Sensitivities around taste, smell, feel, and consistency of food can lead to autistic children being very particular about what they will eat, how it is cooked, and how it is presented. At the extreme end, some children have very narrow food preferences,and may only like white rice, or fries, while others will eat a broader range of food.
Bryna Siegel, in her book, The World of the Autistic Child, believes that there should not be any reason why an autistic child cannot be taught to eat a "more well-rounded variety of foods" (p.289). Dr Siegel advises that a few autistic children have oral-motor problems and these issues can be helped by such professionals as occupational therapists, or speech and language therapists.
However, with many children, all that is needed is a creative approach to food preparation and presentation. The following looks at the vegetable issue.
Getting one's child to eat vegetables is often difficult for parents. With an autistic child, explaining the importance of eating healthy foods, and having a balanced diet, may fall on deaf ears. Experiment with different approaches and hopefully you will find a way to get your child to eat vegetables.
Getting your child to eat vegetables
Here are some ideas and recipes which may be useful in getting over the vegetable barrier.
- Offer raw, instead of cooked vegetables: for example, carrot sticks, grated carrot, celery sticks, small pieces of courgettes (zuchinnis), tomatoes, cucumber, and lettuce. These can be presented in a salad, or individually.
- If the child has an aversion to chewing cooked vegetables, try grating, or chopping the veggies finely and mix with the cooked meat.
- Try juicing the vegetables. Vegetable juice, particularly when mixed with a little fruit juice, can make a very nutritious and tasty drink.
- If these ideas do not work, remember that eating fruit will help provide essential nutrients.
Savoury Mince
500gms (8oz) minced (ground) lean beef (you could experiment with lamb, chicken, or pork)
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion (grated)
1 large carrot (grated)
few leaves of finely chopped spinach or silverbeet
finely chopped broccoli
2 tablespoons peas
2 tablespoons corn kernels
1 grated apple
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon tomato relish or chutney
1 tsp mild curry powder (optional)
add any herbs such as thyme, mixed herbs etc.
garlic (optional)
salt and pepper
dash of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat and onion.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
This tasty dish can be served on top of steamed rice, served with potatoes, or even pasta. It is also lovely the next day, served on hot buttered toast.
Meatballs
500gms (8oz) minced beef, chicken, pork, or lamb
1 small onion grated
1 carrot grated
green vegetable thinly sliced e.g. broccoli
1 egg
mixed herbs - to taste
salt and pepper
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
garlic (optional)
breadcrumbs to bind mixture
Oil for cooking
Shape into small meatballs. Cook in hot oil in frying pan, turning meatballs to ensure even cooking.
Alternatively, they can be cooked on a lightly greased tray in a moderate oven.
Serve with rice, pasta or potato.
They can also be served with a pasta sauce - either make your own, or purchase a jar of sauce to make a quick meal.
If there are any leftovers, pop them into the child's school lunch, as they are yummy to eat cold.
Tuna Vegetable Pasta
1 tin drained tuna
1 tin tomatoes
1 small grated onion
chopped spinach, or silverbeet
finely chopped broccoli (optional)
fresh or dried herbs e.g. thyme, oreganum, basil
salt and pepper
garlic (optional)
grated cheese
Cook together in a large pan - allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve on top of noodles, or other pasta, and sprinkle with grated cheese.
If the child does not eat pasta, it can be served on its own. A side salad goes well with this dish.
This dish freezes well, so it is worth doubling the quantity.
Reference:
Siegel, Bryna. The World of the Autistic Child: Understanding and Treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Ruth Mortimer - I am from Palmerston North, New Zealand. I am a mother of two sons, the younger of whom is autistic. Owing to the challenges of raising a ...
