Food Anxiety & Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) | Child Feeding Therapy
When Eating Becomes a Source of Fear or Stress
Some children approach food with worry, overwhelm, or strong avoidance. It’s not “picky eating.” It’s fear-driven eating — real distress around textures, smells, colours, choking, vomiting, or sensations in their mouth and body. Families often notice mealtimes becoming tense, slow, or emotional for everyone involved.
Many children with food-related fear also experience Sensory Challenges, Childhood Phobias (especially vomit phobia), or patterns seen in Anxiety more broadly.
Symptoms of Food Anxiety & ARFID
Food anxiety shows up differently for every child. You may notice:
Refusing entire food groups or textures
Eating only “safe foods”
Strong fear of choking, vomiting, or contamination
Panic around trying new foods
Emotional distress during meals
Avoiding social situations that involve eating
Difficulty eating at school or with peers
Extreme sensitivity to smell, texture, or temperature
These feeding patterns may overlap with concerns addressed in Selective Mutism (especially when anxiety affects swallowing), Sleep Challenges (kids going to bed hungry), or Strong-Willed Behaviour when fear meets rigidity.
Why Food Anxiety Develops
Food-related fear is rooted in the nervous system, not willful behaviour. Common contributors include:
A past choking or vomiting event
Sensory sensitivities to texture, sound, or smell
High anxiety or fear-based thinking
Perfectionistic tendencies around “doing it right”
Gastro symptoms that create fear cues
Trauma around illness or food poisoning
Fear generalization (e.g., one scary moment = “all foods are dangerous”)
Some children also show overlapping patterns with Panic Episodes / Fear Responses or Overcontrolled / Rule-Following Children.
What Makes ARFID Different From Picky Eating
Picky eaters have preferences. ARFID has fear. Children with ARFID may avoid eating entirely, restrict to only a few foods, or become extremely distressed when asked to try something new. Unlike typical pickiness, ARFID can impact:
Weight or growth
Energy levels
School participation
Social experiences (birthday parties, sleepovers)
Overall emotional well-being
Early support helps prevent long-term avoidance and reduces stress around mealtimes.
How Food Anxiety Affects Daily Life
Food anxiety can influence a child’s routines, relationships, and confidence. Families often notice:
Long mealtimes with negotiation or distress
Fear of eating outside the home
Avoiding sleepovers or playdates that involve food
Emotional crashes when hunger and anxiety mix
Frustration or shame after mealtime conflict
Difficulty focusing in school due to low energy
These challenges often connect with concerns like Highly Sensitive Children, Social Anxiety, or Friendship Challenges when children worry about eating around others.
How Therapy Supports Feeding Confidence
Therapy uses play-based exposure, desensitization, and emotional coaching to help your child approach food safely and gradually. Sessions may include:
Building a hierarchy of foods from “safe” to “scary”
Exploring sensory tolerance through play
Creating positive mealtime associations
Supporting children through anxiety spikes
Practicing coping skills when fear rises
Helping children reconnect with hunger and fullness cues
Children doing ARFID work often benefit from regulation support through Emotional Outbursts & Meltdowns or Toddler & Preschool Emotion Regulation, depending on age.
Supporting Parents at Mealtimes
Parents often feel stuck between not wanting to pressure their child and wanting them to get enough nutrition. We help caregivers:
Create low-pressure mealtimes
Remove language that triggers fear
Offer structure that feels safe and predictable
Understand when to push and when to pause
Respond to shutdowns or panic without escalating
Build a home environment that supports exploration
These tools pair naturally with Parent Burnout / Parenting Under Stress, especially when mealtimes have become the hardest part of the day.
Food Anxiety in Toddlers and Preschoolers
Younger children experience food through all senses at once. For kids with sensory sensitivity or early fear learning, new foods can feel genuinely overwhelming.
Early support through Preschool Therapy or Early Intervention helps build flexible eating habits before patterns become more rigid.
When Food Anxiety Connects to Other Concerns
Some children with food anxiety also experience:
Separation Anxiety (fear of eating without a parent present)
School Refusal (to avoid lunch or snacks)
Body Image Concerns (in older children)
Twice-Exceptional (2e) profiles
Understanding the whole child helps us tailor a plan that feels safe, realistic, and supportive.
We Are Here To Help Your Child Persevere
Your first session is gentle and child-centered. You’ll share your child’s history with food, the fears that have grown around it, and what mealtimes look like at home.
Your therapist will help you understand why eating feels hard and create a step-by-step plan matched to your child’s sensory needs, anxiety level, and temperament. Parents often leave feeling hopeful — not because the process is quick, but because they finally understand what’s happening and how to support their child without pressure or fear.
If your child is struggling to eat, explore, or feel safe around food, book a session today — support can make eating feel possible again.
📍 2005 – 37 St SW, Unit #5, Calgary
📞 587-331-4464
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
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Picky eating is usually about preference. ARFID involves fear. If your child has intense anxiety, avoids entire categories of food, becomes distressed during meals, or their eating is affecting growth, energy, or social life, it may be more than pickiness. A therapist can help you understand the difference and guide next steps.
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No. Therapy never uses pressure. Children move at a pace that feels safe, supported, and regulated. Exposure work is gentle, playful, and rooted in trust — not force. The goal is increasing confidence, not forcing consumption.
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Many children with food anxiety feel ashamed, scared, or avoidant. That’s normal. Therapists use play, sensory exploration, and indirect approaches, so children don’t have to talk about food directly until they’re ready. Engagement naturally increases as safety grows.
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Yes. Food anxiety is highly responsive to support, especially when sensory needs are understood. Children with sensitivities or neurodivergent traits often thrive when we combine feeding therapy with sensory regulation, coping tools, and gentle exposure.
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Each child’s timeline is different. Some families notice changes within a few weeks, while deeper fears may take longer. What matters most is consistency, a safe plan, and support at home. Small steps — touching, smelling, or tolerating new foods — are meaningful signs of progress.