Responsive Feeding Therapy: Helping Children Feel Safe and Capable Around Food

By Ash Mitchell, Paediatric Dietitian – Nourish Paediatrics

For many families I meet, mealtimes have become something to brace for rather than enjoy. There might be tears, refusals, or a handful of “safe” foods that feel impossible to move beyond. Often, parents have already tried all the common advice—offering rewards, hiding vegetables, or insisting on “just one bite”—only to find things get harder instead of easier.

Responsive Feeding Therapy (RFT) offers a different way forward.

It’s an approach grounded in connection, curiosity, and trust. Instead of trying to ‘get’ our kids to eat, RFT helps them tune in to their own body cues—like hunger, fullness, and readiness—while gently supporting new skills and experiences with food. It’s flexible, compassionate, and tailored to the individual child and their family.

Image: Kids selecting pumpkin from ‘buffet style’ meals

 Why “Responsive” Matters

At its heart, responsive feeding is about relationships. When a child feels safe and understood at mealtimes, they’re more likely to explore new foods at their own pace. They learn that eating isn’t something they have to do, but something they get to do—in partnership with their caregivers.

 In practice, this means:

Parents are supported to notice and respond to their child’s cues rather than feeling like there is a need for pressure or persuasion. We end the mealtime battles. Mealtimes become opportunities for connection, rather than feeling like a conflict.

What Responsive Feeding Therapy Looks Like

 Every child’s feeding journey is unique, so sessions are designed around the child’s developmental stage, sensory preferences, and goals.

 Therapy may include:

•  Parent coaching: Helping you feel confident in reading and responding to your child’s cues around food.

•  Food exploration through play: Supporting comfort and curiosity around foods without pressure to eat. We do this parent coaching style rather than hands on clinic sessions. This looks different for every child.

•  Sensory support: We work in a neurodiverse affirming way, developing goals taking into account sensory needs, in a way that feels safe and achievable.

•  Collaborative planning: Setting goals that matter to your family—not just increasing intake or variety, but improving confidence and connection.

 The first appointment is typically with parents or caregivers only. This gives you the chance to share your child’s story, discuss your concerns, and think about our approach in a supportive setting before involving your child.

What about their nutrition?

 We use preferred foods and supplements to support nutrition along the way. You may thinking – ‘They hate all the supplements’. By understanding the nutrition in the preferred foods, we only target nutrients that are absolutely required and develop a supplement plan based on their food preferences – this can be a journey, we have creative strategies and experience up our sleeves.

 Who Is Responsive Feeding Therapy For?

 Responsive Feeding Therapy can support children with a wide range of feeding challenges, including:

•  Fussy or selective eating that limits food variety or causes mealtime stress

•  Sensory processing differences or strong reactions to textures, smells, or food presentation

•  Feeding anxiety or past trauma related to eating

•  ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

•  Autism or ADHD, where sensory differences and routines can influence eating

•  Oral-motor delays or developmental feeding challenges

•  Children with medical or developmental histories that have affected feeding confidence

•  Paediatric Feeding disorder

• It’s also helpful for families who simply want to make mealtimes calmer, more connected, and more enjoyable.

A Gentle Alternative to Pressure-Based Feeding

Traditional feeding approaches often rely on compliance—encouraging children to eat more or to “just try” a food. Often this does not transfer to home from the clinic based setting. Responsive Feeding Therapy works differently. It respects a child’s body autonomy and sense of safety, trusting that learning to eat well takes time and connection, not pressure. By focusing on trust and curiosity rather than rules and rewards, RFT helps families move away from mealtime battles and toward shared enjoyment of food.

Why This Approach Works

 When children feel respected and supported, progress happens naturally. Research shows that responsive feeding approaches are linked with:

•  Improved acceptance of new foods

•  Better communication between parent and child

•  Lower risk of disordered eating later in life

•  Reduced stress and conflict at mealtimes

•  The goal isn’t perfection—it’s building a foundation for lifelong nourishment and a positive relationship with food.

The Dietitian’s Role in Responsive Feeding Therapy

Responsive Feeding Therapy is a multidisciplinary approach, and each professional brings a unique lens to the process. For example, speech pathologists often support the mechanics of eating—such as chewing, swallowing, and oral-motor development. Occupational therapists may support, getting to the table and mealtime routines.

As a paediatric dietitian, my role centres on nutrition (vitamins, minerals, energy, protein, fibre etc), growth, and adequacy while ensuring that progress with feeding remains sustainable and aligned with your child’s overall health. I monitor whether your child is meeting their needs, and help families make adjustments that protect nutrition during their RFT journey.

RFT acknowledges that feeding challenges are rarely caused by a single factor. Progress often happens most smoothly when dietitians, psychologists, OTs, and speech pathologists work together—each addressing their unique skill set within a shared, responsive framework. Collaborative care ensures that children are supported not only to eat safely and confidently, but also to thrive nutritionally and emotionally along the way.

How We Use RFT at Nourish Paediatrics

At Nourish Paediatrics, I use a responsive, relationship-focused approach to help children and families feel calmer and more confident with food. Whether your child’s challenges are sensory, developmental, or rooted in past feeding experiences, we’ll work together to understand their needs and set gentle, realistic goals.

Progress looks different for every child. Every small step matters, and every step is guided by your child’s pace and readiness.

 Let’s bring back joy to mealtimes :)

Ash Mitchell

References:

 Responsive Feeding Pro (https://responsivefeedingpro.com)

Extreme Picky Eating STEPS + approach by Dr Katja Rowell (a doctor specialising in responsive feeding) and Jenny McGlothlin (a feeding speech pathologist)