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Real members of MyAutismTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

How do you get your child to eat properly?

A MyAutismTeam Member asked a question 💭
Houston, TX

My son has a limited pallet. He ate fruits and veggies up until he was two. Since then he eats chicken, limited other meats. He'll drink V8 juice that has fruits and veggies in it, but only on rare occasions will he eat fruits and veggies. What can I do to expand his horizons?

July 6, 2012
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A MyAutismTeam Member

Mine will eat frozen pops like there's no tomorrow, so I make them with coconut oil, raw avocado, fresh fruit, yogurt and veggies and stuff and he never even realizes it.

July 10, 2012
A MyAutismTeam Member

One other thing that we do if he is particularly resistant, especially if I really think he will like it if he JUST TRIES IT(!)- I will leave the food out on the table. Not on his plate, but just a small bowl of something like raisins, or a new kind of cookie/cracker etc. Eventually he will investigate without feeling any pressure whatsoever. Hope it helps!

July 8, 2012
A MyAutismTeam Member

@A MyAutismTeam Member - GFCF (gluten free casein free)is when you eliminate gluten and casein from your diet. www.gfcf.com

For my son, I've learned to think outside the box for meals. One day he likes something, the next day he won't touch it. Usually texture is his issue. He may not want bananas, but banana chips are great. He used to love chopped avocado, but didn't want to eat it for dinner until I presented it as guacamole with tortilla chips. Breakfast is when he is most picky for some reason. Snack style foods usually work well like peanut butter crackers or granola bars. Smoothies will sometimes work. Since he started gymnastics, I know he will eat just about anything I put in front of him on those days. That's when I bust out the couscous and mix in some well chopped tilapia ;)

July 7, 2012 (edited)
A MyAutismTeam Member

Something else that helped us in some cases was to get my son involved in meal preparation. He refused to eat the pizza I made, but when he was able to put the sauce and cheese on the pizza he loved it! Maybe he can make dinner for you

July 8, 2012
A MyAutismTeam Member

We are doing the GAPS diet and since then, our son has improved in the variety of healthy foods he will consume. One thing is that we got a vitamixer so we started it with just fresh fruit blends for smoothies and over time increased the vegetable/therapuetic ingredients. We have come so far with it that he drank 2 cups today of a smoothie that included a generous amount of kale, parsley and cabbage along with pineapple, mango and kiwi to sweeten up the deal! He will even drink one with red cabbage, blueberries with kale. It takes time and it's a big commitment to make dietary changes but it is worth it. The GAPS diet is huge but adding probiotic foods is key. Try to get some yogurt with active probiotics, we use kefir and make it homemade. Yogurt would be a good small step to start with. The right yogurt does not contain lactose which can be difficult to digest. Even though not allowed on the GFCF diet, yogurt is immensely helpful to the gut flora and there are ways to make water kefir and coconut milk yogurt too. If you just want to try one new food, start with yogurt. I don't know about him but most kids love it and you can mix fruits in. We also make homemade probiotic sour cream and add a little sea salt and garlic and dip veggies in it. But, if you're looking for one simple step to implement that will help over time I'd say try probiotic foods.

July 7, 2012

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