An estimated 70% of children with autism have atypical eating behaviors. For parents, it can be challenging to help their child eat a balanced diet or even to eat much food at all most days. Many parents are looking for ways to help their children try new foods. Whether you’re looking for unique recipes or techniques for introducing new foods, we’ve got tips for what foods to avoid with autism and some ideas for picky kiddos below.
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Recognizing Common Food Aversions: What Foods to Avoid with Autism
Every autistic child is unique and has their own preferences and challenges when it comes to food. Some common food aversions among children with autism include problematic textures, refusal to eat in specific places, and difficulty handling mixed-texture foods. Additionally, children with autism may experience sensory processing issues, making them sensitive to tastes, textures, and sensory overloads.
Pay attention to sugary foods, as high sugar intake can cause hyperactivity and mood swings in some autistic children. Here’s a helpful list of common foods to avoid with autism that can potentially cause difficulties for your child:
- Messy foods like spaghetti
- Complex foods like pizza
- Sugary foods like candy
- Spicy foods like curry
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Above all, it’s crucial not to force your child to eat something they have already expressed a dislike for. Using punishments to compel them to eat certain foods may worsen the situation and create more challenges surrounding mealtimes and eating habits. Instead, focus on understanding their preferences and needs, and work towards creating a pleasant and stress-free mealtime environment.
Foods To Avoid With Autism: Texture
As parents, we often focus on the taste of the food we serve our children, but did you know that texture can be equally important, especially for kids with autism? Many of us don’t particularly enjoy lumpy porridge or stale bread, but for autistic children, certain textures can trigger extremely negative reactions.
Read more: How to Get a Picky Toddler to Eat New Foods
So, when thinking about what foods to avoid with autism, consider not only taste but also texture. Ask yourself: will my child have a negative reaction to sloppy or crunchy textures? To help them enjoy their meals, keep an eye on which textures your child seems to prefer. For example, if they love bread or pasta, they may enjoy dry or rough textures. You can then explore various food options with similar textures and gradually introduce them to your child. Remember, finding the right balance for your child’s sensory needs is key to making mealtime enjoyable and stress-free.
Foods To Avoid With Autism: Temperature
Even slight temperature differences can make a big difference. Most of us don’t like to drink our morning coffee stone-cold. But autistic children can have a much more negative reaction to slight differences in temperature.
If your child enjoys a specific meal one day and then turns their nose up at the same dish the next week, the temperature might be to blame. Ask your child if their food is too hot or cold. Try to adjust the temperature to see if that solves the problem.
Read more: What Is Food Chaining?
Food Ideas for a Picky Autistic Child
Getting creative can help you to improve your child’s nutrition and help them stay healthy. Try out different techniques and recipes, and you’re bound to find something that works for your family.
Bread Time
If your child with autism is avoiding certain foods, bread should be your go-to option. However, most of us think of bread as a plain food without much nutritional value beyond carbohydrates. It is precisely these attributes that make it an ideal food for many autistic children! It comes in lots of different shapes, textures, and even colors, which is a big bonus. You could buy bread containing ingredients like zucchini, fruits, or nuts. Or try baking your own bread, refining the recipe until it’s a special treat for your child.
Beans, Beans, Beans
One of the best foods for children with autism is beans. These wonderful legumes come in all shapes, sizes, tastes, and colors! You can experiment with many different types of beans to see which ones your child likes.
Consider experimenting with the following:
- Kidney beans
- Black beans
- Butter beans
All of these beans are excellent sources of protein for kids with autism who avoid certain foods. They also contain other vitamins and minerals and you can include them in a variety of dishes. Most beans have a relatively mild texture and a relatively smooth texture. Their tastes are rarely overpowering, making them a favorite among autistic children.
Read more: Food Safety for Kids
Food Chaining
Another great way to get your child to try new foods is by food chaining. Food chaining is a treatment approach that builds on the existing food preferences of a child to help them try new things. Food chaining involves basing meals around foods your child already enjoys while slowly introducing other foods with similar characteristics.
A commonly used technique is flavor mapping, which means making an extensive record of every flavor your child enjoys and trying to choose similar things for them to eat. This can result in a slow but steady progression to a greater variety of foods your child feels comfortable eating. Alternatively, flavor masking can reduce the shock of trying new foods. If a child loves to eat pasta, try to add a small amount of vegetables because the sauce masks the flavor.
Help With Communication
Many autistic children struggle to communicate verbally. By offering them different modes of communication, you can open up a discussion about what they might like to eat. In turn, this could help your child choose more foods they enjoy.
Creating a daily meal plan can be an ideal way to develop a healthy diet for your child while also choosing foods your child enjoys. Ask for their input and work together to create something yummy, healthy, and satisfying.
Try using:
- Magnetic boards with pictures of food
- Meal planner on a tablet
- Drawings
Any method that helps your child open up and talk about the foods they like can help you. Be adaptable and rise to meet any changes in your child’s preferences or requirements. Supportive too. Stay patient with your child with autism who avoids foods, and offer a warm environment for them to feel comfortable when trying new foods.
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Get the Information and Support You Need
If you’re a parent of an autistic child, mealtimes can be a daily battle. Getting the proper nutrition for your child may feel like a daunting task, and learning what foods to avoid with autism is difficult. Getting creative and doing a little research can help everything run more smoothly.
FAQs About What Foods to Avoid With Autism
What are common food textures to avoid for children with autism? Common food textures to avoid for children with autism include overly moist and mixed-texture foods as these can trigger sensory sensitivities. How can I encourage my autistic child to try new foods? Gradually introduce new foods that share similar textures to the foods your child already enjoys, and create a positive and stress-free mealtime environment. Are there any specific foods to avoid for autistic children prone to hyperactivity? Yes, avoid foods with high sugar content as they can contribute to hyperactivity and mood swings in some autistic children. How can I accommodate my child's food aversions without forcing them to eat certain foods? Focus on understanding your child's preferences, offer alternatives, and work together to create a pleasant mealtime experience. Can visual schedules or rewards help with food aversions in children with autism? Yes, using visual schedules and rewards can help set expectations and provide positive reinforcement for trying new foods during mealtimes.
This post was originally published on 12/07/2022. It was updated on 01/31/2024.
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