I need some advice about helping my child with food. My son is almost 5, going through all the proper screenings for an autism diagnosis because 5 medical professionals have told us he most likely has autism, and has been diagnosed with AFRID recently. He has about 10 different safe foods that he will always eat, but he refuses to try anything new. He will literally cry if you ask him to take a bite. Has anyone else dealt with this and found a way to successfully get their child to at least try new foods? This kid barely eats, and I’m so worried about him, but all his dr would do is tell us to give him a multivitamin. Which doesn’t help, because he won’t eat them, and he absolutely hates the pediasure drinks. I don’t want it to resort to him needing a feeding tube, but he’s lost weight since his last checkup in August, and I am super worried.
I follow a few children’s dieticians on IG that have a lot of good tips for picky eaters. I know your situation may be a bit more difficult than just picky eating but some could be helpful.
One is @kids.eat.in.color
Another is @nourishing.picky.eaters
One thing I’ve been trying lately with my kid is putting the food i know she won’t eat on the plate but not forcing her to eat it. Slowly introducing it as a common thing not some scary yucky thing. Some people think that’s a waste, but usually someone will eat what she doesn’t after dinner. I do not make her another meal separate from the family, but I don’t force her to eat what she is given but I don’t offer anything different and she doesn’t get snacks later on. She will eat the dinner/lunch offered when she’s hungry enough.
This is not always successful. A lot of failure. But consistency is key.
Have you checked with the doctor(s) about Occupational Therapy, more specifically, a Feeding Evaluation? My 3 year old hardly eats, also has about 10 safe foods, and won’t try anything new. The doctor referred her for OT to go with her Speech Therapy because of food aversions. But OT is pretty broad, and to hone in on the eating problem, a Feeding Eval is needed/required. 
I’ve got a kiddo with SPD.
90% of his issues at this point revolve around food. I would hazard AFRID for him but no official dx.
I know you’re waiting for official autism dx, but with AFRID you may be able to get occupational therapy services and/or feeding therapy.
I know that ot helped my kiddo (insurance won’t pay for it anymore it’s why he’s not in it)…
That said…
- look for the commonalities in what he will eat. All their sensory inputs…texture, color, flavor, temperature, ect.
If you find a couple common links then look for foods with those same sensory profiles.
Patience. Lots and lots of patience. - We’d simply encourage our kiddo to lick it. He didn’t even need to put it in his mouth JUST lick it.
- we’d let him spit stuff out if he didn’t like it.
- Keep safe foods on hand particularly if they’re on the healthy-ish side.
Chicken nuggets, baby carrots, and apples weren’t the healthiest thing in the world but we’re better than some things. - If he likes ice cream, try making that cottage cheese ice cream. You can sneak in all kinds of good for him stuff.
- Take it one day at a time. Its really all you can do.
Try making pizza crust out of mushed u cauliflower add toppings as usual.my daughter takes riced cauliflower mixes with mashed potatoes
If he has ARFID you kinda can’t force him. Just keep the safe foods coming with a vitamin with iron. Sometimes I just eat something interesting in front of my daughter outside of meal time and don’t even look at her. Just my food. I don’t offer her anything. Once in a while she will be like “….what are you eating?” And ask about the texture. I never lie or try to hide food because then she won’t believe me if I tell her something is good.
I started offering my son the chance to pick his very own dinner the next night for eating dinner that night. Then we went into eating 1/2 pieces of one item and than getting what he wants after. Now he drowns everything in bbq and that is fine with me. And sometimes there’s still
Screaming over something he ate last week and just doesn’t want to eat. I try to be flexible.
Lie… i told my son everything was “pepperoni” just shaped and coloured differently until he was 5.
Try including him in meal prep. Look through cookbooks together and pick something, make it together, and then make a safe food. Allow him to build his plate with the foods he wants, and don’t push it. Eventually, he’ll try it.
Story of many of us parents lives. You never know when they might be willing to try something new. Sometimes telling my son to try just one bite before something he loves (bribery), will at least get them to try something. If you know there’s something with say a texture that won’t go, don’t push it.
I gave my son little charcuterie type plates with a bunch of food he would eat and a couple he wouldn’t or hadn’t tried. Then I wouldn’t look at him or talk to him while he ate (my son’s quirk back then). As long as he was eating he could basically do whatever he wanted within reason. Play, watch TV, wander the house. I was working with a toddler though.
Let him eat as much as he wants of his safe food even if that’s nothing but dry cereal and McDonald’s atleast he will be eating.
He will feel your worry vibes. Let him eat where he feels safe and build up confidence with those. There is a huge fear of being “tricked” into trying new foods. Hidden vegetables in pasta sauces means I have a teen who will only eat pasta with cheese now but will happily spicy chicken or calzone. Make sure he’s getting plenty of foods he does like and trust. Don’t try pedisure as a solution. Mine doesn’t mind multivit gummies but actually it’s not made much difference. I do have a healthy teen in terms of weight even if they seem to live off nugs and pasta with cheese sometimes. You could also try separating food on a plate either with a plate designed for this or by putting it in separate bowls. Mine used to struggle with a sandwich but was happy eating breadsticks, cheese cubes and cherry tomatoes. I also found certain things smelt tempting so teen was more willing to try them. So our food list includes Cheeseburgers, steak, smoked salmon and prawns (shrimp). Don’t force the eating thing and just be prepared to cook a lot of chicken nuggets. (We’ve also recently found mozzerella sticks and ramen are also welcome).
see if you can get into OT they can help with that you may have to pay out of pocket.
Will he drink milk shakes eat custard yoghurt egg cereal