#64: How and when to use food chaining for your picky eater with Heidi Miller, SLP
The My Little Eater PodcastShow Notes
In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Heidi Miller, a speech language pathologist who specializes in extreme picky eating. She is also the author of the HMS Feeding Protocol which she uses to treat picky eating and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). She gives us her perspective on using food chaining to ease picky eating with children. She also gives an example of food chaining and shows us how you can get your child to go from eating chicken nuggets, to chicken Milanese! This episode will give you a little insight into what feeding therapy might look like. But before trying this technique, you might want to determine if your child is simply picky, or if there’s something else at work and they’re a true problem feeder. In some cases, a referral to a feeding specialist may be needed, such as an SLP like Heidi, or an OT - you just want to make sure they specialize in feeding! If you have questions for Heidi, you can DM her on Instagram @hmsfeedingandspeech. As always, please feel free to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts if you’ve enjoyed this episode, or you found the information useful. I would really appreciate it so that I can get this podcast out to other parents like you, and help them with feeding their babies and toddlers too. Don’t forget to subscribe, so you don’t miss out when new episodes are released! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: For more about feeding your toddler, including other strategies used in feeding therapy to prevent or manage picky eating, check out my Feeding Toddlers online course. It's time to enjoy happier mealtimes with your toddler! FEEDING TODDLERS: https://mylittleeater.com/feeding-toddlers/ If you’re a speech therapist, or occupational therapist, that’s interested in using the HMS Feeding Protocol to expand your picky eater’s food list, you can find it here. (https://heidimillerspeech.com/) CONNECT WITH HEIDI ON INSTAGRAM: @hmsfeedingandspeech DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY:https://mylittleeater.com/9-the-one-feeding-strategy-that-will-change-mealtimes-forever/ WHEN PICKY EATING MOVES FROM NORMAL TO EXTREME: https://mylittleeater.com/pickyeatingspectrum/ HEIDI'S BIO: Heidi Miller MS, CCC-SLP, COM is a speech language pathologist, feeding specialist and certified orofacial myologist who works with children (0-18) and families to improve their speech and feeding skills. Heidi has a specific interest in picky eating. She recently published the HMS Feeding Therapy Protocol for Expanding Repertoire of Picky Eaters and Children with ARFID to help other speech therapists and occupational therapists treat this population. Heidi believes through her 20 years of experience treating this population she has developed a treatment protocol that empowers the child and allows them to confidently learn to eat new foods in a safe environment. Heidi has a true passion for this work as eating can be very challenging and disruptive to a family who has a child that struggles with a limited repertoire. Heidi Miller holds a Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University, Bachelor of Science from University of Wisconsin- Madison and Minor in Education. SKIP TO... Heidi’s perspective on food chaining (4:24) The importance of the division of responsibility (8:27) How to explain the process to your child (14:20) Is your child a picky eater or a problem feeder? (17:07) Food chaining example (21:24)
More from The My Little Eater Podcast
We see online all the time “baby friendly recipes”, “baby led weaning recipes”, “6 month old food ideas”, etc. So it’s easy to think that we need special recipes for our babies. But here’s the truth…you don’t! Not only is it extra work to make one meal for you and a seperate baby friendly recipe, it’s also not helpful to be eating different foods from your baby from the perspective of modeling eating behavior! Also, allowing baby to partake in “adult meals” means it’s that much easier to introduce foods with different flavors, textures, and spices - expanding your baby’s palate and the types of food they will accept. Plus - who wants to be eating baby finger foods all day everyday? It’s absolutely possible to serve your baby - even your little 6 month old - the same food that you’re having. Meals YOU actually enjoy too! There are obviously some considerations, which I go over in this episode (hint - the guidelines out there for babies and salt intake are more flexible than you think and it’s easy to omit added sugar and make almost any food safe with a few modifications!). I also talk about how to deconstruct meals and make meals easier for your baby to consume. This goes for whether you’re doing purees or finger foods for baby! And good news - if your family meal plan could use a little more variety and tweaking to make things healthier and baby friendly - don’t worry - my newly revamped 60 day Baby Led Feeding Meal Plan walks you through the first 30-60 days of starting solids with family friendly recipes - good for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and adults. You’re all going to love them! This meal plan makes sure that all your baby’s nutrient needs are covered and each meal is perfectly balanced (as well as contains iron rich foods for baby led weaning)!. It also strategically introduces allergens to your baby in a step-by-step way over 60 days so you never have to worry about which highly allergenic foods to introduce when, and how to introduce them to your baby. Each and every recipe in the meal is safe and appropriate in texture for your baby, while keeping your baby advancing in eating skills and challenged with various textures from my Texture Timeline™. Get out of that mealtime rut and enjoy tasty, healthy meals for the picky eaters and baby led weaning babies in your home - without cooking more than one meal for everyone! I want to give you your time back with your baby so you can just look forward to mealtime instead of spending time figuring out which ones to make. I wish I had something like this when I started solids with my boys! Get the 60 day Baby Led Feeding Meal Plan here! Leave a review and win! Help The My Little Eater Podcast hit #1 on the charts and reach even more parents who may need some extra help when it comes to feeding their little ones! All you need to do is head over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a quick review about what you loved about this episode, or a previous one. Thanks so much in advance for your continued support. As a thank you, you’ll be entered to win a 15 minute call with me where you can ask me anything about feeding. Just make sure to leave your Instagram handle so I can find you if you’re the lucky winner! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 60 DAY BABY LED FEEDING MEAL PLAN: https://mylittleeater.com/blfmealplan/ Grab this epic meal plan to have over 80 recipes to use when starting solids with your baby, to serve as nutritious meals for picky toddlers, and just for the whole family to enjoy! If you do have a baby just starting solids, it also includes info on moving through my signature Texture Timeline™, as well as allergy introduction. It ensures variety and takes the guesswork out of what’s for dinner for up to 60 days! All of the meals are balanced to keep the babies, toddlers, and adults getting all the nutrition they need. BABY LED FEEDING ONLINE COURSE: https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/ Starting solids isn’t meant to be just another thing you have to stress over as a p
On this 100th episode of the My Little Eater Podcast, I’m bringing back my “how to serve” series. Because, at the end of the day, I want you to feel prepared to start solids with your little eater, and being confident in how to serve fish to your baby (among other things) will help with that! Fish is an important food for babies, not just nutritionally where it’s an excellent source of protein for babies, it’s an iron rich food, and some types even have essential omega 3 fatty acids for proper brain development. But it’s also important from an allergen standpoint, introducing it early and often is key in helping to prevent an allergy from developing, and understanding how to cook fish for baby led weaning will help make that possible. This is why I’m giving you all my top tips today for serving fish to your baby, including going over my favourite fish to serve babies, and how I would offer it (this one will surprise you!). I’ll also give you a bit more info about why fish is such a great option, from a nutritional perspective, for your baby’s growth and development. Leave a review and win! Help The My Little Eater Podcast hit #1 on the charts and reach even more parents who may need some extra help when it comes to feeding their little ones! All you need to do is head over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a quick review about what you loved about this episode, or a previous one. Thanks so much in advance for your continued support. As a thank you, you’ll be entered to win a 15 minute call with me where you can ask me anything about feeding. Just make sure to leave your Instagram handle so I can find you if you’re the lucky winner! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: BABY LED FEEDING ONLINE COURSE: https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/ Starting solids isn’t meant to be just another thing you have to stress over as a parent - it’s supposed to be fun! So, let me help you keep it that way and ensure you raise a baby who loves all food! My Baby Led Feeding Online Course will help you start solids with confidence, ensuring you have the knowledge to gently push your baby through textures to prevent picky eating and be healthy in all aspects! If you’re looking to start solids with your baby, then you need to get the gear! Head over to Bumkins to grab some of my favourite feeding supplies, like their long-sleeved bib, chewtensils, or one of their first feeding sets - perfect for starting solids with your little eater! And make sure you use my code at checkout for 15% off your purchase. BUMKINS DISCOUNT CODE (15% OFF): MYLITTLEEATER15 https://www.bumkins.com/ EP. 46 - BEST TYPES OF FISH FOR YOUR BABY: https://mylittleeater.com/46-safefishforbabies/ FISH GUIDELINES FREEBIE: https://courses.mylittleeater.com/fishguidelinesforbaby SKIP TO... What age can babies have fish? (1:56) The benefits of serving fish to your baby (2:51) Are there downsides to serving your baby fish? (7:11) Where fish fits on my Texture Timeline™ (9:37) My favourite fish to serve babies (12:13)
On this episode of the podcast, I’m teaching you about why the size of finger foods for baby led weaning is so important. There literally can’t be a “one size fits all” approach to preparing finger foods for your baby. Texture of foods and the development of various oral motor skills have to be considered as well. Understanding why larger pieces of food are often safer for your baby, not to mention easier for your baby to move around in their mouth, is key to seeing progression with baby led weaning, and in preventing choking. Whenever I show pictures of baby led weaning finger foods for 6 months, I hear from a lot of concerned parents that the large size of the foods will cause their baby to choke. When in reality, small pieces of food are more likely to be choked on - especially in the beginning. I think we have this picture in our head of our parents and grandparents, and maybe even us with our older kids, cutting up their food so they can eat bite sized pieces and more easily chew them. What we’re forgetting is that babies are brand new to this! They don’t know how to move that tiny piece of food around in their mouth, they don’t have molars to chew it with, or even know how to move their mouth in a way that would grind down that tiny bit of food. Older kids will because they have experience on their side! This is not to say that babies need teeth or to know how to do all those chewing motions to have finger foods - not at all (they have to start somewhere!). We just have to know how to prepare food safely for them, which is why often bigger pieces of food are perfect as baby led weaning starter foods. Listen in to hear more about how I recommend you prepare baby led weaning starter foods, and if there are any exceptions to the rule of offering larger sized pieces in the beginning. Leave a review and win! Help The My Little Eater Podcast hit #1 on the charts and reach even more parents who may need some extra help when it comes to feeding their little ones! All you need to do is head over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a quick review about what you loved about this episode, or a previous one. Thanks so much in advance for your continued support. As a thank you, you’ll be entered to win a 15 minute call with me where you can ask me anything about feeding. Just make sure to leave your Instagram handle so I can find you if you’re the lucky winner! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: TEXTURE TIMELINE CHALLENGE: https://mylittleeater.com/texture-timeline-challenge-live If you’re ready to jump into starting solids with your little one, and want to learn more about how to do baby led weaning and purees, or maybe you want to learn about spoon-feeding your baby, self-feeding, and when to stop purees, enroll in my Texture Timeline™ Challenge! It kicks off February 23rd, 2022 and runs for 5 days with live support from me every single day! BABY LED FEEDING ONLINE COURSE: https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/ Starting solids isn’t meant to be just another thing you have to stress over as a parent - it’s supposed to be fun! So, let me help you keep it that way and ensure you raise a baby who loves all food! My Baby Led Feeding Online Course will help you start solids with confidence, ensuring you have the knowledge to gently push your baby through textures to prevent picky eating and be healthy in all aspects! If you’re looking to start solids with your baby, then you need to get the gear! Head over to Bumkins to grab some of my favourite feeding supplies, like their long-sleeved bib, chewtensils, or one of their first feeding sets - perfect for starting solids with your little eater! And make sure you use my code at checkout for 15% off your purchase. BUMKINS DISCOUNT CODE (15% OFF): MYLITTLEEATER15 https://www.bumkins.com/ SKIP TO... Why small pieces of food are difficult for a baby to handle (3:35) Why you also need to consider the texture of finger foods (6:42) Why some babies struggle with softer textures (10:10) Why larger pieces of fo
On this episode of the podcast, I’m calling it like it is and getting fired up about something I feel very strongly about…mixing purees and baby led weaning! But, more importantly, I’m here to tell you that spoon feeding is NOT wrong, or bad for your baby. Period. I listened to another podcast over the past weekend that sparked this episode of my own, and I’m not pointing any fingers, but I will explain why I wholeheartedly disagree with their stance on puree feeding and whether or not you can combine puree feeding and baby led weaning. I’ll chat about the main controversy of purees vs. baby led weaning - does it really need to be one or the other? I’ll go over how to do baby led weaning and purees, in fact, I’ll share with you the benefits of doing so! And we’ll cover some other important topics like why I feel strongly that you need to feed your baby in the way that feels right for your family, and how baby led weaning is not better than spoon feeding, despite what some experts would have you believe (pssstt…it’s not a competition, there is no winner here). So, if you’re sick of hearing about the black and white of feeding, or parenting for that matter, and want to learn about how you can safely exist in that grey area in-between in a way that benefits both you and your baby - download and listen now! Let’s collectively decide to throw out any narrative that suggests you have to do things one way to be a “good parent” and if you do it another way you’re causing irreparable harm…nope. I don’t agree with that, and I’m over reading about it online. You CAN find a happy medium in feeding (and in other things too ;) ), and I’m here to help you do just that. P.S. Don’t forget to send this to another parent that could benefit from finding their happy medium by learning about how to do baby led weaning combined with purees. Leave a review and win! Help The My Little Eater Podcast hit #1 on the charts and reach even more parents who may need some extra help when it comes to feeding their little ones! All you need to do is head over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a quick review about what you loved about this episode, or a previous one. Thanks so much in advance for your continued support. As a thank you, you’ll be entered to win a 15 minute call with me where you can ask me anything about feeding. Just make sure to leave your Instagram handle so I can find you if you’re the lucky winner! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: BABY LED FEEDING ONLINE COURSE: https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/ Starting solids isn’t meant to be just another thing you have to stress over as a parent - it’s supposed to be fun! So, let me help you keep it that way and ensure you raise a baby who loves all food! My Baby Led Feeding Online Course will help you start solids with confidence, ensuring you have the knowledge to gently push your baby through textures to prevent picky eating and be healthy in all aspects! EP. 76 - SPOON-FEEDING USING THE BABY LED WEANING METHOD: https://mylittleeater.com/spoon-feeding-purees/ TEXTURE TIMELINE CHALLENGE: https://mylittleeater.com/texture-timeline-challenge-live If you’re ready to jump into starting solids with your little one, and want to learn more about how to do baby led weaning and purees, or maybe you want to learn about spoon-feeding your baby, self-feeding, and when to stop purees, enroll in my Texture Timeline™ Challenge! It kicks off February 23rd, 2022 and runs for 5 days with live support from me every single day! If you’re looking to start solids with your baby, then you need to get the gear! Head over to Bumkins to grab some of my favourite feeding supplies, like their long-sleeved bib, chewtensils, or one of their first feeding sets - perfect for starting solids with your little eater! And make sure you use my code at checkout for 15% off your purchase. BUMKINS DISCOUNT CODE (15% OFF): MYLITTLEEATER15 https://www.bumkins.com/ SKIP TO... My opinion on combining BLW and purees (2:09) Important considerations
On this episode of the podcast I’ve got some special guests joining me to talk all about the benefits of flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp hearts - otherwise known as super seeds! Kim and Tina are the founders of Tiny Sprouts Foods, where they formulate seed mixes for babies and toddlers to help them meet their nutritional needs. And as a lover of the benefits of seeds, I’m always tossing them into dishes we make at home as an added nutrition booster because it’s just so easy! Kim and Tina explain many nutritional benefits of seeds - fiber, omega-3’s and iron are among some of the nutrients they offer, plus so many more - and this episode digs deep into them all…plus how they can even help a picky eater! And if you have a toddler, you know the importance of preventing constipation and seeds are a great example of a high fiber food for constipation. Make sure to listen in to get more details and find out easy and safe ways to incorporate them into your baby or toddler’s meals! Plus… if you’re wondering how the heck you store them, you’ll want to check this episode out too! Trust me when I say you’ll be shocked (I know I was)! Leave a review and win! Help The My Little Eater Podcast hit #1 on the charts and reach even more parents who may need some extra help when it comes to feeding their little ones! All you need to do is head over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a quick review about what you loved about this episode, or a previous one. Thanks so much in advance for your continued support :) As a thank you you’ll be entered to win a 15 minute call with me where you can ask me anything about feeding. Just make sure to leave your Instagram handle so I can find you if you’re the lucky winner! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: BABY LED FEEDING ONLINE COURSE: https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/ Starting solids isn’t meant to be just another thing you have to stress over as a parent - it’s supposed to be fun! So, let me help you keep it that way and ensure you raise a baby who loves all food! My Baby Led Feeding Online Course will help you start solids with confidence, ensuring you have the knowledge to gently push your baby through textures to prevent picky eating and be healthy in all aspects! FEEDING TODDLERS ONLINE COURSE: https://mylittleeater.com/feeding-toddlers/ If you have a toddler or child aged 1-8 years old and you want to prevent or manage picky eating and learn how to enjoy stress free, happy mealtimes as a family - enroll in my Feeding Toddlers Online Course now! Get started early on curbing unwanted mealtime behaviours before they start, overcome picky eating and set your toddler up to be an adventurous eater! TINY SPROUTS PRODUCTS: https://tinysproutsfoods.com/?ref=HMdDMKNbQV--I If you want to try some of these amazing super seed blends mentioned in the episode, you can use the code MYLITTLEEATER and get 10% off your purchase! TINY SPROUTS BIO: Tiny Sprouts Foods is a children's nutrition company that produces easy, convenient, nutrient-rich products that offer functional health benefits to the developing child. They are committed to making every bite count through their debut range of Organic Superseed BoostersTM, which can easily be added to any food to boost nutritional content and support a child’s daily health needs. Leading with a transparent and simple approach, Tiny Sprouts Foods strives to reduce mealtime stress and help parents & caregivers navigate children’s nutrition, enabling children to sprout, grow and thrive to their best potential. You can find out more about their products on their website, with their Digestive Booster being their best selling product! Also head to their Instagram and find out more info about each super seed and some yummy recipes. WEBSITE: https://tinysproutsfoods.com/?ref=HMdDMKNbQV--I INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/tinysproutsfoods/ SKIP TO… Tiny Sprouts story (2:25) What are the “super seeds”? (3:55) Mulled vs. whole: what’s better? (11:19) Storage (13:59)