January 30, 2025
AHS registered dietitians Keri Fehler, left, and Kristina Van Nest share their tips for blending food at home for children with feeding tubes while filming a new video series in their Wellness Kitchen. Supplied.
Story by Stephanie Krug
Imagine transforming mealtime into a moment of connection, culture and care for children with feeding tubes. An innovative video series — Home Blended Food for Tube Feeding (HBFTF) — is now making this possible: for families, caregivers and healthcare providers.
This evidence-based series serves up practical tools for families wishing to prepare nutritious, home-blended meals, using whole foods and culturally meaningful ingredients, for their tube-fed children. Empowering families to take control of mealtimes helps create experiences that are safe, deeply personal and inclusive.
This video series is part of the award-winning Pediatric Eating And Swallowing (PEAS) project, an initiative dedicated to addressing gaps in care for children with feeding disorders.
In 2019, Alberta families who prepare home-blended meals for their tube-fed children participated in focus groups and highlighted the need for more hands-on resources. They also shared how they appreciate using fresh ingredients and culturally relevant foods in their feeding practices — allowing them to build autonomy as well as meet their child’s nutritional needs.
“We’ve long recognized and seen the benefits of home-blended foods for tube feeding in our practice,” says Keri Fehler, an Alberta Health Services (AHS) registered dietitian. “A publicly-accessible resource such as this has been anticipated by many health professionals to help better support families."
Created through the collaboration of AHS Nutrition Services, the Wellness Kitchen, and Digital Media Services, this HBFTF video series provides a practical, research-informed guide for families. This resource is designed to make mealtimes more meaningful and help families feel confident in navigating their child’s feeding journey.
“This educational video series has been a career highlight,” adds Kristina Van Nest, an AHS registered dietitian. “It’s an honour to guide families through the meaningful experience of providing blended food to their child, enhancing their quality of life during a complex medical journey.”
Feedback from families lies at the heart of this project. Dietitians worked directly with caregivers to ensure their content would meet their needs and reflect real-life experiences.
“It’s incredible how much strength and muscle our child has gained,” shares an Alberta parent and caregiver.
“She’s reached developmental milestones her medical team once said were impossible — all within a year of starting our blended-food journey.”
The video series and HBFTF caregiver handbook can be accessed through:
Explore the series today to discover how home-blended food for tube feeding can transform lives.
