Have you been struggling with your picky eater for years?

 

  • You’re worried your picky eater is not getting the nutrition she needs.
  •  You’ve tried all the tricks: asking them to take a bite, explore or play with a food, making a game out of eating… you’ve done it all a million times. Nothing works. Your child still refuses to eat what’s served.
  • Eating out or going to a friend’s house for meals is hard. You pack “safe” food for your child wherever they go.
  • You’re still making multiple meals or the same three bland dishes over and over – the ones your picky eater likes. He controls the family meal plan.
  • Your child would rather go hungry, than eat the family meals.

You were hoping your child would outgrow the picky eating, but you’re tired of waiting.

You’ve all but given up after searching for a solution for years ….well, you’ve found it!

After this group coaching program for parents of picky eaters aged 6-13 years, you’ll be able to: 

  • Know how to introduce new foods in a way that they’ll actually want to try them.
  • Know that your picky eater is getting the nutrients she needs to grow and be healthy.
  • Know that your picky eater is getting the nutrients she needs to grow and be healthy.
  • Feel confident that your child can go to a friend’s house without being judged for being a picky eater. And to be able to eat what the other kids are eating!
  • Actually enjoy mealtime with your kids and create good family memories around the table – no matter what is eaten.

Registration is Now Closed

The next round of Food School will start in 2024.

Your health benefits may cover RD services under your child’s name, including costs for this program. Call your health benefits company to confirm and I can create an individualized payment plan that works with your benefits plan.

I get it. I’ve been there.

 

My daughter was a picky eater…

 

It wasn’t always easy. She is a small girl, so my doctor told me to feed her whatever she wanted…which I know is the wrong advice.  

 

Now she’s 12, and for the past few years, she has been a very adventurous eater- despite some days wondering if it would ever be possible! She’ll try anything. And if she doesn’t like it, she knows that’s ok.

 

I want to help you get there too! I developed Food School based on my experience working 1:1 with clients for the past 15 years as a Registered Dietitian AND on the experience of as a mom of a picky eater. 
It was eye-opening, with my 8-year-old how hard it was to even touch some of the foods.

Shannon, after she started thinking about WHY her son was so picky

From picky to peaceful in 8 weeks…. encourage your child to explore new foods so you can have pleasant family mealtimes and finally end picky eating battles.

Introducing Food School for parents of older picky eaters (age 6-13). For 8 weeks you will have access to…

Live Training

Easy to implement and fun weekly lessons and practical strategies, so you are armed with all the know-how to support your picky eater for quick wins.

Live Q&A

During the eight live training calls, you will have access to me live to help you troubleshoot and & provide judgment-free guidance to make sure you have the perfect plan for your family (and let’s be honest, feel emotionally supported too!)

Continued Support

Need help between the Q&A calls? You have unlimited access to me via our private Facebook Community for when dinner goes wrong (or right - we want to hear that too!). AND a community of fellow parents who are also raising older picky eaters so you feel understood and seen (because how judgey can people who don’t ‘get it’ be?! ????)

Community

Learn from and support the other parents going through this with you! It can be lonely - but you’re not alone, and I guarantee will learn from other parents' questions and advice on both the live Q&A calls and in the online private community.

It’s good to know other families are also struggling. And it helped me to take a little bit of pressure off of me. I’m not the only one with this (picky eater) and it’s not something that I really did to my kids...

Mel, mom of 3

Bonuses!

Join us and get:

Diet analysis:
I will enter your child’s food intake over 24 hours (I know every day is pretty much the same at this point!).
You will see where your child may be falling short. And how we could fix that to make sure your child is getting the nutrients they need while we work on expanding their food intake.

Personalized assignment review:
Share your Food Chaining and Food Explorer plans and progress in the community, and I will review them and provide feedback.

Kid-friendly 1 week meal plan:
You’ll receive a whole week’s worth of family-friendly recipes, including three meals and three snacks + a grocery list. I won’t guarantee your child will eat everything on this plan, but let them choose and help cook a new recipe or two!

Jennifer House

Hi! I’m Jen, and I believe raising happy, well-nourished eaters who have a healthy relationship with food doesn’t have to be a battle.

 

I’m a mom of three kids, a Registered Dietitian with a BSc and MSc in nutrition and have owned First Step Nutrition for 15 years.

I’ve helped hundreds of clients with feeding their families. And this is why I created the Food School Program. To help parents like you achieve these results too!

Today my own picky eater is a healthy, adventurous eater, I’m confident she gets the nutrients she needs, and we’re all more relaxed at mealtime. And now I want to help you enjoy time at the table with your family, release the worry, and take your child from picky to peaceful!
SOS Trained Professional
My 'ah-ha moment' was being able to manage where everything in your mouth and moving things from side to side. I remember thinking ``I wonder if that's a bigger issue`` than we originally thought. My son has been in therapy since he was quite young....we were always told ``Don't worry about the food, that will sort itself out as he gets older.`` Now I think I've just put all these things together.

Jessie, mom of 3 once she started focusing on her son's picky eating

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from other programs?

Most picky eating programs are for toddlers. This makes sense, as picky eating is a normal developmental phase. But you’ve moved passed the tricks that work for toddlers. Your 12-year-old doesn’t want to feed their stuffed animal purees…..

Another difference with Food School is that we work with the whole family. What you learn in Food School takes place within your own home. This can be more effective than working in-office with a therapist, which sometimes just doesn’t translate to progress at home. We will address why your child is a picky eater, which is often ignored and why other strategies don’t work.

You will receive in-depth learning and activities that will positively impact your entire family.

How much time will this take?

Each live training/ Q&A will take about 60 minutes, depending on the questions we get.

The activities can be worked into your regular day-to-day schedules. If you’re tight for time, we can craft a plan where your child learns to try new foods at current snack or meal times, which won’t take additional time out of your already busy day.

I know you’re busy! But once you control this picky eating thing, think of all the time you will SAVE by ending short-order-cook syndrome and fighting with your kids.

Is 8 hours of time over eight weeks worth that?! Hell YES!

Can I claim this under extended health benefits?

For most of my clients, the answer is yes. Many have $500 per person per year in dietitian services to use. I can split the receipts up to include multiple family members participating in the program, and you can submit them for reimbursement.

Call your benefits provider to check that they cover services provided by a dietitian in Alberta, Canada.
The cost of in-person group feeding therapies (if you can find one) is a significantly higher investment of time and money.

Even if you don’t have benefits – what is it worth to you to get rid of short-order cook syndrome, end dinner time battles, and raise your kids to have a healthy relationship with food? Priceless!

Will I get 1:1 support?

Yes, this isn’t a do-it-yourself online course.

You won’t be just a number. There will be a max of 10 families per round, so I can provide you all with lots of love and attention!

I will be in our private group community daily (minus most weekends) to check in on you. And see you live weekly on our calls to help troubleshoot.

You have my expert help and the support of a small group of other parents going through the same struggles as you are.

Is Food School right for my child?

Food School is designed for children around ages 6-13 who are extremely picky eaters. You can check out my “End Picky Eating” program if you have a younger child.

It can even work for children with autism (who are verbal), pediatric feeding disorder, sensory processing disorder and oral motor challenges. If your child has any of these diagnoses, they may also be working with additional healthcare providers, and this program is a great add-on.

As for the parents: it’s not just your child that has to be a good fit. YOU have to be willing to have realistic expectations, put in the work to try new things and believe in your child.

Food School is NOT for you if you’re unwilling to make changes. I may ask you to do things differently! It may make you nervous, and it requires putting some trust in your child.

Or if your child has anxiety, OCD or ARFID that affects their eating, these are mental health struggles that require treatment by a psychologist. Just to note – many AFRID diagnoses are not correct and are actually Pediatric Feeding Disorder, which I CAN help with!

If you’re still unsure, feel free to email [email protected], and I can help you decide if Food School is a good fit.

What can I expect by the end of this program?

Since your child has been a picky eater for years, it will not likely be a quick change. However, one benefit of older picky eaters is they often have some self-motivation (they want to be able to go to camp or eat at a friend’s house!)

I can’t guarantee that your child will eat 15 foods by the end of the program. But I can guarantee that you will:

  • Feel confident that your child is getting the nutrition they need.
  • Have reduced stress around the table about what your kid eats.
  • Feel fully supported with expert guidance and community with other parents during the program.
  • Have the tools and processes required to continue to work on expanding your child’s diet.

When are the coaching calls, and what if I can’t make them?

Live trainings are scheduled for Thursdays at 10am MT/2pm ET for 8 weeks starting Oct 5th. But I want this program to work for everyone- if this time works for you don’t let that be a barrier. Email me ([email protected]) and it’s possible to move some or all of the calls around so everyone can make some of them.

You can always watch the replays if you can’t make the live calls. And you’re welcome to send me your questions beforehand, and I can address them on the calls.

Here’s how Food School works – for 8 weeks this is what we will practice together:

Week 1: Goal setting & Assessment
Kick-off and welcome! Meet your fellow food school students. Parents and kids will create goals for our time together.

Parents will complete an assessment and food records, so I can get to know your child and family.

Week 2: Mealtime rules
We will set the stage for pre-meal and mealtime routines at your house. This includes timing of meals, “rules” at the table for both parents and children and a pre-meal routine that will help your child come to the table relaxed and ready to eat.

Week 3: Why is my child picky?
Learn about the red flags for sensory over or under-responsivity, oral motor struggles, low iron, and other underlying issues causing picky eating. This step is often missed, but our behavioural approaches won’t work if these aren’t treated!
You will be supported with activities to treat these problems or referred to an appropriate healthcare provider.

Week 4: Food Explorer Model
The Food Explorer Model is the Sequential Oral Sensory food therapy model for ages 6+, created by Dr. Kay Toomey. This model get kids interested in exploring foods using their senses, as they become “food scientists!”
We will create a food explorer plan for your child to help desensitize them to new foods.

Week 5: Food Science at meals
Share how those food scientists are doing at home! We will learn how to work the Food Explorer model into day-to-day mealtimes to continue progress with no added time to your day.

This week will provide extra “hot seat” Q&A time and troubleshooting.

Week 6: Kids in the Kitchen
Any exposure to food (even if not eaten) will help desensitize your child and work towards being comfortable with new foods. We will talk about getting your kiddo involved in food planning, selection and cooking for your family to help get them comfortable around the sights, smells and tastes of different foods.

Week 7: Food Chaining Model
Food Chaining is a method of feeding therapy that introduces new foods, building off of foods your child already likes. All foods in the chain have just one small change, so are easier to accept and can help your child try new foods. We will create one food chain to try out at home with your child this week!

Week 8: Moving forward
Where to go from here?

You will leave with a plan to continue food school or food chaining in your home, depending on which method of these two methods we have tried has worked best for your child. We will celebrate your successes (big or small!)

computer mockup of food school

Registration is Now Closed

Click below to join the waitlist & be the first to know when registration opens!

Investment: $950 CAD/$699USD. Full or multi-pay options.

Jack now has learned to not ask for snacks all day long. We’ve been relaxed at dinner and not pressuring Jack, we are eating family style…. we are seeing big changes ALREADY. Jack has been trying new foods left right and centre with almost no pressure from us. Everything has been changing rapidly.

Kristen, after she started to follow the Division of Responsibility at home with her 2 kids

Guarantee

I want to ensure you have a plan and method that works for your child. I will go above and beyond with support to ensure the plan works!
If you don’t feel confident that you have everything you need to help your child try new foods by the end of the 8 weeks after fully implementing everything you learned — that means watching every training, asking questions when you’re stuck and sending in your completed worksheets, we will refund your fee (unless you have been reimbursed by insurance of course!)
No more experimenting with contradictory advice from Google, your doctor, and friends! Have my expert guidance and the plan and tools needed to help teach your child how to try new foods. 

Food School is for you if you’re ready to:

  • End the dinner time battles. No more tears or yelling! What if your child is ate the same meal as the rest of the family? It’s possible!
  • Bring parenting partners on the same page with a consistent plan vs separate approaches that cause conflict between parents and kids. I encourage both partners (or whoever primarily feeds your child, from nanny to grandma) to join us!
  • Help raise your kids with a healthier relationship with food than your parents perhaps taught you. Childhood sets the foundation for how your kids will deal with food for the rest of their life and can help to prevent disordered eating.
  • End the isolation. You may feel alone in this struggle, but I will connect you with other parents who have extremely picky eaters too.

Food School is not for you if…

  • You’re not willing to make any changes. I may ask you to do things differently! It may make you nervous, and it requires putting some trust in your child.
  • Your child has anxiety, OCD or ARFID that affects their eating. These are mental health struggles that require treatment by a psychologist.

Just to note – some AFRID diagnoses are not correct and are actually Pediatric Feeding Disorder, which I CAN help with! If you’re not sure if this describes your child, ask me ([email protected])

Hello Loving Mom/Dad!

 

Thanks for reading this far; I’m so glad you’re here!
I know the craziness that can come with feeling exhausted and dealing with a kid whose picky eating has been disrupting your life for years.
You were hoping your child would outgrow the picky eating, but you’re tired of waiting. And you’re worried your picky eater is not getting the nutrition he or she needs.
And that is why I’m here to help every step of the way. Food School provides you with the tools and support to teach your child to try new foods so they can get the right nutrients and decrease mealtime stress.

 

Can’t wait to see you inside Food School! XO

 

~ Jen