Your Child Suffers from Feeding Challenges or ARFID—Have You Tried Food Chaining?

Your Child Suffers from Feeding Challenges or ARFID—Have You Tried Food Chaining?

Eating disorders in children often look very different from what we typically expect. One lesser-known but increasingly recognized condition is ARFID—Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. If your child eats only a handful of foods, refuses entire food groups, or experiences intense anxiety around trying new foods, they may be showing signs of this complex eating disorder.

As a parent or caregiver, navigating your child’s feeding challenges can feel overwhelming. The good news? There are compassionate, evidence-based strategies available. One of the most effective tools for kids with ARFID or selective eating behaviors is called food chaining.

In this blog, we’ll explore what food chaining is, how it works, and why it may be a game-changer if your child suffers from feeding challenges or ARFID. We’ll also talk about how to use this approach in a gentle, trauma-informed way—because mealtimes should feel safe, not stressful.

Understanding ARFID: More Than Just “Picky Eating”

Before diving into food chaining, let’s clarify what ARFID as an eating disorder really is. While many children go through phases of picky eating, ARFID is more severe and persistent. It can lead to nutritional deficiencies, emotional distress, and impaired growth or development.

 

Common eating disorder symptoms of ARFID include:

  • Extremely limited food variety (only eating 10–15 specific foods)
  • Anxiety or distress around trying new foods
  • Avoidance based on texture, color, smell, or fear of choking or vomiting
  • Nutritional deficiencies or significant weight changes
  • Dependence on nutritional supplements or feeding tubes

Unlike anorexia or bulimia, ARFID eating disorder is not driven by body image concerns. Instead, it’s often related to sensory processing issues, fear-based avoidance, or lack of interest in food altogether.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and there are ways to support your child.

What Is Food Chaining?

Food chaining is a structured, gradual method of helping children expand their diets by building on foods they already enjoy. Instead of introducing new foods randomly, you chain similar foods together based on features like taste, texture, shape, or temperature.

Here’s how food chaining works:

  1. Identify accepted foods. Start with what your child already eats consistently and without distress.
  2. Note common features. Are their preferred foods all crunchy? Mild in flavor? Beige in color?
  3. Create a chain. Slowly introduce a new food that shares a similar feature with an accepted food.
  4. Progress gradually. After multiple exposures and signs of acceptance, move to the next “link” in the chain.

For example, if your child loves packaged chicken nuggets, the chain might look like this:

  • Packaged chicken nugget (accepted)
  • Slightly different brand of chicken nugget
  • Homemade breaded chicken strip
  • Grilled chicken tender

Each step is small, familiar, and non-threatening—making it more likely that your child will accept new foods over time.

Why Food Chaining Works for Children with ARFID

 

For children with eating disorders like ARFID, mealtimes can feel overwhelming, even scary. The idea of trying a new food might trigger anxiety, sensory discomfort, or fear of gagging. That’s why a slow, intentional approach like food chaining is so powerful.

 

Food chaining:

  • Reduces pressure and fear around new foods
  • Builds trust and confidence at the table
  • Targets sensory preferences while still encouraging new exposures
  • Supports nutritional variety over time

Parents often notice that their child becomes more open to trying new foods once they realize they can succeed—and feel safe—at the table.

How to Start Food Chaining at Home

If your child suffers from feeding challenges or ARFID, food chaining may sound like a lifeline—but how do you get started?

 
Step 1: Build a “safe foods” list

List 10–15 foods your child consistently eats. These are your baseline.

Step 2: Look for patterns

Do they prefer crunchy over soft? Beige over colorful? Warm over cold? Patterns in texture, color, shape, or preparation will guide your chain.

Step 3: Choose just 2–3 foods to target

Don’t overhaul everything at once. Start small and stay patient.

Step 4: Introduce changes slowly

Begin with the smallest, least noticeable change—a different brand, shape, or cooking method of a food they already accept.

Step 5: Monitor exposure

Research shows that it can take up to 10 exposures to a new food before a child accepts it. Keep offering—without pressure.

Tips for Success with Food Chaining

Here are some parent-tested techniques to make your food chaining journey smoother:

  • Never introduce too many new foods at once
  • Offer choices to help your child feel empowered
  • Avoid pressure or bribing—positive, low-pressure exposure works better
  • Give your child a heads-up before meals or snacks
  • Keep some meals “safe” and outside the food chain to avoid burnout
  • Use neutral language and shift attention away from eating during meals
  • Celebrate progress, even if it’s just a sniff or lick

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Food Chaining

While food chaining is a fantastic tool, it’s important to recognize that children with eating disorders—especially those who are neurodivergent or have a trauma history—may need even more support.

Safety is one of the five pillars of trauma-informed care, and traditional food chaining methods don’t always account for this. To create safer mealtimes, try this small but impactful adjustment:

 

Serve new foods alongside preferred foods—not in place of them.

For example, rather than replacing your child’s beloved packaged chicken nuggets with a homemade version, serve half-and-half:

  • Half of the plate has the familiar, accepted food
  • The other half has the new variation

This approach:
  • Gives your child a sense of control
  • Reduces mealtime anxiety
  • Increases the likelihood of trying the new food voluntarily

The goal is to build trust, not battles. When kids feel safe and in control, they’re more willing to take small steps forward.

When to Seek Professional Support

While food chaining can work beautifully at home, eating disorders like ARFID can be complex and may require professional support. If you notice any of the following eating disorder symptoms, reach out to a pediatrician or a registered dietitian who specializes in pediatric feeding:

  • Significant weight loss or poor growth
  • Frequent mealtime meltdowns or refusal to eat
  • Severe anxiety around food or eating
  • Nutrient deficiencies or iron levels dropping
  • Fatigue, dizziness, or other signs of malnutrition

The earlier intervention begins, the better the outcomes—especially when a team approach is used.

Conclusion

If your child suffers from feeding challenges or ARFID, food chaining offers a gentle, effective way to support their journey toward more variety and better nutrition. It’s not about forcing foods—it’s about meeting your child where they are and walking with them, one small step at a time.

At Sööma, we understand that eating disorders are not one-size-fits-all. Whether your child is navigating ARFID or showing other eating disorder symptoms, our team of registered dietitians uses compassionate, evidence-based methods to help kids build healthier relationships with food—without pressure, fear, or shame.

 

Need help getting started?

We offer personalized support for families navigating an eating disorder like ARFID and feeding challenges.  Call us at 514-437-4260 or Email us at info@sooma.ca

You can also book an appointment with one of our professionals directly by clicking this link.

Written by

Picture of Annyck Besso

Annyck Besso

Registered Dietitian

References:

  1. Cox, S., Walbert, L., Fraker, C., Fishbein, D. M. (2009). Food Chaining: The Proven 6-Step Plan to Stop Picky Eating, Solve Eating Problems, and Expand Your Child’s Diet. États-Unis: Hachette Books 
  2. Hunani, N. (2023, April 18). Inclusive approaches to feeding difficulties [PowerPoint slides]. RDs for Neurodiversity. https://www.rdsforneurodiversity.com/neurodivergence-feeding-differences-and-arfid-course

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