Grocery shopping can be one of the most aggravating experiences of the week. You do your best to get healthy, wholesome food that your family can enjoy, only to realize a few days later that they won’t touch half the stuff on their plate and it has all been for nothing. Kids are notoriously fussy when it comes to mealtimes, and it’s even further compounded amongst children with autism. Picky eating is a common challenge for children with autism (and their parents) due to rigid routines, sensory sensitivities, and difficulty adopting new experiences. Grocery shopping is an artform when you have a child with neurodivergence. It can be tricky to balance proper nutrition while respecting their preferences. However, with a little patience and a thoughtful, strategic approach, progress is possible. At Monarch House, we can help you to put together a list of food choices that tick all the boxes of being healthy yet desirable that is customized to your child, we can also help with ways to get your child to be more adventurous in what they eat.

Here are ten ways to address picky eating in children with autism in Mississauga.

1. Understand Sensory Preferences

Some people love squishy textures in their food, like sushi or tofu. Other people hate it. Some people love the smell and flavour of cilantro. Others can’t stand it. No two people are the same. However, children with autism can be the fussiest of all. Many children with autism experience heightened or reduced sensitivity to textures, tastes, and smells. When trying new foods with your child, pay particular attention to their reactions to different foods. Are they drawn to crunchy textures while avoiding mushy foods? Good to know. Are they okay with mild flavors but reject anything spicy? Noted. Understanding these preferences can help in introducing new foods that align with their sensory comfort levels.

2. Introduce New Foods Gradually

You don’t need to do a complete overhaul on their entire diet overnight. Take it one step at a time. A sudden change in diet can be overwhelming. Instead of forcing new foods on your child, introduce them slowly. Find a familiar food that they like, like cheese pizza, and slowly, over time, add small amounts of new ingredients. Maybe an olive here or a bit of sliced pepper there. Eventually you might have them eating something closer to a balanced meal. For example, if they love macaroni and cheese, try mixing in tiny bits of new vegetables before increasing the portion over time.

3. Use Food Play And Exposure

This might be the only time you’ll hear this, but go ahead, let your child play with their food. Allowing children to interact with food without the pressure of eating can make them more comfortable. Encourage your child to touch, smell, and even play with their food to become more familiar with it. For instance, you can get your child to make fun shapes with cookie cutters. This can reduce anxiety and build a positive association with mealtimes.

4. Make Mealtimes Predictable

If you want to make sure that your child is eating the proper amount of healthy food each day, it helps to have them on a set feeding schedule so they aren’t filling up on snacks and junk food throughout the day. Children with autism often thrive on routine. Work around this by serving meals at the same time each day. You can even use the same plate or utensils. Just do what you can to avoid any sudden changes. Predictability can reduce stress and make mealtime a more positive experience.

5. Offer Choices

Choice is empowering for a child with autism. So offer your kid some options. Giving children some control over their meals can increase their willingness to try new foods. Instead of presenting one unfamiliar food, offer a choice between two options, for example: “Would you like avocado or banana?” This approach reduces resistance at mealtimes and encourages participation.

6. Respect Their Appetite

You want your child to enjoy food and look forward to mealtimes with the family. So don’t force them to eat when they are not hungry. Also, avoid punishing them for not eating. These actions can create negative associations with food. Encourage your child to trust their natural hunger cues and allow them to eat when they are ready. In this way, you can offer a variety of healthy choices without pressure.

7. Use Positive Reinforcement

An encouraging word can go a long way when it comes to trying new foods. Or, have a yummy dessert waiting for them if they eat something that’s normally outside of their comfort zone. If you want your child to try new things, you need to praise all the small steps they take. Instead of focusing on what they won’t eat, celebrate what they do try. A reward system, such as a sticker chart for tasting new foods, which leads to a new toy or screen time, can also be motivating.

8. Modify Food Presentation

When it comes to kids, presentation is everything. If the food you’re serving them looks good on the plate, you have a way better chance of them actually eating it. Sometimes, changing the way food looks or is served can make a big difference. For instance, if your child refuses whole vegetables, try blending them into sauces. If they dislike certain textures, experiment with cooking methods like baking instead of boiling. Experiment a little. They might hate soggy perogies but really take to them fried. You never know until you try new things. 

9. Involve Them in Meal Preparation

Getting your child to help with the meal prep is doubly efficient. One, you get them to cut down on your work in the kitchen at mealtimes, and two, encouraging children to participate in cooking can make them more interested in food. Assign some simple tasks to your child. Let them make the salad, wash the vegetables, stir ingredients, or choose a new food to try at the grocery store. Hands-on involvement increases curiosity and willingness to taste new things.

10. Seek Professional Support If Needed

Sometimes fussy eating can be problematic to your child’s health. If picky eating is significantly impacting your child’s nutrition, consider working with an occupational therapist, dietitian, or feeding specialist. At Monarch House, we can help by putting you in touch with the right people. A specialist can provide tailored strategies based on your child’s unique needs.

There’s no reason that your child should have to eat the same boring meal over and over again without any room for variation. Undoubtedly, if they were left unchecked they would do exactly that. So it’s the role of the parents, caregivers, and our holistic team at Monarch House to introduce a healthy variety of meal options and a broadened palate of nutritious and delicious choices. It won’t happen overnight, but we can get there. Addressing picky eating in children with autism in Mississauga requires patience, flexibility, and creativity. By using gradual exposure, respecting sensory sensitivities, and making mealtimes predictable and positive, parents and caregivers can help expand your child’s diet in a stress-free way. At Monarch House we have a professional, interdisciplinary staff of occupational therapists, behavioural therapists, psychotherapists, and speech pathologists that are here to help.