Aspergers & Picky Eating

Question

My son was diagnosed with Asperger’s in January, 2008. His
eating habits are not that great. He will only eat about 3
specific foods which are not at all healthy. How can I
introduce something new to him if he doesn’t like to try
anything new? Unless he has eaten it before, he will not
try it.

Answer

This is a common problem with people with Asperger’s. Some
AS adults will eat only three or four foods for months at a
time. For AS kids, many foods taste terrible to them (but
not to others) or have disgusting textures or smells. They
can’t help these reactions; they are a part of Asperger’s.
Unfortunately your son’s three choices are not healthy ones,
so he isn’t getting a balanced diet. For that reason, his
diet must change.

Your son’s diet should include protein from eggs, milk,
cheese, fish, beef, and chicken, pork, even hot dogs. He
needs grains, which provide B vitamins, from breads,
hamburger and hot dog buns, corn, and cereals. He needs
vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, from juices,
fruits, and vegetables. He requires calcium and vitamin D
from milk and cheese. Getting him to eat these foods is the
challenge.

You will have to eliminate the three items he will eat from
your home and offer him a variety of other healthy foods,
letting him choose what he will eat from them. Prepare for
a battle royal when you do this! He may scream, cry, and
have “meltdowns” at every meal. But, when he gets hungry,
he will try at least some of the new foods. Whatever you
do, don’t give him any of his preferred three foods, or
they are all that he will eat and he will never try any of
the new foods. Needless to say, the rest of the family must
not eat his preferred foods, either.

Perhaps he would try some whole grain cereals. Many
children like Life cereal or Cheerios (with or without
milk). If he’ll eat the cereal, see if he likes a sliced
banana on it. Use Splenda to sweeten cereal, fruits, and
baked items. Try popcorn (a whole grain). Don’t load it up
with butter. Fruit juices may appeal to him. There are new
ones on the market that are delicious and have a serving of
fruit and one of vegetables in each glass. Try hot dogs and
hamburgers. He may like scrambled eggs. If he will drink
milk (even chocolate milk or a milkshake), it will give him
protein and calcium.

Try mixing rice or noodles into a cheese and chicken
casserole. Most children like macaroni and cheese. See if
he does. Try tacos made with whole grain tortillas,
hamburger, and cheese. Will he eat fried chicken or chicken
nuggets? How about fish and chips?

Many fruits may taste sour to him. Canned peaches and pears
are sweet and may appeal to him. Cut fruits into bite sized
pieces so they are easy to eat. Don’t chastise him if he
doesn’t eat them; maybe in the future he will. Make small
apple or blueberry muffins. Yoghurt with fruit is an option
you could try.

As far as vegetables are concerned, it may be an uphill
road! But, sometimes vegetables can be hidden in other
foods, for example, in those juices mentioned above. How
about putting some onion in his hamburger? Potatoes are
vegetables and he might eat oven-fried French fries (called
chips by the British). Blend some cooked cauliflower into
mashed potatoes. He may not notice the difference. He may
like sweet potatoes. He might like creamed corn or
cornbread. Does he eat any soups? You could try tomato
soup made with milk; he might like it or chicken noodle soup.

It’s very important not to make “a big deal” about what he
doesn’t eat. If you do, eating will become an even worse
power struggle than it’s going to be. Offer various new
foods at each meal. If he doesn’t like them, don’t make an
issue of it. He’ll eat something when he gets hungry!
Avoid serving soda pop and sweets so he doesn’t fixate on
them. When he finally accepts a new, healthy food, offer it
often, but not at every meal, so he has to keep trying new
foods.

My last suggestion is to make sure he has a multivitamin
each day. Get one that is chewable, tastes good, and has a
cute shape. Also, drinking Ensure or Pediasure is a good
way to supplement his diet with vitamins and minerals.

The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide: A Complete
Resource Guide For Parents Who Have Children Diagnosed
With Aspergers Syndrome.