Ellyn Satter Institute

In the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding, it's the adult's job to decide what to serve at meals and snacks, and where and when these meals and snacks happen.

Then it's the child's job to decide whether to eat what's been provided, and how much.

We even mean this when it comes to low-nutrient food (sweets and chips, for example), with just a very few tweaks. Read below for Ellyn's guidance on including a small portion of dessert alongside the rest of the meal!

Exceptions to the Rule? | Ellyn Satter Institute A good feeding relationship is rooted in trust between the parent and the child AND trust in each person’s internal abilities to regulate food intake and growth.

This webinar is for our parents!

End the Preoccupation with Sugar: Nurturing Self-Regulation

In this session, you’ll learn how to help your child have a healthy relationship with sweets – without restriction, without guilt, and without constant battles. When sugar is no longer forbidden or used as a reward, children stop obsessing over it.

On-demand program presented by Rebeca Hernández, RD, MSc, child feeding expert and Ellyn Satter Institute faculty member.

Link in bio or www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/product/end-preoccupation-with-sugar-nurturing-real-self-regulation/

Anxiety around food may originate in childhood, when normal, cautious eating is met with pressure (usually from well-meaning adults).

In the attached article, we differentiate between normal picky eating and when it becomes more problematic and finicky.

In most cases we recommend that adults follow the Satter Division of Responsibility when feeding children, staying the course even when a child warms up to new foods very slowly! But we understand there's often nuance to the feeding relationship, so have a look at the attached article, and please feel free to ask your questions below or in a private message.

Picky Eating | Ellyn Satter Institute The Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR) is a proven approach for feeding children. It allows parents to learn their specific feeding jobs to promote a positive feeding relationship.

As promised, here is the link to sign up to receive our new, free webcast that explores how the new Dietary Guidelines for America mesh (and sometimes clash) with the principles of Ellyn Satter's Eating Competence model:

https://ellynsatterinstituteinc.learnworlds.com/course/new-dietary-guidelines-eating-competence-perspective?

Feel free to ask questions below, or to send a private message on this page :)

During this upcoming (free!) webcast, we'll talk about how control-based food rules interfere with reclaiming one's trust in your own body, and the joy of eating.

In the meantime, check out the Family Meals Focus featured in this month's newsletter, which also distinguishes between trust and control in nutrition education:

https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/trust-in-nutrition-education-fmf-68/

You can sign up to receive our monthly newsletters here! https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/AD6gcWg/ESInewsletters

This webinar explores how fear, anxiety, trauma, and nervous system responses influence eating behaviors in individuals with food allergy and celiac disease. Particular attention will be given to recognizing when medically appropriate caution begins to shift toward anxiety-driven avoidance, rigidity, or restriction that may undermine Eating Competence and quality of life.

September 16, 2026, 12:30 pm CT – 2 pm CT

Pending approval for 1.5 Level II CEUs.

Register link in bio or https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/product/when-food-feels-unsafe-supporting-eating-competence-food-allergy-celiac-disease/