Major focus area

Feeding Therapy -> Nutrition

Short description

Food chaining is a systematic, individualized, low-pressure feeding intervention designed to support individuals in expanding their food repertoire by emphasizing similar features between accepted and targeted food items (Fishbein et al., 2006).

Long description

Food chaining is a systematic, individualized, low-pressure feeding intervention designed to support individuals in expanding their food repertoire by emphasizing similar features between accepted and targeted food items (Fishbein et al., 2006). Food chaining begins with a food audit, creating a list of accepted foods. Then, these foods are categorized by food group to determine the dietary diversity of the individual’s food repertoire. The food list is broken down again into flavor and texture categories in a process called “flavor mapping,” where specific patterns of preference are identified. Strategies involved in food chaining include flavor masking (using preferred sauces/dips or spices to increase acceptance of new foods by allowing the individual to experience a familiar taste paired with a new food item), shape chaining, texture chaining, flavor chaining, or color chaining (Fraker & Cox, 2007).