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Raising Adventurous Eaters: Practical Ways to Overcome Picky Eating and Food Sensory Sensitivities
Help kids develop a positive relationship with food, so they can become healthy and adventurous eaters for life! Is your child a picky eater? Do they insist on having the same foods served over and over again? Be it chicken nuggets, pizza, pancakes, or French fries—if your child is only eating a few foods regularly, their diet may be seriously lacking in the nutrition and vitamins they need to grow and be healthy. And you may feel stressed out and frustrated at mealtime. For many kids, picky eating is a sensory issue—whether it’s the smell, taste, texture, or appearance of food. So, how can you help your child overcome these sensory sensitivities and ensure that they get the nourishment they need? Written by a pediatric occupational therapist with a specialty certification in feeding, eating, and swallowing, Raising Adventurous Eaters offers eight evidence-based sensory strategies to help kids foster a healthy relationship with food. You’ll learn all about how picky eating can be caused by sensory processing differences, and find step-by-step strategies for dealing with each sense. By learning to lean into their senses, children will better understand what’s going on in their bodies. This fosters an intuitive eating approach, teaching kids to listen to their body’s hunger and fullness cues and respect and respond to those cues appropriately. Whether or not your child has a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder (SPD), or simply has sensory sensitivities when it comes to food, this book will help you set your child up for successful mealtimes, turning the most stressful time of the day into a time that your family can spend relaxing and bonding together around the table.
200 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2022
31 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 21, 2023
Perfect for my needs. Actually practical advice, not just theories.
September 23, 2024
I skimmed through a bit to read parts that applied more for me. Loved the sensory breakdown (<3 OTs). Practical advice and easy to follow.
September 16, 2022
I actually downloaded this book for myself - as an adult with ADHD and lots of sensory issues with food and trying new things, I wanted to see if it had any advice that was useful to me...
... and it did! It went over several different body systems and how they play into our experience of food, and several strategies to combat any issues caused by any one system not functioning optionally - for example, if I'm overwhelmed by having too much food on one plate, causing it to touch, then I can use a different plate and prepare each ingredient family style so I can take what I need. There were a lot of different tips and tricks, and also lots of good information about how children learn to eat - physically (chewing, etc), and also several common strategies parents use to get children to eat (clear your plate, eat three bites then you can have a cookie, etc) that perhaps may not be as useful.
Even though not all the information was relevant to my situation, much of it was. I would recommend this book for parents who have kids with ADHD and autism and other conditions that impact sensory issues, and for adults with ADHD (and other sensory-affective conditions) who are trying to teach themselves how to eat better and have a better relationship with food.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
... and it did! It went over several different body systems and how they play into our experience of food, and several strategies to combat any issues caused by any one system not functioning optionally - for example, if I'm overwhelmed by having too much food on one plate, causing it to touch, then I can use a different plate and prepare each ingredient family style so I can take what I need. There were a lot of different tips and tricks, and also lots of good information about how children learn to eat - physically (chewing, etc), and also several common strategies parents use to get children to eat (clear your plate, eat three bites then you can have a cookie, etc) that perhaps may not be as useful.
Even though not all the information was relevant to my situation, much of it was. I would recommend this book for parents who have kids with ADHD and autism and other conditions that impact sensory issues, and for adults with ADHD (and other sensory-affective conditions) who are trying to teach themselves how to eat better and have a better relationship with food.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
November 13, 2022
This book was more helpful than I thought it would be!
There are some things that didn't help like the branding section. My daughter eats a very specific squeeze yogurt and even though I went to buy the same thing, new packaging, she won't eat it because it doesn't look the same. The only suggestion was to unpackage the food and serve it that way. You can't do that with a squeeze yogurt or really yogurt of any kind and I can't get her to try any other kind. I've even tried packaging with her favorite characters on it. Nothing. So I'm still stuck there.
There were helpful things such as, not having distractions while eating, especially new foods. I let my daughter eat with her tablet or with the tv on for breakfast and lunch. So we will be changing that up to see if it helps.
And I didn't realize how important phrasing words around our food could be. Like how to be positive and how to describe certain foods.
Just a few examples of what you can find in this book but there is really so much more.
I'm definitely taking a lot away from this and planning to try new things and it will help as a reference with my two boys who are on their way next year. :)
Thank you Netgalley and New Harbinger Publications Inc. for an ARC. All opinions are mine and mine alone.
There are some things that didn't help like the branding section. My daughter eats a very specific squeeze yogurt and even though I went to buy the same thing, new packaging, she won't eat it because it doesn't look the same. The only suggestion was to unpackage the food and serve it that way. You can't do that with a squeeze yogurt or really yogurt of any kind and I can't get her to try any other kind. I've even tried packaging with her favorite characters on it. Nothing. So I'm still stuck there.
There were helpful things such as, not having distractions while eating, especially new foods. I let my daughter eat with her tablet or with the tv on for breakfast and lunch. So we will be changing that up to see if it helps.
And I didn't realize how important phrasing words around our food could be. Like how to be positive and how to describe certain foods.
Just a few examples of what you can find in this book but there is really so much more.
I'm definitely taking a lot away from this and planning to try new things and it will help as a reference with my two boys who are on their way next year. :)
Thank you Netgalley and New Harbinger Publications Inc. for an ARC. All opinions are mine and mine alone.
April 27, 2023
Lots of good information! A bit repetitive at times.
We’ve already started implementing some of the strategies and so far so good.
We’ve already started implementing some of the strategies and so far so good.
February 24, 2025
Useful and practical tips covering a lot of different aspects about kids and eating habits 🍽️
June 28, 2023
This book is essentially a parental guide book into navigating the eating habits of children aged 0-7. There's also a lot of early child psychology in here. But I was still able to learn some insights into the mind of older eaters thanks to this book.
I teach high school culinary. Right now, I am trying to increase my food knowledge in various aspects to help with ideas for teaching and being able to answer questions about food that might pop up that I just don't know the answer to. I selected this book because I always seem to have a bunch of older kids wanting to learn more about different types of food and cooking. But when I provide them with something completely foreign to them, they freak out.
Thank goodness for potato chips with unusual spices on them or I'd never be able to teach my unit on herbs, spices and seasonings.
It takes a large portion of my lab classes getting students to agree to cook something different than what they know grandma makes and a huge chunk of the post-cooking time is spent trying to convince the kids that what I just taught them to make isn't going to kill them if they try it.
I think if anything else, I at least learned a lot of insight on what made my students become apprehensive about the foods they eat. It takes a child anywhere from 20-40 times of being introduced to a food before they may decide that the food stuff is something they want to add to their repertoire.
I like to think that I wasn't that apprehensive an eater as a kid and with a lot of food I was really venturesome, especially Asian and Italian cuisine, I was the most adventurous of eaters. Yet, I reflect on my time as a kid and I realize it took me until my teens to like Latin and Mediterranean foods. Both of which are things I love and thrive at teaching others to cook as an adult. Unfortunately, when I offer my kids a chance at learning to make anything in the world for class, overwhelmingly they've chosen Chicken Alfredo as the dish to learn.
Author Lara Dato offers several worksheets that I think will help me understand my students and their food choices better. I hope to utilize some of them when the new school year begins. I've learned some new things to say when a student gets antsy about food. I've also learned what not to say. But I wish the author would have spent a little bit of time helping to navigate food allergies.
Dato wants parents to not label their kids. Nor should we stigmatize them around their food choices. Cleaning the plate is a rule I wish my parents never enforced. And there's a ton of landmines to navigate with concerns of body image, especially with the fat and calorie counts of the foods we eat. Yes- body image is sometimes a factor in why some of my students will not try the foods they cook. But what about food allergies?
Sure- you don't give a kid poison. But I would have liked some tips on how to handle it if a student asks to make something that they can't have. How do you suggest substitutions without diminishing a child's interest in food? How to prevent others from mocking the allergic student? How do you give a child confidence to say 'I can't eat this if it has peanuts. I'm allergic.' Anything would have been appreciated on this subject.
While we're at it, a tiny chapter on introducing new foods while maintaining social and religious beliefs would have been a great addition here.
Surviving the peer pressure behind the food we eat. Maybe that's the sequel Lara Dato needs to pen for the parents and children who graduate onto solid food.
I teach high school culinary. Right now, I am trying to increase my food knowledge in various aspects to help with ideas for teaching and being able to answer questions about food that might pop up that I just don't know the answer to. I selected this book because I always seem to have a bunch of older kids wanting to learn more about different types of food and cooking. But when I provide them with something completely foreign to them, they freak out.
Thank goodness for potato chips with unusual spices on them or I'd never be able to teach my unit on herbs, spices and seasonings.
It takes a large portion of my lab classes getting students to agree to cook something different than what they know grandma makes and a huge chunk of the post-cooking time is spent trying to convince the kids that what I just taught them to make isn't going to kill them if they try it.
I think if anything else, I at least learned a lot of insight on what made my students become apprehensive about the foods they eat. It takes a child anywhere from 20-40 times of being introduced to a food before they may decide that the food stuff is something they want to add to their repertoire.
I like to think that I wasn't that apprehensive an eater as a kid and with a lot of food I was really venturesome, especially Asian and Italian cuisine, I was the most adventurous of eaters. Yet, I reflect on my time as a kid and I realize it took me until my teens to like Latin and Mediterranean foods. Both of which are things I love and thrive at teaching others to cook as an adult. Unfortunately, when I offer my kids a chance at learning to make anything in the world for class, overwhelmingly they've chosen Chicken Alfredo as the dish to learn.
Author Lara Dato offers several worksheets that I think will help me understand my students and their food choices better. I hope to utilize some of them when the new school year begins. I've learned some new things to say when a student gets antsy about food. I've also learned what not to say. But I wish the author would have spent a little bit of time helping to navigate food allergies.
Dato wants parents to not label their kids. Nor should we stigmatize them around their food choices. Cleaning the plate is a rule I wish my parents never enforced. And there's a ton of landmines to navigate with concerns of body image, especially with the fat and calorie counts of the foods we eat. Yes- body image is sometimes a factor in why some of my students will not try the foods they cook. But what about food allergies?
Sure- you don't give a kid poison. But I would have liked some tips on how to handle it if a student asks to make something that they can't have. How do you suggest substitutions without diminishing a child's interest in food? How to prevent others from mocking the allergic student? How do you give a child confidence to say 'I can't eat this if it has peanuts. I'm allergic.' Anything would have been appreciated on this subject.
While we're at it, a tiny chapter on introducing new foods while maintaining social and religious beliefs would have been a great addition here.
Surviving the peer pressure behind the food we eat. Maybe that's the sequel Lara Dato needs to pen for the parents and children who graduate onto solid food.
May 16, 2025
As a parent of a picky eater to the extreme, I wish I would have read this sooner in our journey of helping our toddler with their relationship to food. While we’re working through ARFID, we’ve been through two medical teams and pediatric feeding teams and ho early this book had more helpful information regarding systems, sensory input, and tips and tricks than any of our first medical and feeding teams provided or offered. While we are finally getting somewhere, this book offered insights and ideas that we have yet to try or be offered and will be adopting to better aide our kiddo.
The author takes a zero pressure approach and encourages the parent and care team to really evaluate each child or person individually to ensure they are reviving what they need. I appreciate this as every person is different and while often times we as the parents may not u destined what’s going on in the anxiety around the food it is still real for our child and we have to look at the whole picture to better help them develop a healthy relationship with food and mealtimes.
If you are struggling with slight picky eating or severe like an ARFID diagnosis, if you’ve never met with your doctor or have been through various medical teams, if you’re just getting started in your journey with better eating or are deep into it, this book will offer something for you and your family.
Definitely recommend. Even if you’re not looking for help with a child’s eating, this may help you evaluate your own eating.
Very quick and easy read. It is broken up into categorized sections that you can pick through for your own situation or you can read the entirety of it (as I did) for help in all types of eating and feeding categories. Sources are referenced and there are also super helpful worksheets provided online which are referenced in the text that you can work on before, after, or as you go. Excellent resource.
The author takes a zero pressure approach and encourages the parent and care team to really evaluate each child or person individually to ensure they are reviving what they need. I appreciate this as every person is different and while often times we as the parents may not u destined what’s going on in the anxiety around the food it is still real for our child and we have to look at the whole picture to better help them develop a healthy relationship with food and mealtimes.
If you are struggling with slight picky eating or severe like an ARFID diagnosis, if you’ve never met with your doctor or have been through various medical teams, if you’re just getting started in your journey with better eating or are deep into it, this book will offer something for you and your family.
Definitely recommend. Even if you’re not looking for help with a child’s eating, this may help you evaluate your own eating.
Very quick and easy read. It is broken up into categorized sections that you can pick through for your own situation or you can read the entirety of it (as I did) for help in all types of eating and feeding categories. Sources are referenced and there are also super helpful worksheets provided online which are referenced in the text that you can work on before, after, or as you go. Excellent resource.
January 17, 2023
Most of the book was informative on why kids can be picky eaters. Lots of great info on all the sensory systems and how they effect the way kids eat. The author's tips and tricks for helping through these challenges range from reasonable to ridiculous, but hey, I have really particular eaters so maybe they work for most kids. The last few chapters turned ruined the whole book for me, because it's all over the place. You have a chapter on eating and mental health, intuitive eating, encouraging positive body image, helping your kid gain weight and helping your kid lose weight. Those all seem to contradict each other and also, it's gross there's 2 chapters dedicated to changing their body weight. It's confusing as a parent, reading all the tips in the first 3/4 of the book, then being told to let your kids listen to their bodies and that their bodies are ok as they are, and modify what's in their foods if they are too skinny or too fat. Those sections didn't need to be in this book.
January 23, 2024
Thank you New Harbinger Publications for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!
Disclaimer! I do not have any kids yet so I cannot claim an first hand experience with this book being a success. That being said I thought that this was a great way to understand why some kids are picky eaters and why they do not always finish their food. It tells great examples of things that happen often and what you can do to help your child. I thought all the of the insights were informative and based on facts. I thought that was really important. I also liked that advice that was given about how to prevent picky eating or other habits from forming.
Read if you enjoy:
Self help books
Parenting books
Food habits books
Disclaimer! I do not have any kids yet so I cannot claim an first hand experience with this book being a success. That being said I thought that this was a great way to understand why some kids are picky eaters and why they do not always finish their food. It tells great examples of things that happen often and what you can do to help your child. I thought all the of the insights were informative and based on facts. I thought that was really important. I also liked that advice that was given about how to prevent picky eating or other habits from forming.
Read if you enjoy:
Self help books
Parenting books
Food habits books
January 31, 2025
As a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, I am constantly working with kids and their families on feeding. This book was helpful even for me and my practice. It laid out each sensory aspect of eating and had practical tips for each one. It also combined the top feeding strategies seamlessly in a way that felt very practical and not overwhelming. This book is great for parents, but also for fellow therapists. I definitely recommend.
September 16, 2022
This book is helpful in explaining and offering reasons a child may be a picky eater, I think adults too. My child is a picky eater and I can see areas for change and improvements. Some parts are a bit long, but overall a resourceful book. Thank you to New Harbinger Publications and NetGalley for a copy.
September 23, 2022
If you deal with a picky eater then you'll want to check this out. the book lists lots of reasons that someone may be less adventurous with their food. Texture, taste, smell, and color are just a few of the described reasons why foods may be harder to try than others. I'm going to put some of the suggestion to practice. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book.
August 14, 2023
Great strategies for toddlers
I got this book since I am struggling with a toddler who isn’t a picky eater but has some struggles when eating. I got so many good strategies from the book. I was also introduced to the notion that eating is far more than using our sense of taste.
I got this book since I am struggling with a toddler who isn’t a picky eater but has some struggles when eating. I got so many good strategies from the book. I was also introduced to the notion that eating is far more than using our sense of taste.
November 2, 2022
This book gave me a lot of ideas of things to try with my kids.
December 8, 2022
A great read that taught me a variety of techniques for handling picky eaters, while also making me reflect on my childhood and the eating habits that came from it
December 20, 2022
Reframed the way I think about “picky” eaters! A must read before confronting difficult meal time problems.
March 6, 2023
A quick read which offers some solid tips. Definitely worth a read if you have a picky eater at home.
May 14, 2023
Simple themes with easy ways of implementing or starting. Some sections may not be applicable to your situation so would recommend as a quick read.
May 15, 2023
This is a great tools for parents of toddlers and preschoolers.
February 1, 2024
Great ideas but wholly unrealistic.
February 20, 2024
i'm not sure this will help with my picky eater, but I will try it.
Read
March 11, 2024DNF at 50%; helpful tactical advice, insurmountably boring (give me the quick bullet version)
June 7, 2024
The title of this book says it all, and it's full of helpful, practical advice and insight.
August 19, 2024
A comprehensive guide on best nutrition practices … what I felt was missing were solid go-to recipes, weekly grodery lists and staples to have in your pantry and fridge.
May 18, 2025
I don’t know if I’m just desperate right now for eating advice in the trenches with my toddler, but I appreciated a lot of the ideas in this book. Here are some takeaways from my notes so I can look back and remember:
-Never call someone a picky eater. Don’t be a picky eater yourself, model excitement around eating.
-Serve food family style and let child serve themselves. Everyone needs to put one spoonful of food on plate. We all take a bit of everything.
-Don’t force child to eat everything on their plate. This sets up battles and creates eating disorders later. Let the child listen to body cues to decide when they’re done eating.
-Let kids play with their food. Play as much as possible around food, keep it fun.
-After kid makes a recipe with you, name it after them: “Audrey’s brownies.”
-Don’t ask “Did you like it?” Instead try “What does that food taste like?” What does it feel like? What did you learn about this food today?”
-Anxiety and calm are contagious
-Avoiding new food makes it scarier. Make new food fun and playful.
-Don’t discuss body shape or weight with anyone or about anyone. Don’t say anyone looks thin or fat. Comment on non-weight characteristics if you need to comment.
-Never talk about exercise as a way to earn something or work off something.
-Don’t celebrate too much when they eat something.
-Write down eating routine goals, talk about them with family before starting.
-Don’t do the same food two or three days in a row. Have a rule about how often you have food. Make menu rotation a family expectation.
-As a family try one new recipe per week or month. Maybe make recipe searching a family routine each week/-Friday after dinner.
-Make grocery shopping a scavenger hunt. “We need to find a red vegetable.”
-Never call someone a picky eater. Don’t be a picky eater yourself, model excitement around eating.
-Serve food family style and let child serve themselves. Everyone needs to put one spoonful of food on plate. We all take a bit of everything.
-Don’t force child to eat everything on their plate. This sets up battles and creates eating disorders later. Let the child listen to body cues to decide when they’re done eating.
-Let kids play with their food. Play as much as possible around food, keep it fun.
-After kid makes a recipe with you, name it after them: “Audrey’s brownies.”
-Don’t ask “Did you like it?” Instead try “What does that food taste like?” What does it feel like? What did you learn about this food today?”
-Anxiety and calm are contagious
-Avoiding new food makes it scarier. Make new food fun and playful.
-Don’t discuss body shape or weight with anyone or about anyone. Don’t say anyone looks thin or fat. Comment on non-weight characteristics if you need to comment.
-Never talk about exercise as a way to earn something or work off something.
-Don’t celebrate too much when they eat something.
-Write down eating routine goals, talk about them with family before starting.
-Don’t do the same food two or three days in a row. Have a rule about how often you have food. Make menu rotation a family expectation.
-As a family try one new recipe per week or month. Maybe make recipe searching a family routine each week/-Friday after dinner.
-Make grocery shopping a scavenger hunt. “We need to find a red vegetable.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews