Parenting can be tiring! Mealtime with a toddler used to feel like a battle. Not because of what my daughter ate — but because of what she didn’t. And more specifically, where that food ended up (ahem… the floor).
Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner felt like a mess I had to prepare for. No matter how carefully we plated her food, within five minutes it would be on the ground, under the chair, stuck to the walls, or sneakily smashed under her feet.
We’ve been teaching her to place food she doesn’t want into a small bowl in front of her — and we’re honestly making progress every day. But while that learning curve plays out, I desperately needed a solution that didn’t involve scrubbing the floor after every. single. meal.
That’s when I discovered the food catcher (after doing a lot of research and trying several different options) — and I swear, it changed everything!
Why This One Simple Tool Makes Parenting Easier and gives you a bit of time back!
Let’s be honest: parenting a toddler is fun but also messy. But this little add-on took one major mess off my plate (literally and emotionally). Here’s what it’s done for us:
- Saves cleaning time
We used to spend 15+ minutes cleaning after every meal — and still missed spots. Now? We wipe the catcher, not the kitchen floor. - Reduces food waste
If the food lands clean in the catcher (and it often does), we can put it back on her plate or in a “no thanks/all done” bowl. It makes me feel less guilty about wasting food. - Supports self-regulation
It gives her a little more freedom to explore, drop, and even reject food — without making me feel like I’m living in a food-flinging war zone. Of course the ultimate goals is to not have her throw food but we need an intermediate solution while that does not happen. - Saves my sanity
Seriously. It’s one less thing to clean, one less thing to argue about, and one small thing that gives me a little more peace during the chaos.
Which Food Catcher Should You Get?
The best part? There are specific food catcher models made for different high chairs, so you can find the one that works best for your setup. You can see below different options depending on the high chair you like the most:
- For IKEA Antilop High Chair → https://amzn.to/456iyGX
- For Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair] → https://amzn.to/4iYWQbe
- For Stokke Clikk High Chair → https://amzn.to/4k0shDA
- For Lalo The Chair High Chair →https://amzn.to/3S32Zs4
- For Abiie Beyond Junior High Chair → https://amzn.to/3SBzeyC
- For Graco Slim Snacker High Chair → https://amzn.to/3ZjGZwX
- For Evenflo 4-in-1 Eat & Grow High Chair → https://amzn.to/4dd3p8S
- For Dream On Me Portable 2-in-1 Tabletalk High Chair → https://amzn.to/3GSIjAE
- For Century Dine On 4-in-1 High Chair → https://amzn.to/4j10n8U
- For Maxi-COSI Moa 8-in-1 High Chair → https://amzn.to/3GSmRvH
- For Graco Table2Table LX 6-in-1 High Chair → https://amzn.to/4dmFvYQ
I personally have the Abbie Beyond Junior and highly recommend it (https://amzn.to/4jUsIis)! It is easy to set it up, sturdy, adjustable and most importantly, very easy to clean! We have the natural wood, dove gray color.
Final Thoughts on parenting: Messy Meals Are Still Happy Meals
Our meals are still imperfect. There’s still laughter, spills, and moments of “did you seriously just throw that?” But now, they don’t end with me on my hands and knees scraping oatmeal off the floor.
If you’re in the food-on-the-floor stage of toddler life, this might just be your new best friend too. I know it is just a phase and “this too shall pass” but honestly, give it a try ! I really hope you like it as much as I did and I am very curious to learn your feedback!