How Your Childs Eating Effects Your Eating
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Gargwin82
Posts: 152 Member
Hello;
My Son is 4 in March and has always been a finicky eater. There isn't a fruit I can name that he will eat, he won't even drink fruit juice. The only meat he'll eat is processed chicken nuggets or take out hamburgers. He will eat vegetables occasionally, but that comes and goes. He pretty much lives on cereals and milk. Add to that my Husband who is a bad role model and eats junk all the time, doesn't eat fruit, or vegetables and it's a nightmare.
As a result I find it to be a waste of time and food to cook balanced meals. I end up making my own little scoop of frozen vegetables in the microwave. I don't bother buying fresh produce or fruit because it ends up spoiling before I go through it all.
Add to that when I do cook I end up with a kids plate full of food and end up nibbling away at it. Even worse is when we get take out, I spend money on it, and have issues throwing it out because it's like tossing money.
So what issues does your autistic childs eating habits bring into your mealtime plans? Also those with autism do you have any advice for those of us who have children unable to communicate as to why they won't eat certain foods.
My Son is 4 in March and has always been a finicky eater. There isn't a fruit I can name that he will eat, he won't even drink fruit juice. The only meat he'll eat is processed chicken nuggets or take out hamburgers. He will eat vegetables occasionally, but that comes and goes. He pretty much lives on cereals and milk. Add to that my Husband who is a bad role model and eats junk all the time, doesn't eat fruit, or vegetables and it's a nightmare.
As a result I find it to be a waste of time and food to cook balanced meals. I end up making my own little scoop of frozen vegetables in the microwave. I don't bother buying fresh produce or fruit because it ends up spoiling before I go through it all.
Add to that when I do cook I end up with a kids plate full of food and end up nibbling away at it. Even worse is when we get take out, I spend money on it, and have issues throwing it out because it's like tossing money.
So what issues does your autistic childs eating habits bring into your mealtime plans? Also those with autism do you have any advice for those of us who have children unable to communicate as to why they won't eat certain foods.
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Mine only eats potatoes...refuses meat, fruit and veggies....If I am lucky he will eat spaghetti...Bread and cheese whiz is his main food along with the taters.....It makes taking lunches and snacks to school a real challenge......0
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That would be difficult, does he take a supliment to ensure he's getting all the vitamins ect he isn't getting from his diet? Will he eat healthier multigrain bread or is he a Wonderbread kid? I know they have that Wonderbread that's supposed to be much better and looks/tastes like white now.0
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I actually have him on multi vitamins and multi grain bread......He loves water though.....Lots of children do not like water...so I guess that's a plus.....lol0
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I buy separate groceries for me and my husband. My two with Autism do have picky eating habits, but one does eat a LOT of apples and the other eats lettuce, celery, strawberries, apples, pears, and peaches. They both basically have "white" diets---rice, bread, cereal, pasta, chicken nuggets, pizza. I used to worry about it, but with our children---We can not sweat the small stuff---They have tons of therapies, routines to follow, and social issues to deal with. As long as your doc feels that they are healthy, then all is good.
I do not like to make separate meals, but I do, however, I offer all of my kiddos veggies and fruits with their meals. Plus, a lot of the foods that our kids like---and that typical kids like---are not good for OUR dieting plans. I actually have a separate shelve in the freezer, fridge, and cabinet for MY foods. And, I do not even open or look at "their" foods, so that I am not tempted. I use "take-out" restaurants as a reward, so I do not get tempted.
When my kids ask why I am eating "so and so", I let them know that I am eating that food so that I can be healthy and strong. Our kids will learn by our example.0 -
My Son was hooked on pop (like his parents (guilty)) but since school he is drinking more and more water and even asking for water instead of pop. I've been trying to get my 8 cups a day in and he is constantly borrowing my water container for a sip. I also managed to transition him from white bread, to 100% whole wheat, and finally we have a low fat multigrain bread. I worry how long the multigrain will last since his Father is protesting big time to the change.
I have never heard the term white diet and it soooo describes my Son's eating! I like it, it really simplifies it. My Son used to eat a bunch of vegetables then stopped eating any for quite awhile. Now he's back to eating cucumber, celery, and carrots (just not cooked). Sometimes he will eat cooked brocolli. Yes a lot of routine and reindroductions help in the long term.0 -
My son has autism and loves the processed chicken nuggets too. He'll eat meat and starches but fruits and veggies are touch and go. He'll only allow me to give them to him occassionally. He's so picky...if he doesn't recognize what it is and knows he likes it I can't get him to even try it. Every once in a blue moon I can sneak something new in on him if he's distracted by the TV or something. He's 4 now and I'm hoping his appetite will gain some momentum as he gets older, because most of the time I have to force him to eat. I have just learned to give him whatever he'll eat because if I make him too upset trying to feed him other things he simply shuts down on me and refuses to eat another bite til later in the day when he's calmed down.0
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Wow...we are pretty lucky. Our son will eat anything, fruit, vegetables, soups, salads, meat, pasta, junk, you name it he will at least try it. He loves to make his own grocery lists and strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are on top of the list. The only thing we have difficulty with is milk or anything his brother has touched. We have started to buy him his own 1L carton and he will drink from that. The aversions he has are if we reach over his food he will wipe of his food or drink, or if his food has a foreign object on it then he will throw it off of his plate, eg. spices. OH....wait, he steers clear of fish..LOL.0
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I have classic autism (but verbal) and I was a bit finicky with textures, but overall, I don't think I was a picky eater although my textures issue did leave me with a "thing" for crunchy foods, and I had a major junk food addiction, but I don't know if I can blame that on autism or not. Anyway, there ARE ways to sneak in healthy foods so they don't only eat rubbish. Trust me, a diet of junk does not lead to long-term health even if it does lead to short-term contentment.
Have you tried smoothies? You can make smoothies soooo delicious for kids, and that can get in several servings of fruit. If they eat pasta, there are many ways to puree and hide vegetables. I once made a hidden veggie casserole for my niece and my nephew when I was practicing cooking. The only vegetables they could detect was broccoli and onion only because I knew they would eat those and I didn't need to hide them. They ooey gooey cheesey pasta also had carrot, sweet potato, and squash and LOTS of it! (all of which was pureed and stirred into the cheesy sauce).
If they like pizza, try making it homemade--make your own sauce and you can puree green peppers and zucchini and a bunch of other veggies into the sauce and they will NEVER know (that's my parents do with the homemade spaghetti sauce--my nephew DESPISES green peppers, but he happily eats their green pepper-infused spaghetti sauce because you can't detect them at all). Then, if they are able, let them help you make it and they can put on what meats and cheese they like and think they are not getting in any veggies at all. As they get older, you might be able to get some fruits and veggies in without being sneaky (I eat WAY more now than I did when I was a kid).
Also, instead of cooking up processed chicken nuggets, why not make your own chicken fingers? They taste better and are almost as quick to make? Then you don't have do worry about the unhealthy additives they put into the boxed kind. There are even ways to put pureed squash underneath the coating without kids ever knowing its there.0 -
Unfortunately his Father is far more picky than him, and now he wants to do what Dad does. If Dad suspects I've hidden anything he won't eat that food, my Son follows suit.
Smoothies have always been and continue to be a bust even at school, most likely the overly fruity taste.
We have been working with the school and plan to start doing food play at our house soon to build up his tolerance of new foods. I have let him help me dump ingredients into the bowl recently, he is really excited about that but then disappointed when everything we make doesn't end up being a cake LOL
I should try and make more things from scratch though, even if he doesn't eat it perhaps in time he will start trying it.0 -
With most of the things I've suggested, I doubt his dad would notice it hidden as it is hidden WELL. If it is a problem, you could remove some of the (ie.) noodles before adding the sauce. Put the sauce that doesn't have any good stuff in it for the dad and put the healthy stuff in for the boy. That way dad won't pick, and son might eat better....0
