Expert: Celtica - 5/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hopefully you can give us some suggestions.  I have a mildly autistic 7 year old grandson, that will eat practically nothing.  He would rather starve than try something new.

His diet consists of mainly peanut-butter toast, pizza, apples, french toast, pancakes, milk, juice and sweets such as ice cream, cookies, chocolate.  He is given a vitamin daily.  It is liquid and has to be hidden in a drink.  I am worried about is health.  He is skinny and pale.

Do you have any idea why he would react this way about food.  Is it the an autistic trait.  When he was a baby he would eat anything and seem to love it.  Is there anything that we can do to change this.
Thank you for your time.

Judy



ANSWER: Hi,

I've been alot like that when I was a child (but I was a picky eater even as a baby). I think it's a sensory thing, and as such part of your grandson's autism. I couldn't deal with certain textures (like meat, especially fatty meat) or the taste and texture of many vegetables (potatoes, peas...).
I now eat some of those things I couldn't eat back then after finding out I liked some of them better with the right seasoning or preparation method (e.g. I still hate boiled potatoes, but I like them in a stir fry).

You should find out if he especially dislikes certain textures. From the list above, almost all food items are rather soft (apart from the apple).
Probably he won't eat anything crisp (which would be the opposite from me - I find I like my food rather crispy). You could experiment with that. He might try something like a thick vegetable broth (you can "hide" almost any healthy veggie in there).

Other than that, his diet is obviously very high in sugars, which is not good for the body (at least try replacing industrial sugar with honey in things you make yourself, like pancakes).

Oh - pancakes are a good place to hide veggies in them too (just use little to no sugar, and add diced vegetables like zucchini and/or ham (and cheese, if you like). He might eat that too !

I would also suggest to have him checked for food allergies/intollerances.

Hope that helps !
C.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your help.  We do occasionally try and hide something in something else, like smoothies.  I put tofu, yogurt and different fruits if I can get them churned up enough. If there are pieces in it like pineapple he won't drink it.  Do you have any suggestions on how to get him to try a different food without hiding it in something else?  Sometimes if I'm lucky he will get it as far as touching his lips but will not taste.

His mom put him a a gluten and dairy free diet for the last year or so because he was getting many stomach aches, and vomiting and fevers.  It seemed to help his health, but made things much harder for him to eat.  So she put him back on regular food, it hasn't seemed to cause him any trouble this time.  Just telling you this because you mentioned food allergies.  His mother has not had him checked for food allergies, and I can only do so much.  Thanks for listening and if you have any suggestions how we can get him to just try something and would really appreciate it.

Judy

Answer
Hi Judy,

from my own experience I unfortunately have to tell you that it might be near impossible to make him eat other things. I only started trying certain foods as an adult, and only after finding out that I liked many things stirrfried, salty and well seasoned I would have never touched before. I guess "hiding" it may be the only way to make him eat new things right now, probably offering him pureed versions of veggies may work.

You could also try to coax him into eating something by telling him that he won't have to eat something if he didn't like it, but he *has* to try *one* spoonfull of it first (I've heard that this strategy sometimes works for some kids, not sure though if it would have worked for me).

I'm on a gluten and dairy free diet and it's very helpful for me. It might be a good idea to go back on it as he might profit from it health wise, although it even limits his food choices more (however, you can even make yummy pancaces from rice flour and rice milk).


C.