This study aimed to predict children’s eating behavior based on parental reflective capacity, examining the mediating role of parental feeding styles. The study employed a descriptive-correlational design using path analysis. The population comprised all mothers of children aged 6–12 years attending primary schools in Tehran in 2024. Using convenience sampling, 573 mothers were recruited. Instruments included the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ; Wardle et al., 2001), the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ; Luyten et al., 2017), and the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire (PFSQ; Wardle et al., 2002). Data were analyzed using path analysis, and the model demonstrated acceptable fit. Findings indicated that the indirect effect of pre-mentalizing on approach behavior via emotional feeding was significant; the indirect effects of pre-mentalizing on avoidant behavior via instrumental and controlling feeding were also significant. In contrast, the indirect effect of certainty about mental states on avoidant behavior via instrumental feeding was not significant, whereas the indirect effects via encouragement to eat and controlling feeding were significant. All reported significant indirect effects reached (p<0.05). Maternal mentalization, through different feeding styles, influences children’s approach and avoidance behaviors; an encouraging style increases approach, while instrumental and controlling styles reinforce avoidance.