Hi April,

It was a pleasure speaking with you today. I am happy to hear that Daniel is trying new foods
and enjoying the MANNA meals! You have some great strategies in place, and I wanted to offer
some additional information for you to reference in the future.

1. The Eating Environment: You have been doing a great job of establishing a positive
environment at meals. Sitting down at the table without distractions from the TV is one
of the best things that you can do for the family. Daniel will learn about proper table
behaviors, while also modeling your eating habits. Here are some dinner table
suggestions:
a. Have him set the table for everybody before dinner. This may make dinner time
more exciting for him, since he will feel as if he contributed.

b. Make the same food for everybody. Choose 1-2 familiar foods that Daniel will
eat (i.e. noodles), and add some new foods as well. Try grilled chicken, a new
sauce on the side, and a vegetable. It may take him a few tries before he actually
tries the new food, but when he sees everybody else eating it, he may be more
likely to try it.

c. Avoid putting pressure on him during the meal. Don’t force him to eat a certain
amount of a food. Keep the conversation at the table positive and avoid talking
about the food. He can decide how much he eats at the meal.

I have included a handout on the “Division of Responsibility”, which explains the role of the
parent and the role of the child in establishing healthy eating behaviors. Ellyn Satter is an expert
in this area, and she has additional information on her website.
https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/

2. Recipes: It is great that he enjoys cooking with you! I have included a few additional
recipes for you to try with him. Again, having him to help with cooking will make him
feel more excited about eating.

Here is my contact information if you would like to follow up on any of these topics. Please do
not hesitate to reach out again if you have other questions!
Emma Leister MS, RD | Nutrition & Client Services
420 N 20th St. | Philadelphia, PA 19130
(p) 215.496.2662 x124 | (f) 215.496.9102