Talk about the day
Talk about the park, the bath, or the dog. The food does not have to be the topic.
Ordinary talk
Questions like “how many bites?” turn eating into a performance. A normal conversation lets them eat or not.
Narrate the day the way you would for anyone. The plate can sit there while the talking happens.
One mention of the food
Name it once if it is new. Then return to the park. A quiz wears everyone out.
“This is pear” is a sentence. “What colour is it, can you taste it, is it yummy?” is a test.
If they want to talk about the food
Answer, then stop. Interest is useful. An interview is not.
Silence is also allowed. Some children eat more when the room is quiet.
A sentence you can say
“The dog was funny today.”