Creating Supportive Mealtimes for Young People with ARFID

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This week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week and the theme is Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)! Creating supportive mealtimes for young people with ARFID can be challenging so we’re sharing simple suggestions to support caregivers.

Supporting a young person with ARFID requires creating a supportive environment during mealtimes. Here are some simple suggestions to help make mealtimes more comfortable and manageable for your young person:

1. Consider Sensory Sensitivities: Understand your young person’s sensory profile to tailor the eating environment accordingly. Consider how different sensory experiences, such as sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound, impact their eating habits and emotions.
2. Empower Your Child: Involve your young person in mealtime decisions to reduce anxiety. Let them choose from agreed safe foods and planned experiments. Establish logical and visual steps and maintain a consistent routine to make mealtime management easier.
3. Distract from Eating: Reduce anxiety and physical sensations associated with eating by engaging your young person in activities other than eating during mealtime. Use fidget toys, music, books, TV, podcasts, or conversation to create a relaxed atmosphere.
4. Create a Meal Schedule: Develop a meal schedule outlining meal timings, food types, and quantities to decrease worry and increase predictability and control.
5. Prepare for Contingencies: Plan for unforeseen circumstances by creating contingency plans with your young person. Identify the aspects that are most important to them and establish alternative options or safe meals.
6. Stay Calm: Manage your emotions to support your young person during mealtime challenges. Practice relaxation techniques and keep a journal to better manage stress and anxiety.
7. Use Arousal Reduction Strategies: Have a toolkit of strategies to reduce arousal during challenging moments. Experiment with sensory input such as dimmed lights, quiet spaces, or tactile objects to help your young person relax.
8. Gradually Increase Safe Foods: Increase safe foods slowly over time to manage energy deficits. Consider adding one more portion of food each day or offering nutritious fluids and small snacks regularly.
9. Collaborate with School: Discuss with the school about the support they can offer during meal times. Explore options such as providing a separate and quiet space for meals or agreeing on foods that comply with your young person’s needs.
10. Model Positive Behaviour: Model positive eating behaviors by trying new foods together as a family. Encourage your young person to see a variety of foods as safe by eating them alongside them.
11. Handle Comments with Confidence: Prepare responses to comments from extended family or friends about your young person’s eating habits. Use assertive phrases to address concerns and maintain control over the situation.
12. Adjust Social Eating: Consider your young person’s preferences and comfort level with social eating occasions. Make adjustments to social and cultural eating experiences to reduce anxiety and maximize their chances of success.

Supporting a child with ARFID during mealtimes requires patience, understanding, and a tailored approach to their individual needs.

For more information on simple steps to add new foods, download the full resource: Supporting Mealtimes.