Fussy Eating & Sensory Preferences

If mealtimes feel like a battleground, you’re not alone.

Fussy eating is common in young children—but for some, it goes beyond picky habits. Sensory processing differences can make certain tastes, smells, textures, or even the sound of food too overwhelming to manage. When that happens, eating becomes stressful—not just for your child, but for the whole family.

At Light Occupational Therapy, we help families understand the why behind mealtime challenges and provide practical, supportive strategies that make eating feel safer, calmer, and more enjoyable.

What Causes Fussy Eating?

Fussy eating is often a combination of developmental, behavioural, and sensory-based factors. While some children grow out of selective eating as they’re exposed to more foods, others experience lasting discomfort due to:

• Sensory sensitivities (e.g. to textures, smells, or temperatures)
• Anxiety around new or unfamiliar foods
• Rigid thinking patterns or routines (often seen in autism)
• Negative past experiences with food (e.g. choking or gagging)

Fussy eating becomes a concern when it starts impacting your child’s nutrition, growth, or family life—or when it causes significant stress or anxiety.

Signs Your Child May Be Experiencing Sensory-Related Feeding Difficulties

Does your child:

• Only eat foods with a specific texture (e.g. crunchy but never soft)?
• Gag or spit out foods with certain smells or temperatures?
• Refuse entire food groups or resist trying new foods?
• Have meltdowns when mealtimes don’t follow a predictable pattern?
• Eat a very limited number of foods—often the same ones every day?

These are all signs that sensory processing may be playing a role—and that fussy eating isn’t about control or bad habits. It’s about how your child experiences the world through their senses.

How OT Supports Fussy Eaters

Occupational therapy can help reduce mealtime stress by focusing on regulation, sensory exploration, and positive routines—without pressure or force. At Light OT, we work alongside families to support:

• Sensory regulation before and during meals
• Oral motor skills like chewing and tongue movement
• Food exploration through play and desensitisation
• Creating structure with visual supports or routines
• Building trust through child-led interaction with food
• Parent coaching on how to avoid power struggles and support at home

Our goal is not to “fix” your child’s eating—it’s to help them feel safe and in control so that new foods become less scary over time.

Strategies You Can Try at Home

Here are some OT-informed ideas to support sensory-based fussy eaters at home:

• Start with play, not pressure. Explore food with hands before asking your child to taste.
• Offer a “safe food” alongside new options—something familiar they can eat if nothing else works.
• Use divided plates or bento-style containers to avoid overwhelming combinations or textures.
• Use consistent mealtime routines (same chair, same plate) to create predictability.
• Model curiosity, not force. Say, “I wonder what this feels like,” instead of “Just try it.”
• Don’t make dessert a reward. This can increase food anxiety and reduce appetite for meals.

Patience, consistency, and compassion go a long way.

FAQ: Feeding & Sensory Preferences

Does my child need to eat everything on their plate?
No. Encouraging exploration and interaction with food is more important than forcing full portions.

Is this just a phase—or something to be concerned about?
If your child’s diet is extremely limited, they show signs of distress around food, or mealtimes are a constant struggle, it may be time to seek support.

Do I need a diagnosis to access OT for feeding?
Not at all. If mealtimes are hard, that’s enough reason to chat with a therapist.

Mealtimes Don’t Have to Be a Struggle

Fussy eating isn’t just about food—it’s about sensory experiences, emotional safety, and how your child feels in their body. With the right strategies, you can create calm, supportive mealtimes that help your child build confidence one bite (or touch, or sniff!) at a time.

Contact Light Occupational Therapy to learn how we support children with sensory-based feeding challenges—at your child’s pace, in a way that feels respectful and safe.