Your Secret Weapon For Fussy Feeding

Hello & welcome

To the game changer of fussy feeding.

I know that you’re struggling and that you’ve probably tried everything. What no one is telling you is that you’re unsure what works because different strategies are needed for different types of fussy eating.
This is because they’re always caused by different things, and until now, no one has been able to identify precisely Why kids have fussy eating styles. 
It's difficult to draw patterns and work out solutions if you don't know quite what they're fussing about.

Here you will find the fastest, easiest life-hack and life-saver available to figure out what's up, and overcome them.

"Mashblox sounds simple… and they are… simply game changing!"
– Emily Fletcher, Mum to an 18 month old
“Mashblox is a genius idea.” - Corrine Sultana, Mum of 9 months
Australian Non-Toxic Awards judges

What are Mashblox, exactly?

Mashblox self-feeding cubes are squishy, hollow silicone building blocks for serving mash foods. The silicone mutes both colour and texture.

Because they’re so tactile (they feel good to touch and squish),

And they leverage our very first instincts: to put things in our mouths,

They turn whatever’s inside into a “safe food” – like their favourite plate, or blankie.

Mashblox self-feeding cubes help define different fussy eating styles by revealing what really motivates kids with their food, and have been used to coach hundreds of customers to understand, manage or overcome them.

Mashblox:

• * Make scary foods into safe foods
• * Self-feeding without the sensory challenges of either directly touching or even seeing the food
• * Makes spoon-feeding unnecessary  / Makes safe self-feeding practical
• * No sticky fingers!

“Mashblox encourages mindful eating. It allowed food to become a game” - Cat, Mum of 1 year old Liam

As seen on:

"You can't just give one to the baby because every one wants one. Kids of all ages love them”
- Ruby, Mum to 9 month old Angelica, Eduardo 18 months, Trinity 3 years.

"Familiarity with Mashblox when introducing new foods makes them more easily accepted. They know exactly what to do with them”

 

How to use Mashblox for your fussy eater

Fussy eating styles overlap: Your child may have one or more.

	What drives it (usually)	How Mashblox help	How to use them
Beige Diet ~or~ Junk foods only	Predictability Grabbability Palatability (mouthfeel and ease of eating)	Makes other foods appear predictable; Feel grabbable and familiar.	Start with their favourite non-junk foods, phase in other foods. Try not to ever put junk foods inside.
White foods only	Safe Grabbable Sensory challenges	Mutes colours Cube makes new foods safe and grabbable	Start with white foods, mix in other foods.
No veggies (or greens)	Family example “Supertaster” experiences Sensory challenges	“Hides” veggies without tricking them. Makes mash veggies a "special food"	Fill to corners with mash veg or blended veg *Do Not Use with sugar, or veg they find bitter* (otherwise they might start expecting sweets in there, or fearing that they'll find bitter veg)
Sensory Feeding	Their brain experiences sensations from their body or environment differently. Tiny details that don’t bother other children become a real issue.	Eat whole mash foods without having to directly see or touch them. No sticky fingers! Shortcuts "the feeding ladder"	Fill to corners with mash foods. Serve
ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)	Food anxiety Oral traumas, e.g. forced toothbrushing, tube feeding	Gives them control Gentle exposure to new foods Play with foods before learning to eat them	No pressure exposure to new foods

Please note:
I have no specific recommendations to support Paediatric Feeding Disorder or other currently physical reasons for fussy eating.

 

 “Cube risotto is better than bowl risotto” – J, 3.5

“I ate them all! They’re Cute!!” – Eduardo, 2

What are they made of?

 

• * Medical grade silicone:
  Mashblox are BPA free ✅
  
  They are:

• * Dishwasher safe: Turn inside out to clean
• * Fridge and freezer safe
• * Microwave and oven safe 180°C
• * Safe to boil and sterilise
• * Choking hazard safe: International Safety Standard ISO 8124.1 certified, birth to 14 years.
• * Australian Made

How to fill them

 

Make sure you fill them to the corners for mash foods, or only put in pieces of foods (e.g. steamed peas and corn, blueberries or nuts - as age appropriate) to practice pincer grip or to contain mess. You can also freeze water or berries inside for teethers.

Remember, no child will adapt to a new or challenging food if they’re not hungry. #LetThemFeedThemselves

 

 

FAQs:

What age range are they for?

Mashblox have different benefits at different ages. They are safe for complementary feeding from 6 months and up, and fussy eating benefits peak at about 3.5. Children with more pronounced autism enjoy them at older ages also.

Will this delay my child's development?

Mashblox were first prototyped in 2016, and I’ve heard no reports of any child starting from 5 months to 3.5 years (or 8 for autistic kids) getting hooked on them in any obstructive way. The first prototype tester family had bubs aged 9 months, 18 months and 3. They all loved them graduated to cutlery when they were able to handle them appropriately. For most children, this is about 5 years.

The other question to ask yourself, is which is the greater risk – if they grow up to double digits eating only nuggets or white foods, or not eating greens – or if they develop an attachment to a serving implement? My Romper-Room-Doo-Bee and Bunnikens plates broke or got lost eventually… And I still kinda miss them now that I think of it… But I learned to eat without them.

What kind of foods do I use them for?

Anything mash or mushy. Scrambled egg, dahl, avocado, rice, pasta bolognaise, casserole, pumpkin, banana, chia, weetbix, rice cereal, you could even mince up cheeseburgers if you needed to to get ARFID feeders or beige food dieters used to the cubes.

Please don’t otherwise use them for junk foods.

Small pieces of food can also be used to practice pincer grip (e.g. steamed peas and corn, blueberries or nuts - as age appropriate) and you can also freeze water or berries in them.

How does this affect their teeth?

Mashblox don't affect developing teeth, unless you’re packing them full of sugar. They’re soft silicone and many parents find that they have benefit as teethers.

Will pieces break off?

They’ve been certified to quality standard ISO 8124 against choking hazards, and I couldn’t bite through them when I tried with adult teeth. Please discard if they start to tear in the seams: this can start to happen if you’re not careful while turning them inside out for cleaning.

How did you think of these?

Mashblox were inspired by watching a toddler chomping into an apple, that he’d occasionally drop, bounce and roll in the dirt, chasing just as if it was a ball. This little boy caught my eye because he was so incredibly independent, and I watched as he repeated this again and again.

I thought there had to be a way to combine children’s instinct to play with their food, and to explore the world through their mouth, into a practical solution. Voila, Mashblox hollow silicone building blocks and feeding cubes were born.

 

 

 

 

The way I see it, you have three options.

You can keep fumbling through one size fits all tactics,

You can start mapping their food experience with a therapist, or the tactics in my upcoming books,

Or Mashblox self-feeding cubes can shortcut the whole process for you and save you and your kids years of trial, error and stress.

 

#HackingFussyEating

#Mashblox #MakeGoodFoodFun
#SafeSelfFeeding
#LetThemFeedThemselves