Six Major Steps to Eating

There are six major steps we can take when it comes to incorporating new foods into a child’s diet. The Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach encourages children to explore and learn about food in a positive and playful manner. The goal is to build their comfort level with a variety of “non-preferred” foods. Eating a diverse diet is an important part of a child’s health and development. The six major steps to eating include:

1. Tolerating the physical presence or sight of food at the table
2. Interacting with food in a low- pressure way without directly touching it (e.g., utensils, touching with toys, etc.)
3. Managing the smell or odor of a food
4. Learning how foods feel by touching them with your fingers, hands, body, and mouth
5. Tasting foods without the pressure of swallowing (e.g., touching to lips, licking, biting and spitting out, etc.)
6. Chewing and swallowing foods

Food is meant to be enjoyed and shared with others. We want to expose our children to foods while maintaining a positive mindset and building their comfort level by following these six steps. This will help a child’s overall health and well-being and increase their overall dietary repertoire.

-CC

Resource:
https://www.lumierechild.com/blog/feeding-issues-what-i s-the-sos-approach-to-feeding/