Helping Kids Build a Neutral, Peaceful Relationship with Food: My Kid isn't Eating Lunch!!

Welcome back to Snack Chats!
For the first time ever, Tina and Curissa are recording together — sharing a full presentation originally created for a parent workshop. This episode is all about supporting kiddos who struggle to eat at school and building a food- and weight-neutral home environment grounded in curiosity, safety, and connection.

Whether your child is skipping lunch, overwhelmed by the cafeteria, or navigating sensory or social dynamics, this conversation offers real-life strategies, scripts, and tools you can start using today.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
1. Why Kids Aren’t Eating at School
Common reasons include:
Short lunch periods
Noise + overstimulation
Sensory needs
Social excitement
Anxiety or transitions
Limited appetite during the school day
Tina and Curissa explain why this is not “bad behavior” — and why curiosity is always the place to start.

2. How to Approach This Without Shame
You’ll learn how to:
Zoom out and look for patterns
Get curious instead of controlling
Ask open-ended questions that help kids share what’s happening
Build connection through a “reconnection snack” after school
Support emotional regulation before expecting eating regulation

3. Practical Tools for Parents
Real, doable strategies including:
What to say instead of “Why didn’t you eat?”
Reconnection snacks (and why they work!)
Using lunches as collaboration, not pressure
Offering tools like headphones, earplugs, fidget items, or drinkable meals
Packing safe, predictable foods to help kids feel secure
Keeping snack times neutral, calm, and low-pressure

4. Snack Ideas Kids Actually Eat
Balanced options combining 2–3 food groups, like:
Cheese & crackers
Peanut butter toast
Smoothies with protein
Cereal with milk
Hummus & pita chips
Granola bar + yogurt
Apple slices & peanut butter
Cheese cubes, carrots, & ranch
These are all designed to support sustained energy rather than quick hunger crashes.

5. Sensory Needs & School Cafeterias
Tina (as a sensory-parent) and Curissa explore:
How the cafeteria overloads the senses
Why sensory stress shuts down hunger cues
How to identify sensory patterns in your child
Tools for sound, smell, texture, and temperature sensitivities
When to explore accommodations with the school
When additional support (OT, feeding therapy, dietitians) is helpful

6. Supporting Kids Who Prefer Socializing Over Eating
You’ll learn:
Why socializing is actually a developmental skill
How to help kids understand that eating + socializing can coexist
Why predictable routines at home help regulate hunger cues at school
How to use structure, not pressure, to build long-term trust in their bodies

7. Your Role as the Parent
The big themes:
Create safe, consistent, shame-free eating environments
Focus on connection over consumption
Trust your child so they can learn to trust themselves
Remember: you’re not raising perfect eaters — you’re raising future adults who can feed themselves confidently

Want More Support?
Visit the TLB Nutrition Therapy website to learn more about weight-neutral care for kids, sensory-aware feeding support, and family nutrition counseling.

Drop your questions in the YouTube comments — we’d love to help.

www.tlbnutritiontherapy.com

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