You’ve probably heard the phrases.
“Just one bite.”
“They’ll eat when they’re hungry.”
“You’re being too soft — they need to learn.”
But what if fussy eating isn’t about willpower?
What if it’s not about manners, control, or stubbornness at all?
What if… it’s protection?
Because for some people — especially neurodivergent minds — the world comes in louder colors, brighter lights, stronger smells, and more intense textures. That bowl of pasta? It might feel like worms. The smell of cheese? Overwhelming. The crunch of lettuce? Like chewing glass.
And what we call “picky,”
might actually be sensory wisdom —
a body trying to find safety in a world that often feels too much.
For many neurodivergent kids (and adults too), food isn’t just food. It’s a landscape of unpredictable sensations. It’s unfamiliar textures, surprising flavors, and rules that don’t always make sense.
One day, bananas are okay.
The next, they’re too mushy.
Toast is only tolerable if it’s cut into triangles — not squares.
And heaven help us if it’s the “wrong” brand of crackers.
But here’s the thing: this isn’t about manipulation.
This is nervous system self-advocacy.
This is how regulation looks — when the world is built for someone else’s brain.
So what do we do?
We listen.
We soften.
We stop trying to “fix” and start trying to understand.
Because the moment we drop the power struggle,
is the moment we open the door to trust.
We create a table where food is not a battlefield.
Where exploration is safe.
Where no one is shamed for protecting their body.
Maybe your child only eats beige food.
Maybe they need things separated, not touching.
Maybe that’s okay for now.
Because safety comes before flexibility.
And trust grows where pressure ends.
To eat is to be vulnerable.
To try something new is an act of bravery — especially for a child navigating the world through a different sensory lens.
So let’s stop calling it “fussy.”
Let’s call it wise.
Let’s call it valid.
Let’s call it what it often is — a need for safety, not control.
And from that place of gentleness, maybe — just maybe —
they’ll try one new thing.
Not because they were forced to…
but because they felt seen.
Compassion is the true appetite stimulant.
Let’s serve it in generous portions.
And we understand that in reality as a parent there are so so many emotions and competing needs ! So much concern about Nutrition.
Reach out and let us support you today.