Protein Ideas for kid with texture issues
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blankiefinder wrote: »If he has Sensory Integration Disorder as part of a larger neurological condition, there are therapies you can do to get him to learn to eat new foods and textures. You can start a protocol where he would just put a bite in his mouth but not chew or swallow, getting used to it very slowly, and gradually, oh so gradually, work up to eating a single, tiny bite, then up from there. This process would get repeated with each food item, one at a time, on consecutive days as much as possible. So maybe put a very small bite of chicken in his mouth days 1-15, gradually increasing the size of bite if possible, to a more normal size. Day 16-30, try chewing (again, start small!), but doesn't have to swallow. Slowly building up to where he can swallow a bite day 31-45, and hopefully by then he can start handling more and more. I would recommend getting help from a professional if possible, if this doesn't work. You don't want to end up with a child who will only eat PB sandwiches, trust me on this.
That is exactly what he has. He is in OT (occupational therapy) right now and they are working on some of his issues, but we haven't gotten to the food related ones yet. His OT suggested mainly letting him help cook and play with the food so that he is more apt to try it. He does love to cook with me, both of the kids do. So, that is helpful, but if you ask him if he wants to try some he looks at it squeals and runs off and sometimes he will put it in his mouth, but he just spits it out. So, we are still trying to expand our diet, but it is time consuming. Thanks
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RainbowKitty37 wrote: »Hi! I am looking for ideas for protein for my 6 year old son that has a neurological disorder that causes him to have issues with the texture of meat. He likes eggs, cheese, peanut butter, but he loves carbs and I am trying to balance out his diet because I notice he is way more calm if he gets enough protein in his diet. However, this isn't always easy to do with his preferences. Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks in advance
My son has sensory processing disorder, ask me anything!
Lots of kids thrive on simple, unvaried diets. Protein deficiency is very rare, when there is sufficent caloric intake, so i wouldnt worry excessively.
My son's proteins- cheese (processed cheese/mild cheddar), white milk, a particular protien bar and peanut butter. he has a few other things he can tolerate, but they are hit or miss.
He drinks two 8oz glasses of milk a day, and 1-2 oz of peanut butter or cheese (or protien bar). My boy will be 7 this summer, and has lived on a diet like this for his whole life. He is healthy, slim, and meeting his developmental/growth markers.
I recommend checking out the www.pickyeatingadults.com website. As well as mealtimehostage.com.
His pediatrician does have him on flintstones chewable vitamins with iron, because he doesnt eat much iron rich foods, outside of cereal. His iron levels are great with the vitamin.0 -
btw- My son eats a different meal than what I eat almost every night. He cant tolerate pasta, rice, soups, etc, so he often has sandwiches, crackers and cheese, or cereal and milk for dinner. We do all sit together though, with no TV on, at the dining room table. That is what matters to me, personally.0
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Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions, there are a lot. I can't respond to everyone, but there are a ton of good ideas here that I will try out.
He has SPD (sensory processing disorder/sensory integration disorder) and because he is soo active (constantly moving) he burns through his food quickly and I have noticed on days he gets more protein he is way calmer and more regulated vs the high carb days (he will want to eat constantly), so I am really trying to work on this with him because it makes the day easier to deal with.
Thanks a ton 0 -
I can relate! I have a 6 year old with texture issues it can be very frustrating & time consuming . He isn't diagnosed but we have been planning to ask the doctor at his 6 year check up. We recently found that he loves cashews & pistachios. Good luck mama!0
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melimomTARDIS wrote: »RainbowKitty37 wrote: »Hi! I am looking for ideas for protein for my 6 year old son that has a neurological disorder that causes him to have issues with the texture of meat. He likes eggs, cheese, peanut butter, but he loves carbs and I am trying to balance out his diet because I notice he is way more calm if he gets enough protein in his diet. However, this isn't always easy to do with his preferences. Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks in advance
My son has sensory processing disorder, ask me anything!
Lots of kids thrive on simple, unvaried diets. Protein deficiency is very rare, when there is sufficent caloric intake, so i wouldnt worry excessively.
My son's proteins- cheese (processed cheese/mild cheddar), white milk, a particular protien bar and peanut butter. he has a few other things he can tolerate, but they are hit or miss.
He drinks two 8oz glasses of milk a day, and 1-2 oz of peanut butter or cheese (or protien bar). My boy will be 7 this summer, and has lived on a diet like this for his whole life. He is healthy, slim, and meeting his developmental/growth markers.
I recommend checking out the www.pickyeatingadults.com website. As well as mealtimehostage.com.
His pediatrician does have him on flintstones chewable vitamins with iron, because he doesnt eat much iron rich foods, outside of cereal. His iron levels are great with the vitamin.
I had one of these kids too, and he is now a 19 year old national level athlete and in University with great grades, you would never know he had this as a child. We did a lot to work on his issues to allow him to get to this point.
For their long term health, it is best that they learn to eat meat, whether they need to to live or not. I have a nephew who won't eat meat, will only eat peanut butter, and his parents never did anything about it, and now his school does not allow peanut butter due to a peanut allergy in the school, and they are crying that his school is putting his life at risk by not allowing him to have peanut butter sandwiches. It doesn't have to be this way.
Rainbow kitty, if he knew at each stage what was expected (stage one, put in mouth) (stage 2, bite it but not swallow), would he maybe be willing to give it a shot?0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »melimomTARDIS wrote: »RainbowKitty37 wrote: »Hi! I am looking for ideas for protein for my 6 year old son that has a neurological disorder that causes him to have issues with the texture of meat. He likes eggs, cheese, peanut butter, but he loves carbs and I am trying to balance out his diet because I notice he is way more calm if he gets enough protein in his diet. However, this isn't always easy to do with his preferences. Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks in advance
My son has sensory processing disorder, ask me anything!
Lots of kids thrive on simple, unvaried diets. Protein deficiency is very rare, when there is sufficent caloric intake, so i wouldnt worry excessively.
My son's proteins- cheese (processed cheese/mild cheddar), white milk, a particular protien bar and peanut butter. he has a few other things he can tolerate, but they are hit or miss.
He drinks two 8oz glasses of milk a day, and 1-2 oz of peanut butter or cheese (or protien bar). My boy will be 7 this summer, and has lived on a diet like this for his whole life. He is healthy, slim, and meeting his developmental/growth markers.
I recommend checking out the www.pickyeatingadults.com website. As well as mealtimehostage.com.
His pediatrician does have him on flintstones chewable vitamins with iron, because he doesnt eat much iron rich foods, outside of cereal. His iron levels are great with the vitamin.
I had one of these kids too, and he is now a 19 year old national level athlete and in University with great grades, you would never know he had this as a child. We did a lot to work on his issues to allow him to get to this point.
For their long term health, it is best that they learn to eat meat, whether they need to to live or not. I have a nephew who won't eat meat, will only eat peanut butter, and his parents never did anything about it, and now his school does not allow peanut butter due to a peanut allergy in the school, and they are crying that his school is putting his life at risk by not allowing him to have peanut butter sandwiches. It doesn't have to be this way.
Rainbow kitty, if he knew at each stage what was expected (stage one, put in mouth) (stage 2, bite it but not swallow), would he maybe be willing to give it a shot?
That is really great that your kid is doing so well now. We are trying our best to get him all the help he needs. He is in Speech therapy, occupational therapy and on an iep at school, plus we do a lot at home to help him be more regulated. We are lucky to have so many people helping him.
That is a good idea to go over expectations with him. His OT said to let him be part of the whole process so that it goes over more smoothly, but extra communication is always helpful to him so that he knows what is going on and why we are doing it.0 -
RainbowKitty37 wrote: »lishie_rebooted wrote: »hmm. counterintuitive suggestion: what about highly processed meats like chicken nuggets/strips or (maybe better quality) hot dogs? my little brother (very picky eater) would only eat those for a few years when he was a kid.
If the kid will eat chicken, homemade chicken nuggets could be a possibility...
What about ground meats?
You can puree beans and hide them in brownies/smoothies/etc for more protein or use protein powder as someone else suggested.
Frittatas, quiches, prep eggs in every manner to get that protein in him lol
Thanks! That is a great idea to make home made chicken nuggets. I will try to find a recipe I can use. I lost my food processor when we moved because it got left behind. I am waiting to get a new one when we can.
There's one on skinnytaste.com you can use.
but really, it's cut chicken into bite size pieces, toss in a little olive oil, dip in a mix of breadcrumbs/panko, bake at 350F for 8-10 min, flip 4-5min more.0 -
If peanutbutter texture is good, maybe refried beans? There doesn't have to be actual frying involved, they generally aren't unhealthy, particularly if homemade.
I know it might not be something that is thought of as a kid-friendly food, but I've been allergic to peanut butter my whole life so it was beans and cheese for me when my sister got a PB&J.0 -
for chicken nuggets - it's also possible to get ground chicken (or to ground it yourself) and pat it into wee shapes, like little burgers. then do the breadcrumbs/panko.
also, re my brother: he would eat some meat if you called it "chicken" (and it wasn't too "gross"). so, there was "beef chicken", "pork chicken", "chicken chicken", etc0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »melimomTARDIS wrote: »RainbowKitty37 wrote: »Hi! I am looking for ideas for protein for my 6 year old son that has a neurological disorder that causes him to have issues with the texture of meat. He likes eggs, cheese, peanut butter, but he loves carbs and I am trying to balance out his diet because I notice he is way more calm if he gets enough protein in his diet. However, this isn't always easy to do with his preferences. Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks in advance
My son has sensory processing disorder, ask me anything!
Lots of kids thrive on simple, unvaried diets. Protein deficiency is very rare, when there is sufficent caloric intake, so i wouldnt worry excessively.
My son's proteins- cheese (processed cheese/mild cheddar), white milk, a particular protien bar and peanut butter. he has a few other things he can tolerate, but they are hit or miss.
He drinks two 8oz glasses of milk a day, and 1-2 oz of peanut butter or cheese (or protien bar). My boy will be 7 this summer, and has lived on a diet like this for his whole life. He is healthy, slim, and meeting his developmental/growth markers.
I recommend checking out the www.pickyeatingadults.com website. As well as mealtimehostage.com.
His pediatrician does have him on flintstones chewable vitamins with iron, because he doesnt eat much iron rich foods, outside of cereal. His iron levels are great with the vitamin.
I had one of these kids too, and he is now a 19 year old national level athlete and in University with great grades, you would never know he had this as a child. We did a lot to work on his issues to allow him to get to this point.
For their long term health, it is best that they learn to eat meat, whether they need to to live or not. I have a nephew who won't eat meat, will only eat peanut butter, and his parents never did anything about it, and now his school does not allow peanut butter due to a peanut allergy in the school, and they are crying that his school is putting his life at risk by not allowing him to have peanut butter sandwiches. It doesn't have to be this way.
Rainbow kitty, if he knew at each stage what was expected (stage one, put in mouth) (stage 2, bite it but not swallow), would he maybe be willing to give it a shot?
I respectfully disagree with you. My son has a few proteins outside of peanut butter, which is good, because he cannot eat peanut containing products in our home. (Our daughter has a life threatening allergy)
Honestly, if your kid has sensory issues/on the spectrum, than they don't just like any old chicken nuggets, they like McDonald's chicken nuggets. They don't like any old peanut butter, they like Skippy.
The "healthy alternatives" are a lovely idea, but trust me, as a woman who has seen several doctors, and spent more money than I can even begin count... Don't get too invested in food OP. It can be devastating.
Just give them what they are able to eat. Don't force, and always offer them other options, they can try, "someday".
Recently my son started eating cheese pizza. 2 years before that, he began eating plain white birthday cake. (Still won't touch pie!) he tells me, when he's a grown up, he might be able to eat oranges.
I have 2 autistic boys in my family, and of course, my own son has sensory issues as well. All three kids have similar diets. Everyone is growing/has grown healthfully despite the quirk.
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My sons pediatrician says the kids with the disorder are jokingly referred to as "little boy white bread eaters"0
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melimomTARDIS wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »melimomTARDIS wrote: »RainbowKitty37 wrote: »Hi! I am looking for ideas for protein for my 6 year old son that has a neurological disorder that causes him to have issues with the texture of meat. He likes eggs, cheese, peanut butter, but he loves carbs and I am trying to balance out his diet because I notice he is way more calm if he gets enough protein in his diet. However, this isn't always easy to do with his preferences. Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks in advance
My son has sensory processing disorder, ask me anything!
Lots of kids thrive on simple, unvaried diets. Protein deficiency is very rare, when there is sufficent caloric intake, so i wouldnt worry excessively.
My son's proteins- cheese (processed cheese/mild cheddar), white milk, a particular protien bar and peanut butter. he has a few other things he can tolerate, but they are hit or miss.
He drinks two 8oz glasses of milk a day, and 1-2 oz of peanut butter or cheese (or protien bar). My boy will be 7 this summer, and has lived on a diet like this for his whole life. He is healthy, slim, and meeting his developmental/growth markers.
I recommend checking out the www.pickyeatingadults.com website. As well as mealtimehostage.com.
His pediatrician does have him on flintstones chewable vitamins with iron, because he doesnt eat much iron rich foods, outside of cereal. His iron levels are great with the vitamin.
I had one of these kids too, and he is now a 19 year old national level athlete and in University with great grades, you would never know he had this as a child. We did a lot to work on his issues to allow him to get to this point.
For their long term health, it is best that they learn to eat meat, whether they need to to live or not. I have a nephew who won't eat meat, will only eat peanut butter, and his parents never did anything about it, and now his school does not allow peanut butter due to a peanut allergy in the school, and they are crying that his school is putting his life at risk by not allowing him to have peanut butter sandwiches. It doesn't have to be this way.
Rainbow kitty, if he knew at each stage what was expected (stage one, put in mouth) (stage 2, bite it but not swallow), would he maybe be willing to give it a shot?
I respectfully disagree with you. My son has a few proteins outside of peanut butter, which is good, because he cannot eat peanut containing products in our home. (Our daughter has a life threatening allergy)
Honestly, if your kid has sensory issues/on the spectrum, than they don't just like any old chicken nuggets, they like McDonald's chicken nuggets. They don't like any old peanut butter, they like Skippy.
The "healthy alternatives" are a lovely idea, but trust me, as a woman who has seen several doctors, and spent more money than I can even begin count... Don't get too invested in food OP. It can be devastating.
Just give them what they are able to eat. Don't force, and always offer them other options, they can try, "someday".
Recently my son started eating cheese pizza. 2 years before that, he began eating plain white birthday cake. (Still won't touch pie!) he tells me, when he's a grown up, he might be able to eat oranges.
I have 2 autistic boys in my family, and of course, my own son has sensory issues as well. All three kids have similar diets. Everyone is growing/has grown healthfully despite the quirk.
I'm not sure exactly what you're disagreeing with in my post, I in no way suggested forcing a sensory kid to eat anything, that is really the opposite of what should happen. That is really the purpose of taking the pressure off, that if they can just simply put a tiny piece in their mouth comfortably with the knowledge that you are not going to ask them to move on until they are ready... It would also be good to give them control over what they wanted to try this process with, giving them more control, again. I also never said they have to eat everything, but some variety will make their life easier. This process is as slow as molasses, and all of us parents of sensory kids have to have the patience of a saint, that's just the way it is, but it doesn't mean that for some kids, these strategies can work. For some, it won't.0 -
I disagree that the kid must learn to eat meat. While it is advantageous for the kid to have a wider range... If the kid is seriously has an aversion to meat, i would just leave it be.
We have a try it plate. He can touch, lick, smell, eat, or throw the contents in the trash. Sometimes (rarely) he tastes a new food, and rare-er, likes it. It's a frustrating and slow process. It's like trying to watch a pot boil, when the burner isn't even turned on.0 -
food Neophobia is What my grandson has , Sounds like same thing your son has .My grandson will only eat pancakes , Top Ramen And Peanut butter sandwiches,Just plain peanut butter,He has been this way since he was born,He does not eat fruit or anything at all liked that,But he would eat chicken nuggets,He just turned 13,And has discovered chicken,I would look up the food neophobia,And maybe you could find some things out you're not sure about0
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As to OPs original request... If he likes smoothies try this one for protein, fat and calories (my son loved it as a small child):
~1 cup Milk (or substitute)
~2Tbsp peanut butter
~1/2 banana
2-3 Ice cubes
~1Tbsp Hemp hearts (mild taste and blend up really well)
All ingredients measured to taste... It's delicious!
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for chicken nuggets - it's also possible to get ground chicken (or to ground it yourself) and pat it into wee shapes, like little burgers. then do the breadcrumbs/panko.
also, re my brother: he would eat some meat if you called it "chicken" (and it wasn't too "gross"). so, there was "beef chicken", "pork chicken", "chicken chicken", etc
My son will go for that sometimes too if you tell him it is like x food, but just a different shape/etc.. He will some processed meats like you suggested, but I am trying to get away from that if possible just because it isn't great to have all the time. Ground chicken is a great idea to try and use for those. I will try experimenting and see how it goes.
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melimomTARDIS wrote: »My sons pediatrician says the kids with the disorder are jokingly referred to as "little boy white bread eaters"
This made me lol because it is so true. Although, he has always loved most produce (mainly fruit/some veggies) he absolutely loves bread.
I'm not too worried about him liking everything because we all have our preferences. I just want him to have a wider variety to choose from and I don't want him to get stuck not trying new things.0
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