Picky Eaters

Children on the autism spectrum are often picky eaters.

They can be very sensitive to the texture and feel of certain foods, which makes it hard to cook a regular family meal each evening.

Instead of driving yourself crazy trying to get your child to eat the food that everyone else in the family is eating, it’s easier to look for alternatives which are nutritious and won’t upset your child.

You may have to look at meals differently. Not everyone likes to eat a meal at dinner time. Some of us prefer to nibble or graze during the day. Your child may be one of them, and that gives you a great opportunity to experiment with finger foods and nibbles.

It’s also a handy way to introduce new flavours, foods and textures without having a full scale food assault happening.

Here are some clever ways to feed your fussy eater that we’ve spotted around the internet.

1. Chopped fresh fruit and vegies in assorted colours. Serve with a dip so your child can explore touch as well as taste.

2. Macaroni And Cheese Muffins taste great and because they are cooked into a cake shape, your child won’t have to experience the slipperiness of loose macaroni slithering out of his or her fingers.

3. Chicken fingers like this Honey-Mustard Chicken Breast are great because they can easily be picked up and dipped or nibbled on while your child is wandering around or doing something else.  It’s food on the go that won’t make a mess.

4. Get some greens into them even if they hate the colour. Hide them in this clever Cherry Strawberry Smoothie – a sneaky way to get your greens into the fussiest child.

Take the pressure off yourself by looking at meals in a different way. You can still give your child healthy, nutritious food even if it isn’t served off a dinner plate and eaten at the dinner table!

Food Glorious Food

Some days it seems our lives revolve around food.  If we are not cooking, we are planning the weekly menus or doing the meal prep.  For this reason we thought we would highlight a selection of our food related posts regarding diet and fussy eaters to help you out.

 

For those with kids, meal times can be hard.  For those with kids with autism it can be even more difficult to deal with their fussy diets and particular habits.  As parents we worry about whether or not our children are eating a healthy balanced diet and it can be stressful.  We need to learn to take some of the pressure off ourselves and know that on some days as long as they eat something - anything - then we are dong the best we can.

 

There have been numerous studies undertaken into whether a particular diet can cause autism and what foods to avoid once they have been diagnosed.  Studies have even demonstrated that children with autism on a gluten free diet have shown positive behavioural improvement.  These studies are relatively new and more information is being released every day so it does pay to do a bit of research and see what works for you and your child in particular.

The winter months can bring about other food related issues of its own but if you try to get your child involved in the food prep they may show willingness to try something new.  At least you hope so!

If you have any tips or recipes that your fussy eater particularly enjoys, we would love to hear about them.  Feel free to leave a comment on our blog or directly on our Facebook page.

Bon appétit!

Fussy Eaters And Autism

There’s nothing more annoying than spending time in the kitchen, whipping up a meal, only to have it refused, point blank.  It’s even more frustrating when the child in question hasn’t even bothered giving the food a taste.  They just flat out refuse.

You worry that they’re not eating enough, or enough of the right things.  Besides, it just makes you feel unappreciated, what with the effort you’ve just put in making the meal.

It’s hard not to take it personally, but you can’t, especially when it comes to children with autism.

One of the key characteristics with children with an autism spectrum disorder are the sensory issues, whether this be hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity. Children will need extra sensory stimulation; increased pressure, large movements, or, at the other end, their senses can be heightened.

Therefore, noises can seem too loud, clothing can feel uncomfortable against the skin, tags on shirts can irritate...and food can be an issue.

Food consumption is influenced by the look, smell, taste and feel of the overall meal, and even individual ingredients.

For children with autism, they can be genuinely repelled by certain foods.  Perhaps the smell is too strong for them, or the taste too distinctive or overwhelming. They may even like the taste of the food, but find the feel of it in their mouth disturbing or off-putting.

Some children prefer the crunchy feel of uncooked vegetables, such as carrots, as they provide a greater sensory experience, and the texture of cooked carrots is “too mushy”, for example.

In determining if your child is a “fussy eater”, first and foremost, remember it’s not personal, it is a genuine aversion to certain foods, or food combinations.  Work out what the sensory issue is and it makes life – and meals – much easier to work around.