Care Team Spotlight Gaby Cohen: Will Anyone Help Me Feed My Family Without a Fight?

If getting your child to eat dinner feels like a nightly negotiation, you're not alone. From picky eating and limited safe foods to the pressure of making sure everyone is getting enough nutrition, feeding a family can quickly become one of the most stressful parts of the day.

That's where Gaby Cohen, RD, Wellness Advisor at The Lanby, comes in. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with experience working with both adults and children, Gaby has a special interest in pediatric nutrition and family-based care. She helps families build nourishing routines, navigate picky eating and digestive concerns, and develop a healthier relationship with food from an early age.

Her philosophy? Feeding your family doesn't have to be perfect to be successful. It just needs to be practical, balanced, and sustainable.

We sat down with Gaby to talk about picky eating, mealtime battles, and how parents can take some of the pressure off.

How can parents make mealtimes feel less stressful?

One of the biggest shifts parents can make is to serve the food and then step back.

A helpful framework is the division of responsibility: the parent decides what, when, and where food is offered, while the child decides whether and how much they eat.

That means putting a meal on the table without negotiating every bite. Try to avoid commentary like, “Just one more bite,” “You haven't eaten your vegetables,” or “You need to finish your chicken.” Instead, keep conversation at the table focused on everything but food.

It can also help to lower the stakes. One meal isn't make-or-break. What matters is the pattern of eating over days and weeks, not whether your child ate broccoli on Tuesday.

A few other simple strategies:

• Keep at least one familiar or “safe” food on the table at every meal.
• Put phones away, including for the adults. Being present can lower tension more than you might expect.
• Avoid making refusal a big event. The less emotional energy around food, the better.
• Remember that your job is to offer; your child's job is to decide what to eat from what's available.

What are your biggest tips for picky eaters?

First, know that picky eating is common, especially in young children. A child turning down a food doesn't necessarily mean they'll never eat it.

One of the most important things parents can do is offer repeated exposure without pressure. A child may need to see, touch, smell, or taste a food many times before accepting it.

Instead of replacing a new food with something completely different, try putting it next to something your child already likes. For example, serve a new vegetable alongside their favorite pasta or a new protein alongside a familiar carbohydrate.

And remember: eating isn't the only form of progress. Touching, smelling, licking, or simply tolerating a new food on the plate can all be steps toward eventually eating it.

A few more strategies to try:

• Offer new foods alongside familiar foods.
• Give children opportunities to help choose, wash, or prepare food.
• Let them see you eating and enjoying a variety of foods.
• Keep offering foods without turning them into a “challenge.”
• Nutrient-dense additions or “sneaking” ingredients into familiar foods can be useful as a bridge, but shouldn't replace opportunities to experience foods in their original form.

How can parents introduce new foods without creating pressure?

Skip the “just try one bite” bargaining.

It can be tempting to make a bite of broccoli the price of getting dessert, but turning food into a negotiation can make the new food feel even more intimidating.

Instead, think new + familiar.

Put the new food on the same plate as something your child already enjoys. Model eating it yourself without making a big announcement about how delicious it is. Then offer it again another time.

The goal is to make exposure feel casual and routine rather than like an event.

If your child says no? That's okay. Try to keep your reaction neutral. Sometimes the best response is simply, “Okay,” and moving on.

What does a balanced family meal actually look like?

It doesn't need to look like something out of a cookbook.

A good starting point is:

Protein + fiber + something colorful.

That's the bar. Not Pinterest-perfect.

And importantly, everyone does not have to eat the same amount—or even the same components—for the meal to be successful.

Imagine taco night. You might offer:

• Seasoned ground turkey or beans for protein
• Soft tortillas or rice
• Shredded lettuce
• Diced tomatoes
• Avocado
• Shredded cheese

One child might make a plain tortilla with cheese and a few beans. Another might pile on the vegetables. An adult might add extra vegetables and hot sauce.

Same meal. Same table. Different plates.

You're not short-order cooking a separate meal for every person, but you're also not requiring everyone to eat everything on their plate for dinner to “count.”

And don't underestimate the power of repetition. Having five or six easy meals you can rotate through is often much more sustainable than trying a new recipe every night.

Good enough most nights beats impressive once in a while.

When should parents be concerned about picky eating?

Not every picky eater needs an intervention. But there are signs that it's worth taking a closer look.

Talk to your pediatrician or nutrition professional if you notice:

• Growth or weight stalling or dropping
• A child's list of safe foods continually shrinking
• Gagging, choking, or significant distress around eating
• Avoidance of entire food groups or certain textures for an extended period
• Mealtimes becoming a daily source of conflict or anxiety
• Significant sensory or oral-motor challenges around eating

It's also worth knowing about ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). ARFID is a real, diagnosable eating disorder, but most picky eaters do not have ARFID. When eating becomes severely restricted or starts affecting growth, nutrition, social functioning, or quality of life, it's important to get professional guidance rather than assuming your child will simply grow out of it.

How can nutrition support help families?

This is where personalized support can make a meaningful difference.

At The Lanby, Gaby can help families figure out whether they're looking at a typical picky-eating phase or something that deserves a closer look. That means considering the whole child, including age, growth patterns, dietary intake, family history, digestive concerns, and, when appropriate, labs.

Support might include:

• Building a personalized “safe + stretch” plate
• Creating realistic meals and snacks your family will actually eat
• Taking the pressure off parents who feel like they're constantly policing food
• Identifying potential nutritional gaps
• Providing individualized supplement recommendations when appropriate
• Connecting families with feeding therapy or occupational therapy when sensory or oral-motor concerns are part of the picture

The goal isn't to make your child eat perfectly. It's to help your family feel more confident and less stressed around food.

If you’re interested in learning more Pediatric Care at The Lanby, schedule a complimentary Discovery call to get all of your questions answered.