# EatPal

> AI-powered food chaining meal planner that helps parents systematically expand picky eaters' diets using evidence-based feeding therapy techniques.

## About
EatPal is a meal planning platform built for families managing picky eating, ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), and selective eating in children. It combines food chaining, the feeding therapy method developed by Cheri Fraker, RD and Laura Walbert, SLP, with AI-generated meal plans, try-bite exposure tracking, and progress reporting. The goal is to expand a child's accepted foods gradually rather than through pressure at the table.

## Key Features
- **Food Chaining Engine**: AI generates personalized food progressions based on a child's safe foods and sensory preferences (taste, texture, temperature, appearance)
- **Try Bite Scheduling**: Systematic new food introduction tracking based on the research-backed 15-20 exposure method
- **Safe Food Library**: Comprehensive tracking of each child's accepted foods with allergen and sensory metadata
- **AI Meal Planning**: Generates weekly meal plans that balance safe foods with strategic try bites for gradual diet expansion
- **Multi-Child Support**: Manages different food preferences, allergens, and feeding goals for multiple children in one family
- **Grocery Automation**: Auto-generates organized grocery lists from meal plans with delivery integration (Instacart, Amazon Fresh, Walmart, Shipt)
- **Nutrition Monitoring**: Tracks nutritional adequacy for children on limited diets, flagging potential deficiencies
- **Progress Analytics**: Visualizes food acceptance trends, exposure counts, and diet expansion over time
- **Professional Tools**: HIPAA-compliant dashboard for feeding therapists with insurance billing and session tracking
- **Recipe Builder**: Kid-friendly recipe creation with nutrition analysis and food chain scoring

## Target Audience
- Parents of picky eaters (toddlers through school-age)
- Families managing ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
- Caregivers of children with autism spectrum feeding challenges
- Pediatric feeding therapists and occupational therapists
- Pediatric dietitians and nutritionists
- Early intervention specialists

## Pricing
- Free Plan: 1 child, basic meal planning, limited food library
- Pro Plan ($9.99/month): Unlimited children, AI features, full food chains, grocery lists
- Family Plus ($19.99/month): Advanced nutrition tracking, progress reports, priority support
- Professional Plan: For therapists — client management, insurance billing, HIPAA compliance

## Docs
- [Homepage](https://tryeatpal.com/)
- [Guide Library](https://tryeatpal.com/guides)
- [Pricing](https://tryeatpal.com/pricing)
- [FAQ](https://tryeatpal.com/faq)
- [Blog](https://tryeatpal.com/blog)
- [Authors and Reviewers](https://tryeatpal.com/authors)
- [Picky Eater Quiz](https://tryeatpal.com/picky-eater-quiz)
- [Budget Calculator](https://tryeatpal.com/budget-calculator)
- [Free Meal Plan Generator](https://tryeatpal.com/meal-plan)
- [Privacy Policy](https://tryeatpal.com/privacy)
- [Terms of Service](https://tryeatpal.com/terms)
- [Accessibility](https://tryeatpal.com/accessibility)

## Contact
- Website: https://tryeatpal.com
- Support: support@tryeatpal.com
- Partnerships: partnerships@tryeatpal.com
- AI/Data Inquiries: ai@tryeatpal.com

## Conditions Supported
- Picky eating (general selective eating)
- ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
- Autism spectrum feeding challenges
- Sensory processing-related food aversions
- Pediatric feeding disorders
- Food neophobia (fear of new foods)

## Methodology
EatPal's food chaining approach works by making small, systematic changes to foods a child already accepts. For example, if a child eats chicken nuggets, the platform generates a chain: chicken nuggets -> breaded chicken strips -> baked chicken tenders -> plain grilled chicken pieces. Each step changes only one attribute (shape, coating, preparation method) while keeping familiar elements.

## Last Updated
2026-08-14