Beautifully Complex 353: Selective Eating & How to Help Fill Nutritional Gaps, with Brittyn Coleman
Apr 9, 2026
32:59
Feeding your child shouldn’t feel like a daily battle between fear and survival, but for so many of us parenting neurodivergent kids, it does. When your child eats only a handful of foods, it’s easy to spiral into worry about their health, their growth, and what the future might look like.
In this conversation, I’m joined by dietitian Brittyn Coleman to unpack what’s really going on beneath selective eating. We talk about why “picky eating” isn’t the right lens for neurodivergent kids and how sensory sensitivities, anxiety, oral motor challenges, and even interoception all play a role. This isn’t about defiance or control. It’s about a nervous system trying to stay safe.
We also dig into why traditional strategies like pressure, bribing, or removing safe foods often backfire and can actually make eating more stressful and restrictive over time. Instead, we explore how to shift toward a sensory-informed, compassionate approach that builds trust, reduces dysregulation, and creates real progress.
You’ll hear practical ways to start supporting your child right where they are, including how to identify their sensory preferences, redefine what progress looks like, and reduce mealtime stress for everyone at the table. We also talk about filling nutritional gaps in a way that works for kids with sensory sensitivities.
If mealtimes feel overwhelming in your home, this episode will help you see your child’s experience differently and give you a more supportive path forward. Take a breath, lean in, and listen.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.
Show notes and more resources at parentingadhdandautism.com/353
Best Part: ****https://bestpartkids.com/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.
In this conversation, I’m joined by dietitian Brittyn Coleman to unpack what’s really going on beneath selective eating. We talk about why “picky eating” isn’t the right lens for neurodivergent kids and how sensory sensitivities, anxiety, oral motor challenges, and even interoception all play a role. This isn’t about defiance or control. It’s about a nervous system trying to stay safe.
We also dig into why traditional strategies like pressure, bribing, or removing safe foods often backfire and can actually make eating more stressful and restrictive over time. Instead, we explore how to shift toward a sensory-informed, compassionate approach that builds trust, reduces dysregulation, and creates real progress.
You’ll hear practical ways to start supporting your child right where they are, including how to identify their sensory preferences, redefine what progress looks like, and reduce mealtime stress for everyone at the table. We also talk about filling nutritional gaps in a way that works for kids with sensory sensitivities.
If mealtimes feel overwhelming in your home, this episode will help you see your child’s experience differently and give you a more supportive path forward. Take a breath, lean in, and listen.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.
Show notes and more resources at parentingadhdandautism.com/353
Best Part: ****https://bestpartkids.com/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support.
You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.