Introducing New Foods to Children with Autism

Every parent or caregiver wants to feed their children a healthy diet. However, most parents are also familiar with the struggle of trying to introduce new foods to their picky eaters. For the parents of children with autism, that struggle is amplified. Children with autism may have issues with not only the taste, but the texture of many foods, which can make introducing new foods into their diet a challenge. But it is possible! Use these tips to help as you try to expand your little one’s diet.

1. Introduce the new food slowly
   Rather than simply presenting the food and asking your child to eat it, take the time to let them get to know it. Allow your child to look at the food, to touch it, and to smell it. For certain foods, you may even be able to introduce play into the equation: use cookie cutters with your child to cut or form food into certain shapes, or ask them to make a picture out of veggies. When they are ready to taste it, they can try a lick or a small nibble first. Any willingness to even taste it is a great sign.
2. Think about the goal
   Understand what you’re really trying to accomplish. Is it vital that your child eat, for example, carrots? Or is it simply vital that they eat some kind of vegetable? Do they have to be able to eat chicken, or is it more important that they eat enough protein? With that in mind…
3. Offer multiple choices
   You can start small: present a couple of different vegetables at dinner, and rotate the next evening. Or make an event out of it! Have a family dinner with several options, and see if any of them interest your child. For vegetables, offer options with different textures: raw or lightly steamed broccoli (crunchy), steamed carrots (soft), mashed sweet potato or butternut squash (smooth), peas (small pieces), etc. For protein, try things like sliced chicken, cubed beef, whatever you normally eat as a protein in your household. Even things like beans, lentils, and peanut butter will provide more than enough protein for your growing child.
4. Remember, we all have taste aversions!
   Just as adults don’t like every single food, we have to appreciate that the same may be true for your child. If your child has made an effort on several occasions to try peas, and they still don’t want them, then it’s possible that they just don’t like peas, specifically. And that’s okay! There are so many other options available to meet their nutritional needs. Just keep trying new things. It will take time, but it will absolutely be worth it in the long run.

Courtney Pullen, M.S., BCBA, LBA
Senior Clinical Director