Stop Dreading Mealtimes, work with your child to explore new foods
"Emma is amazing at what she does. She has so many practical and down to earth tips which have hugely helped my thinking on how to help my son who has severe allergies, and struggles with strong food smells. Emma gave me actionable steps that I can take to help him, plus she provided reassuring data that he is meeting his nutritional needs. Emma spoke to me as one to mum to another, as she has personal experience of similar challenges. Thank you so much Emma!"
Tierna - Mum of 3 year old
I know how you feel, really!
Do your child’s eating habits have you pulling your hair out?
Concerned that they aren’t getting the nutrition they need
Is this more than just a phase, has you child developed fussy or picky eating habits which you just can’t seem to break?
Does your child refuse to try new foods?
Are you sick of providing beige meals to avoid a meltdown
Are mealtimes stressful and unenjoyable?
I hear you and believe me I know exactly how you feel. And I can also really identify with how your child is feeling too.
My own little girl has struggled with picky eating since diagnosed with reflux as a baby, she had allergies which we have navigated, so our mealtimes were often not straight forward!
Plus, I was labelled a ‘fussy eater’ when I was young. When in fact what I was dealing with was a trauma around certain foods that I needed help to overcome.
Rather than bribes, threats or punishments.
I want to help you work with your child, not against them.
Find ways for them to explore food, try new flavours and discover what a mealtime without frustration can be like.
"Thank you Emma for your help with our son and understanding the situation so well. I am impressed with your quick and efficient service. The online assessment and suggestions helped us to plan meals and snacks. I am so pleased I contacted you!"
Vanessa - Mum of 4 year old
“Forcing a child to stay at the table to finish food is an old fashioned strategy. That’s what lead me to find a better way for my own child and then share this with other families going through the same struggles”
Kids maybe small but they are mighty
Never has this been more true than when a child is being cajoled into trying something they really don’t want to.
But, instead of butting heads with your child wouldn’t you like to work with them to discover the joy of food?
That’s what I want to help you achieve. It’s the only way for a child to feel safe and supported in this journey. Rather than shouting at them and telling them you know best, putting the power into their hands and helping them find food confidence.
When I was in primary school I refused to eat pasta. The trauma of being literally force fed at that age stayed with me until late into my teens. I couldn’t bear the idea of eating pasta for so many years and no amount of begging from my parents could change that.
How often have you experienced mealtimes dissolving into tears as you’ve tried to encourage your selective eater to just try one bite of broccoli, or maybe just a spoonful of soup?
My own picky eater simply wasn’t interested in so many foods, and I worried about the nutrition she was getting. I gently used positive approached to help instil more confidence in her when it came to food, and over time we found mealtimes far more relaxing and enjoyable.
When they are so small, the only thing children have autonomy over is their own body, so if they really don’t want to put something in their mouth then we should respect that decision from them
Taking that autonomy away can cause distrust and fear. They look to us for support and that is what I look to achieve with this programme.
That’s how I came to be where I am today, helping families like yours work together to find a peace in mealtimes that they haven’t experience before.
"I had a consultation with Emma recently, she is amazing. Very friendly and personable as well as being very thorough and knowledgeable. She sent through the report quickly following the consultation and that too was extremely through and detailed. "
Rachel - Mum of 4 year old
Why will this work?
It may sound right now like I’m promising you pie in the sky (pun intended), but I promise you that enjoyable, calm mealtimes and the confidence that your child is taking in all the nutrients they need is within your grasp.
Here's how:
One-to-one consultations
Each taking place online. My time is entirely focused on your fussy eater and the strategies we will put in place to expand their diet.
Comprehensive Nutrition Analysis
Compiled using data you will input into the Libro app I will set you up with. I will interpret the output and provide an analysis detailing every bit of nutrition your child will be getting from their current diet.
Highlighting areas of deficiency that can be tackled initially through supplements, simply dietary adaptations and then through the expansion of their diet.
Expert Report
Combining the results from the nutrition analysis and information discussed in our first consultation, I will put together a report explaining the findings and setting out your plan for moving forward, including meal ideas that the whole family will love. Giving you all the information you need to feel confident with the new strategies and techniques we will put in place.
Interactive Food Challenges
Designed to give your child autonomy over the food choices they make by turning the strategies into a game. We’ll also set targets and really make the whole process fun rather than fearful for your selective eater.
Tracker Sheet
Customised for the strategies we put in place just for your child. So you can both see the progress being made and celebrate it together.
My ‘Complete Guide to Mastering Mealtimes’ Ebook
I’ll share with you my exclusive ebook which details tried and tested strategies for helping your selective eater explore new foods.
Ongoing support between consultations
Any queries or questions you may have between our online chats can be raised via email as they arise. I’ll respond just as soon as can, so you are always in the best and most confidence space to keep working through the programme.
Online Resources
Recipe ideas, games to play or books to read (depending on the age of your child). Learning won’t just stop with the help I give you I want you to draw on lots of other resources available.
Creating Confident Eaters
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3 One to One Consultations (60 minutes plus two 30 minute follow ups)
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Comprehensive Nutritional Analysis (valued at £49)
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Expert reports
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Ongoing support via email
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Ebook and all the best resources
Creating Confident Eaters Plus
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6 One to One Consultations with feeding therapy support
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Comprehensive Nutritional Analysis (valued at £49)
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Expert reports
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Ongoing support via email
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Ebook and all the best resources
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Sensory workbook
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Building a Steps to Eating Plan for your child
"Making mealtimes fun has been a great success so far and playing music during mealtimes has been the biggest gamechanger! She loves choosing her own songs and happily picks at her food as we go along.
We are so grateful that a few simple, easy to implement changes are having such a positive impact on her general wellbeing"
Api - Mum of 7 year old
Hi, I'm Emma
I’m here because I truly enjoy helping families who are struggling with a ‘fussy eater’, because I know how stressful it can be having been there myself.
My daughter suffered with terrible reflux, which left us feeling helpless when she was clearly in so much pain. After admission to hospital, she was diagnosed with a delayed allergy to cow’s milk, and we found out when she was weaning that she is also allergic to eggs.
Thanks to my training as a paediatric dietician, I had the knowledge that helped us put together a plan for my daughter. And I can honestly say that she is a different child right now, enjoying new foods all the time.
I know I was fortunate though, and many families will not have the resources I did in that situation, that’s why I want to help. It can feel so lonely when your child can’t or won’t eat the foods we know are full of the necessary nutrition they require to grow up strong and healthy.
There is a lot of guilt and frustration wrapped up in the fact we are unable to encourage them to eat good foods, and perhaps when we sometimes find ourselves losing our temper at the dinner table.
It doesn’t have to be this way though, by combining the data collected from your initial input, and through one-to-one consultations we will develop and implement strategies to actively encourage and inspire your little one to try new foods and find those they enjoy.
Ensuring they get all the vitamins and minerals they need as they grow and helping to remove the stress and frustration from mealtimes.
Of course, there isn’t a ‘magic tablet’ cure for selective eating. We will work together to implement a ‘no pressure’ approach and make your family mealtimes more relaxed and fun.
I’m really looking forward to working with you,
Emma xx
“My daughter is a selective eater and had started to cut out more foods, leading me to worry she wasn’t getting enough nutrition in her diet. Emma was completely reassuring and non-judgemental about choices and habits we had fallen into over time. Everything Emma suggested felt practical and possible and I left the call feeling I now had options to deal with the issues in a positive way. It is such a joy to see my daughter now interested in and enjoying new foods. Thanks so much Emma, I am so glad I reached out to you.”
Lisa – Mum of a 6 year old
Do you want ditch the mealtime dread?
Got a question?
I’m sure you still have plenty of questions regarding the programme, I would expect nothing less, this is your child we are talking about, so you need to be sure that what you’re investing in will have an impact.
Take a second to look over these FAQ’s first though just in case it’s already covered.
If not, then please drop me a message on emma@dietitianwithadifference.co.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you qualified to give dietary advice?
I achieved 1st class honours for my 4 year degree course in nutrition and dietetics, and for the past 9 years I have been working within the NHS as a paediatric dietitian.
I have worked with 1000’s of families with concerns about their child’s eating habits, and all of the advice I give is entirely customised for each individual child.
I follow guidelines based on the nutritional requirements for children as defined by the British Government. If you’d like more information on this please drop me an email at emma@dietitianwithadifference.co.uk and I can explain more.
How long will the programme take to complete?
I am flexible with timings, but on average I work alongside families for around 6 months. The one-to-one consultations will be spaced out throughout this time, with a few months between each one, allowing the new strategies to be implemented and for results to be seen.
Why did you decide to focus on ‘selective eating’ as a speciality?
For some years when I was younger I would eat nothing except omelettes, it nearly drove my mother insane! Now, as a mother to a selective eater myself, following my daughters diagnoses of certain allergies, which is undoubtedly a big factor in her selective eating, I fully understand how stressful mealtimes as a parent can be. I have learned so much through my studies and my own experiences that I want to share that with other families who are struggling and help them find enjoyment at mealtimes again.
Is this a totally customised plan?
Yes absolutely. Every child is unique, as are their eating preferences, allergies and habits. Therefore, no two programmes can be exactly the same. Using the information you provide I will develop a report explaining exactly what nutrition their current diet is providing and where there may be gaps. Then we will work together to implement strategies to broaden the food variety intake of your child, depending entirely on their individual needs.
What if I have a question between our consultations?
You can contact me anytime via email with your questions and concerns. I will be in touch just as soon as I can within my normal working hours to help.
How long are the consultations?
The first of the three one-to-one consultations will be around 1 hour long. This will enable us to go through the dietary analysis results from the information you will have provided prior to this meeting. Focusing on all key nutrients such as iron, calcium and essential vitamins, we will ensure you fully understand where your child is nutrition wise. We will also spend plenty of time discussing all your concerns, how you have been tackling these issues up to now and what you are hoping to achieve.
The following two consultations will each be approximately 30 minutes each. Allowing us time to review the progress being made with the suggested strategies, and to adapt them where necessary.
How soon are you available to help?
You should be able to book in your first appointment with me within two/three weeks. In that time you should complete all the information requested so that I can compile your child’s nutritional analysis in time for our first consultation.
The programme normally lasts around six months but this is entirely dependent on the child, and by that time you should well on your way to addressing your child’s selective eating challenges.
Do you offer virtual appointments?
All sessions are carried out via video call, allowing you privacy and convenience around your daily routine.
Will I get a report?
You will receive a report that details the following:
The nutritional intake of your child and identify where there may be gaps in their current diet.
All that we have discussed regarding your concerns, your child’s current habits, preferences and food avoidances
Provide actionable strategies for you to put in place to improve the overall diet of your child.
You will receive this report following our first chat and emailed to you within (1 week).
How do I book an appointment?
Click on this link, and you will be taken to my calendar. You can book the initial hour long consultation at a time that suits you best. Once selected you will be taken to the payment page, where you will pay in advance for the programme. The two follow up appointments can be booked as you need them, plus I’m happy to answer any questions between the consultations.
What age range of child do you help with?
I can offer help with children of any age, from 0 through to 18.
From the weaning of milk only babies through to teens who have developed seemingly unbreakable habits. Drop me a message on emma@dietitianwithadifference.co.uk and I can tell you more about how I can help YOUR child.
My child has allergies rather than food adversity, can you help with that?
Absolutely, part of being a paediatric dietician means I am fully versed in different food allergies and how this can affect the nutritional intake for children. I will work with you to develop a varied diet that delivers all the vitamins and minerals they need to grow strong and healthy.
I have another question not addressed here.
Please don’t hesitate to send me an email emma@dietitianwithadifference.co.uk with any questions you have about the Confident Eater Programme.