’ll take you on a veggie adventure with 100 activities and recipes, like a tomato squirting contest! 🍅Get out that measuring tape and get ready for GIGGLES!🤭
👉🏼BTW, COMMENT VEGGIES for a direct link to pre-order pricing and you’ll have this new paperback version of this popular book in just a few weeks! Releases March 4th, 2025…
🍅WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
✨5 cherry tomatoes per person (for kids over age 3)
✨2 or 3 sheets of white paper, taped to end to end on the short side, per person
✨Measuring stick/tape
✨Napkins
🍅WHAT TO DO:
✨PARENTS: Have each player sits at the table with the long paper sticking out in front of them (see photo in reel); the short side should be aligned with the table’s edge, beneath the player’s chin. You can tie a napkin around each player’s neck to protect clothing, if you want, but I like kids to get messy, so I always skip that part!
✨PARENTS AND KIDS: Each player picks up a tomato, bites into it one time, and measures how far they squirted it onto the paper. Whoever squirts the farthest, wins!
🥰🍅🥰WHY THIS HELPS PICKY EATERS: There’s no pressure to eat it. Yet, they had fun putting a tomato in their teeth and exploring it with all of their senses! And the time with you, laughing and giggling, creates positive associations with tomatoes…which by the way, are a FRUIT, not a veggie.
👏🏼Here’s to going from FUN TO YUM!
🫶🏼Melanie
Photo credit: Eric Harvey Brown
#melaniepotock #adventuresinveggieland #pickyeaters #feedingtherapy #feedinglittles #arfidawareness #veggierecipes #veggielove
🤔Have you heard that kids shouldn’t have distractions while eating? Not all distractions are a bad thing… let’s break it down.👇🏼
🫶🏼Hi, I’m Melanie, kids’ feeding specialist and certified speech pathologist specializing in helping YOU raise healthy, happy eaters at any age!
📺The number of kids that come to my practice dependent on distractions like iPads/screens to help them eat is astounding. Still, I get it. When you’re worried about your child’s nutritional health, you’ll do what it takes to feed them. So, when is distraction a “good thing” vs a “bad thing”?
🚜Distraction comes in all forms. The little guy in this video is enjoying watching the bulldozers and construction outside, while eating lunch. But, his mom is engaging with him, talking about the “diggers” and making mealtimes interactive. That’s key for both language development AND feeding development.
📖Research shows that kids who frequently eat in front of screens have poor appetite regulation PLUS screentime leads to increased behavior dysregulation and poor language and cognitive outcomes.
📺So, the very occasional “dinner in front of a video” for kids over age two is fine, especially if your family can watch together, pause the video occasionally, and interact with each other talking about what they are viewing.
✨BUT, when kids require a screen to eat and become upset when they can’t have a screen that’s more than distraction. That’s dependency.
👉🏼To learn more about raising a healthy happy eater and avoiding the picky eater trap (or tips to get out of that trap!) comment VIDEO for a discount code and my course library.
🥰Thanks for following me – and for sharing this post!
🤍Melanie
#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #ashaigers #responsivefeeding #autismparent
https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/55/10/688 with more studies in their resource list
👶🏻When baby starts solids, that’s the time to teach the word “chew”.
🫶🏼Hi, I’m Melanie, pediatric feeding specialist here to help you with learn about feeding babies, toddlers & so much more! Also - I can’t spell exaggerate. Did you catch that in this reel?🤦🏼♀️
✨As a speech language pathologist, I can share with you that kids understand more words than they can say.
✨While seated across from baby, exaggerate your chewing (open mouth, big chews!) and say “chew, chew” slowly.
✨First, they’ll learn what the word chew means, when YOU do it.
✨Later, they’ll learn how to imitate the up-and-down movement of your mouth. Babies start with a munching pattern (up-and-down pattern) anyway, and we don’t expect a more circular chew at first. So munch, up and down, and say “chew, chew, chew” as you do!
✨Not every food requires this modeling, but when you begin to offer small meltable crackers or meltable O’s or Puffs (or freeze-dried fruits that start crunchy and melt quickly, as seen in this video) then you’ll be glad you introduced the concept early.
❓Questions? Need more tips? Drop them in the comments!
📌Save this post – or share – or both! I hope you and your friends find it helpful!
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #ashaigers #feedingtherapy #feedinglittles #responsivefeeding #startingsolids
“I’m going to do it with the cheese.” 🧀 🤭Preventing picky eating starts early, and it always starts with fun.🤍
I had no idea I was being recorded…but now seeing that little grin and him reaching for the cheese…it’s a reminder that mealtimes are one of my favorite times to connect with kids.🤍
Drop a 🤍 if you feel the same way.
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #slpfeeding #feedingtherapy #pickyeaters #feedinglittles #responsivefeeding
💫 The guidance has changed on when to offer allergenic foods to babies. We used to think it was best to wait until toddlerhood. Now we know that the introduction of peanut and egg (in baby-safe forms) is most protective when we start early. In most cases at around 6 months with signs of readiness, sometimes a little earlier, between 4-6 months. But not before 4 months.
👉🏼❓More questions? Follow @mymunchbug_melaniepotock & @healthy.mom.healthy.kids for daily feeding tips and guidance.
💖 Comment #newbook below if you are a parent looking for a one-stop BLF + food allergy prevention resource with recipes & meal plans. Malina will DM you a link to her new guide and cookbook which walks you through how to start solids, introduce allergens, and prepare foods for your baby!
💗Comment #keeptrack and Melanie will send you a free download to help you keep track of each allergen you’ve introduced each week!
💗 Melanie & 💖 Malina
#melaniepotock #feedingbaby #slpfeeding #allergymom #blwideas #startingsolids #firstfoods #peanuts #eggs #whatifeedmybaby #whatifeedmykid #healthymomhealthykids
#Sponsored_by_Compleat 💙 When your child is making the transition to tube feedings, it may feel overwhelming. Yet, parents tell me it’s also a time to celebrate, because they can now rest assured that their little one will get the nutrition they need as they continue to progress with their feeding skills at their own pace. @Compleat has tools and resources to help support you along the way so that you are not alone in this journey. Compleat® is proud to support the tube feeding community by providing:
- Blogs
- Blenderized Recipe Builder
- Compleat Formula Finder
- Real Stories that you can relate to, and
- Free Formula Samples
Visit compleat.com for all the resources above and ask your medical professional which formula would be right for your child. 🥰
💙🦓💙 Melanie
#MelaniePotock #Compleat #CompleatCrew #TubeFeeding
🥰Do you love a tubie? You probably do, but may not know it!
👉🏼This post is for everyone who loves kids – and may not know about tube feedings.
✨Lots of kids eat by mouth and still receive tube feedings that may not be apparent to everyone. That’s because a tube feeding is only temporary if you see a tube in a child’s nose or mouth. Plenty of kids are fed via a tube attached to a type of portal in their abdomen and you may not even know that about them!
🤍But whether it’s apparent or not, tube feedings are something to be celebrated, because they provide nourishment to help children grow. Not all kids can wean completely from their tube feedings if they have significant medical needs, but many, many kids can if they are emotionally, medically and developmentally ready.
👉🏼❤️Drop a heart if YOU KNOW someone who is tube fed. More on this topic tomorrow!
🥰Melanie
#melaniepotock #iloveatubie #feedingtubeawarenessweek #feedingtherapist
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.
Blog
feeding advice for parents and professionals
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3 Ways to Explain Baby-Led Feeding to Your Extended Family
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