fdSatter is implemented with the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR).  sDOR works because it is good parenting—authoritative parenting. It supports parents in taking kind and nurturing leadership with feeding and giving children trusting and respectful autonomy with eating.

When parents follow sDOR, children feel good about eating, are comfortable in the presence of unfamiliar food, eat as much as they need to grow predictably, and are relaxed about joining in with family meals and structured snacks. Children eat as much or little as they need,^{1, 2} gradually accept new food,^2-9 and maintain energy balance and consistent growth^{1, 10, 11} that reflects their genetic endowment.^{12, 13}

All children—even those who are ill or need particular help with maintaining their nutritional status—can be fed following sDOR. The task of their grownups—parents, teachers, and their advisors—is to raise them to have positive eating attitudes and behaviors. Setting aside expectations that parents should get children to eat certain amounts and types of food lets parents accurately follow sDOR and raise children to enjoy an increasing variety of food for a lifetime.

The Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding

The parent is responsible for what children are offered to eat. The child is responsible for how much and whether to eat of the foods offered. The Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR) says to feed infants on demand, letting them determine the timing and tempo of feeding. As the child develops and becomes more regular in their eating patterns, the parent gradually takes on responsibility for when and where the child is fed. Later still, during the later school-age years and adolescence, children gradually take responsibility for when, where, and what they will eat. However, until children leave home, parents can expect children to arrive at family meals hungry and on time.

Most children are ready to join in with the meals-plus-snacks routine of family by the end of the first year or the beginning of the second year. After that, parents need to maintain the structure of family meals and sit-down snacks throughout the growing-up years.

When parents do their jobs with feeding, children do their jobs with eating.

sDOR Encourages Adults to Take Responsibility for Feeding, Including:

• Choosing and preparing food
• Providing regular meals and snacks.
• Making eating times pleasant
• Showing children by example, how to interact at family mealtimes.
• Being considerate of children’s lack of food experience without catering to likes and dislikes
• Not letting children have food or beverages (except for water) between meal and snack times.
• Letting children grow into bodies that are right for them

Read about the development and validation of the sDOR.2-6y™ Inventory in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Following sDOR is Associated with Lower Child Nutritional Risk

Assessing adherence to sDOR gives parents and professionals an achievable way to address their biggest feeding worry: that children are doing well nutritionally.² Children of parents who follow sDOR, who score high on sDOR.2-6y^TM, have lower nutritional risk. Because they are relaxed about joining in with family meals and structured snacks, children benefit from repeated neutral exposure to food. They push themselves along to eat the food their trusted grownups eat.⁴ The goal of sDOR is not to get children to eat target foods today: It is to allow them to enjoy a variety of food for a lifetime. Children add variety to their diets throughout their growing-up years, but only if they are not pressured in the meantime.

Relaxing about children’s eating means a lot! Validation results support what parents say: When feeding goes well, they and their children feel better all day. Adults who feed well—who score high on sDOR.2-6y™ see their children as doing better overall,² and they are more likely to describe their children as being “good eaters.” ⁵

Adults who feel secure and comfortable with getting enough to eat learn and grow in their ability to manage food and achieve dietary variety. Those eating-competent adults are able to trust children to eat well and grow up positively with eating at the same time as they learn from their child what it looks like to be self-trusting with eating.⁶

Agencies recognize the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR) as best practice! sDOR is a core component of the feeding messages developed for preschool-aged children by:

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Guidelines align with the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding.

Parent Leadership:

The Academy, through its publications and guidance, emphasizes that parents should be responsible for the “what, when, and where” of feeding, meaning providing a variety of food options, regular meal and snack times, and a positive eating environment.

Child Autonomy:

The Academy recognizes the importance of children having the autonomy to decide “how much and whether” to eat of what is offered, allowing them to develop their internal hunger and fullness cues.

Positive Feeding Environment:

The Academy promotes creating a positive and enjoyable feeding experience for both parents and children, which aligns with the principles of sDOR.

Focus on Healthy Eating Behaviors:

The Academy’s focus on promoting healthy eating behaviors and positive relationships with food aligns with the goals of sDOR, which aims to foster eating competence and reduce the risk of disordered eating.