Conquering Picky Eating: Strategies for Toddlers (Including Those with Autism)

Conquering Picky Eating: Strategies for Toddlers (Including Those with Autism)

 Introduction

Do you dream of mealtimes filled with exploration and excitement, where your child eagerly reaches for new and healthy foods? Imagine “Love at First Bite,” not a battle against picky eating! This challenge, while common for many parents, especially those with toddlers on the Autism Spectrum, is absolutely conquerable. This blog post, your guide to “Raising an Adventurous Eater,” is packed with practical strategies to help your little one embrace a world of delicious possibilities. Remember, you’re not alone in this journey, and with patience and the right approach, progress is not only possible, it’s delightful!

Understanding Picky Eating and Sensory Issues

Children with ASD often have sensory sensitivities that can make them picky eaters. They might be more sensitive to the texture, smell, or taste of foods, leading to aversions. Understanding these sensory issues is crucial for developing effective strategies to encourage a more varied diet.

General Tips for Tackling Picky Eating

Routine and Consistency: Establish a regular mealtime routine. Consistency helps toddlers know what to expect and reduces anxiety around eating. Offer the same foods repeatedly. It can take several exposures for a child to accept a new food.

Positive Mealtimes: Create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere during meals. Avoid distractions like TV or screens to help your child focus on eating. Make mealtimes a family affair where everyone sits together and enjoys their food. Ideally, meal timings should be together as far as possible to model behavior and expectations. This way, your child can visually see you enjoying a variety of healthy foods.

Offer Choices: Provide limited options within healthy parameters to give toddlers a sense of control. For example, let them choose between two vegetables.

Involve Them in the Process: Engage your toddler in age-appropriate meal preparation tasks like washing vegetables or stirring ingredients. This can build their interest in trying new foods.

Be a Role Model: Demonstrate eating a variety of healthy foods yourself and express enjoyment. Children often imitate their parents’ behaviors. 

Chill Factor: Avoid picking up on cues that your child might not eat much. Stay calm and relaxed during mealtimes. Children can be very perceptive to adult stress, and a tense atmosphere can make them less likely to want to eat.

Sensory-Friendly Modifications 

 Presentation: Cut food into different shapes or sizes and offer a variety of textures (e.g., mashed vs. whole). Use colorful plates and utensils to make the food more visually appealing. 

Temperature: Pay attention to whether your child prefers foods at certain temperatures. Avoid serving foods that are too hot or too cold if they seem to have a preference.

Addressing Challenges

Meal Refusal: Don’t force-feed your child. Instead, offer the food again later in a non-pressuring way. 

Tantrums: Respond calmly to tantrums and avoid giving in to demands. Maintaining consistency is key to long-term success.

Tailoring Strategies for Children with ASD 

Visual Aids: Use picture cards to show meal schedules and food options. Visual supports can help children with ASD understand what to expect and make choices. Consider creating a visual timetable with timings for mealtimes on the fridge. This can include pictures of washing hands and setting the table as reminders before meal times.

Social Stories: Create short stories depicting positive mealtimes to prepare your child for meal expectations. 

Positive Reinforcement: Reward desired behaviors like trying a new bite or sitting at the table.

The Power of Play (Structured and Age-Appropriate): 

While some therapists and if I dare to say - food therapists might suggest letting toddlers explore food through play, it’s important to find a balance. Unstructured food play can be overwhelming for some children with ASD. Here’s a more balanced approach:

Structured Sensory Exploration: Provide designated times for messy play with non-food items like play dough or finger paints. 

Gradually Introduce Food Play: Once your child is comfortable with the concept of “play” vs. “eating,” slowly introduce food exploration activities. For example, let them touch or smell a new food before trying a bite. 

Focus on the Goal: The ultimate goal is to encourage healthy eating habits. Food play should be a stepping stone, not the main event.

The “SATISFY” Rule: A Guide for Parents 

Schedule: Establish a regular mealtime routine and stick to it as much as possible. 

Atmosphere: Create a relaxed and positive mealtime environment. Turn off screens and focus on family time. 

Taste: Offer a variety of healthy foods and textures, but don’t force anything. 

Independence: Allow your child some control by offering choices or letting them serve themselves small portions (age-appropriate finger foods work well). 

Focus on You: Relax and enjoy your own meal. Your child will pick up on your cues, and age-appropriate finger foods work well). 

Remember: 

Be Patient: Changing eating habits takes time. Consistency and positive reinforcement are key. 

Just Like You: Think about your own eating habits. Sometimes you might not be particularly hungry or might crave something specific. Just like you, your child might have days where they’re not interested in what’s being served. They are still learning about their bodies and their hunger cues. Try to be empathetic and understanding.

The “H.E.A.L.T.H.Y.” Approach: Here’s an acronym to help you navigate challenging mealtimes:

Hunger Cues: Look for signs of hunger in your child, and offer meals and snacks accordingly. Don’t force them to eat when they’re not showing hunger cues. Exposure: Offer a variety of healthy foods repeatedly. It can take up to 15 exposures for a child to accept a new food. Atmosphere: Create a relaxed and positive mealtime environment. Focus on family time and avoid distractions like screens. Limits & Choices: Set clear boundaries around mealtimes and offer limited, but healthy, choices within those parameters. Take Breaks: If your child is refusing to eat or having a meltdown, take a break from the table. You can try offering the same food again later. Healthy Role Model: Be a role model by eating a variety of healthy foods yourself and expressing enjoyment. You! You are the key to creating a positive mealtime experience for your child. Be patient, understanding, and focus on building healthy eating habits over time.

 They Don’t Understand Either: Remember, your child is still learning and developing. They might not understand why they don’t like a certain food, or they might not be able to communicate their feelings effectively. Be patient and focus on creating a positive mealtime experience.

As Vidal Sassoon said, “the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” There will be days when new foods are met with resistance, but with faith and dedication, there’s no such thing as failure in this approach. By implementing these strategies and maintaining a positive atmosphere, you’re planting the seeds for a healthy relationship with food that will blossom throughout your child’s life. Life will always bring bite-sized challenges in installments – that’s just part of the journey. But with the right perspective, these challenges become stepping stones on the path to success. Have trust in the end goal – if you’re reading this, you’re already equipped to get through it. 

You are a good parent since you want to get better and are looking to equip yourself with knowledge. Well done, good on you – we’re proud of you!