Mealtime communication board: free printable

Meals and snacks happen several times a day, so they give lots of chances to use a communication board. This free board has 30 mealtime words in three groups: more, all done, help, yum, yuck, hot and cold; 12 foods and drinks; and the things on the table. I want sits at the top.

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Portrait (tall page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,037 KB) · A4 PDF (1,037 KB)

Landscape (wide page, 1 page): US Letter PDF (1,039 KB) · A4 PDF (1,039 KB)

Printable mealtime communication board. I want at the top. Talk about the meal: more, all done, help, yes, no, eat, drink, cut it up, yum, yuck, hot and cold. Food and drinks: water, milk, juice, crackers, apple, banana, cheese, yogurt, sandwich, pasta, chicken and vegetables. At the table: spoon, fork, cup, plate, bowl and napkin. — The mealtime board: 30 words in three groups.

Edit this board in the free board maker: change the words and pictures, then print.

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How to use a mealtime board

Put it on the table, not on the fridge. Next to the plate, flat or propped up, where a hand can reach it.
Talk with it while you eat. Point to yum as you say “Mm, yum!”, and to hot as you blow on the soup. This is called modeling: showing the board in use, without asking for anything back.
Hold back a little. Serve a small first helping, so more has a reason to be used.
Answer every point. More gets more, if there is more. All done means the meal can end.
Ask about the food, too. “Is it hot? Is it cold?” turns a request board into a conversation.

More than asking for food

It’s tempting to use a mealtime board only for requests. The words in the top group let a person say much more: yuck is an opinion, help is a plan, and all done is a decision. Pointing to two words makes a short sentence: “more milk”, “no, all done”, “yuck, cold”.

What it can look like

Lunch at home. Nia finishes her pasta, then points to more and pasta. Her mom says it back, “More pasta!”, and adds a spoonful. A minute later Nia points to yuck, then the vegetables. Mom points to no and vegetables as she says, “No more vegetables? Okay.”

Words on this board

Talk about the meal

more
all done
help
yes
no
eat
drink
cut it up
yum
yuck
hot
cold

Food and drinks

water
milk
juice
crackers
apple
banana
cheese
yogurt
sandwich
pasta
chicken
vegetables

At the table

spoon
fork
cup
plate
bowl
napkin

Make it fit your table

Laminate it, or slide it into a sheet protector. It will get sticky.
Glue photos of the person’s favorite foods over the ones they never eat. If they have food allergies, swap in foods that are safe for them.
Print a second copy for school lunch, daycare or eating out.
For a choice between two foods, use a choice board with its picture cards.

These boards and guides are general information, not therapy or medical advice, and they don’t replace a speech therapist. A speech therapist who knows the person can help choose the right words, pictures and layout. The boards are free to print and share; please don’t sell them (terms of use). Questions about the boards? Email support@lmnoplabs.fun.