Areas We Support

Food Refusal & "Picky" Eating

When a child refuses food or mealtimes regularly end in tears – theirs or yours – it can be exhausting for the whole family. Food refusal and selective eating is rarely about defiance. Often, it’s a sign that eating feels difficult, uncomfortable or overwhelming for your child.

Why children refuse food

Food refusal almost always has a reason, even when it isn’t immediately obvious. Common contributors include:

Sensory sensitivity – the look, smell, texture or unpredictability of food can feel overwhelming.
Oral motor difficulties – chewing and swallowing may be hard work, making eating tiring or uncomfortable.
A history of discomfort – reflux, allergies, constipation or vomiting can lead a child to associate eating with pain or discomfort.
Negative medical experiences or tube feeding – repeated medical procedures, discomfort or prolonged tube feeding can make eating feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable or unsafe, and may contribute to oral aversion.
Anxiety and pressure – when mealtimes become stressful, a cycle of worry and pressure can develop for both child and caregiver.

Often, several factors overlap. Understanding why your child is refusing food is an important first step, because the right support depends on what is contributing to the difficulty.

Our approach

We use responsive, child-led approaches that focus on understanding why eating is difficult and helping your child feel safe and confident around food. In practice, this means:

Understanding the whole picture – a thorough assessment of your child’s feeding history, skills, sensory preferences and mealtime experiences.
Taking the pressure off – reducing stress and pressure around eating to create a more positive mealtime environment.
Building comfort with food gradually – using positive, achievable steps that allow your child to progress at a pace that feels manageable.
Developing underlying skills – supporting the oral motor, sensory and feeding skills that can make eating easier.
Coaching and supporting you – giving you practical strategies and confidence to respond when food refusal happens at home.

We also work closely with your GP, paediatrician, dietitian and other therapists when needed, taking a multidisciplinary approach to make sure your child’s medical, nutritional and developmental needs are considered.

When is "picky" eating more than a phase?

"Picky" or selective eating is common in toddlers and often settles with time. It can be worth seeking support if your child:

Refuses whole food groups, textures or colours
Becomes very distressed when new foods are offered or are on their plate
Eats a different meal from the rest of the family at most mealtimes
Gags, coughs or vomits when trying certain foods
Has a feeding history that worries you, or is not growing as expected

Wondering if it's more than "picky" eating?

It can be difficult to know where typical selective eating ends and feeding difficulty begins. The Feeding Matters Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire is a helpful screening tool that can give you a better understanding of your child’s feeding and whether further support may be worth exploring.

The questionnaire takes just a few minutes to complete and can help identify areas of concern across feeding, eating and mealtimes.

Complete the questionnaire

When to seek help

Trust your instincts. It’s worth seeking support if food refusal is persistent, your child’s diet is becoming increasingly limited, they are losing weight or mealtimes are causing significant distress for your family.

If your child suddenly refuses all food or fluids, seek prompt medical attention by contacting your GP or attending your nearest emergency department. Total refusal of food or fluids requires timely medical assessment.

You know your child best. We can help you understand the rest.

If you’re worried about your child’s eating, we’re here to help you understand what’s behind the difficulty and what you can do next.