PROPER NUTRITION - AUTISM HYPERSENSITIVITY TO FOOD

Proper Nutrition -Many individuals with autism are afraid to try new things. Help your child explore a new food by looking at it, touching it and smelling it. 

When they are ready for a taste, they can try giving the food “a kiss” or licking it before putting a whole bite into their mouth. Sometimes, mixing a new food with a favorite one can help. Make a game of it as a taste challenge, ask them if they think it was sweet, sour or spicy and what other foods taste it reminded them of.

Autism Hypersensitivity to food - Preparation is key!

• Autism often comes with hypersensitivity to textures. So, remember that it may be how a food feels in the mouth, rather than its flavor, that produces a food aversion. The squishiness of a fresh tomato is a classic example. Try chopping or blending such foods to smooth out the offending texture. That tomato, for example, can be chopped into salsa or blended as smoothies and cooked into pasta sauce. add a few other veggies such as carrots and zucchini blended in the sauce, and they will never know it's in there.
• Playing with a new food is another way to build familiarity and decrease mealtime anxiety. Let them make their own mini pizza and add the ingredients to make faces. Place the food on their plate to make a silly face. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches or other ingredients into fun shapes. While you’re playing, let your child see you taste — and enjoy — the food. 
• The use of a waffle iron makes fun looking grilled sandwiches and easy cheesy quesadillas. Add instant flavored quick oats and apple sauce to waffle or pancake mixes to get extra fiber and fruit!

• Your loved one with autism may need to feel some control over what they put into their mouth. It’s also okay to simply not like some foods. So, try to offer a broad variety and allow choices within the categories you care about. For example, you might decide that your child needs to have one serving of vegetables and one of protein for a nutritional dinner. So put four to five types of these foods on the table and allow your child to choose at least one vegetable and one protein. Along the same lines, if you’re preparing a favorite dish such as pasta, ask your child to add one mystery ingredient for other family members to discover during the meal. 
•  In the long run, it’s important to reward and reinforce your child’s flexibility with food and willingness to try to new foods. Bribes can backfire, your child may eat the food but won’t learn to enjoy it or understand why it’s important to eat a well-rounded diet — and that’s the goal. Let dessert, smoothies and treats be part of meals and snacks, but don’t use them as carrots to get your child to eat … carrots.  Hide veggies like a carrot and spinach with a fruit in a blender to make a smoothie... Let them name the drink, like calling it a purple or green monster power drink. 

Check out the downloadable flyer we created with meal and smoothie recipes - Vegetables for kids with new flavors and variety.  

Challenge your child to earn the Healthy Food Choice Award Certificate Rockin Happy Rocks has created along with several other awards they can collect to be proud of and show off their accomplishments.

Rockin Happy Rocks has also created an educational learning activity to teach children about the importance of healthy eating, available for purchase as a download in our product section.