Autism Safe Foods: How to Identify and Expand Them
Finding foods your child will eat can be a huge concern for parents of children with autism, and rightly so! Many children with autism have sensory sensitivities that can affect what foods they’ll eat, and those sensitivities can limit their food intake. Luckily, there are some strategies that can help even the fussiest eater expand their preferred foods and help you gather a good number of safe foods that will meet their nutrient needs.
Autism safe foods: What are they?
The biggest way to identify an autism safe food is looking for the ones that your child will eat, without any persuading. Ideally, it includes foods your child enjoys eating and requests on their own. With that being said, you may be thinking that your child only has a few “safe” foods, and you are worried about them getting the nutrition they need. Know this - it is definitely possible to expand your child’s safe food list. Here are a few ideas to try:
Choose foods that are predictable and comfortable. Maybe your child prefers foods that are soft textured and white or yellow in color (think applesauce, pudding, mac and cheese, ice cream). You would want to start there in choosing safe foods to add in. Maybe you could try another soft, white/yellow food, like scrambled eggs, vanilla yogurt, or oatmeal. You know your child best, so try to pick foods that are similar to ones they already eat well.
Take into account any sensory sensitivities your child has. Certain textures may trigger your child to gag when they try a new food, or refuse the food altogether. For example, you may really want your child to eat more fruit, so you try offering canned peaches, but your child doesn’t like squishy foods. In that case, it may be better to blend it into a smoothie with some yogurt instead of offering it whole.
Remember safe foods are different for each child. All that matters is what foods will work for YOUR child, so try to be a detective and really pay attention to what foods your child will eat. Study the colors they are drawn to, as well as the flavor, temperature, and texture, and then try to branch out with foods that are similar. We suggest serving both their safe food AND the new version at the same time, which helps them know their safe food is still safe and hasn’t suddenly changed, which could cause them to lose trust.
Which are the best safe foods for autism?
The best safe foods for autism are the ones your child will eat. All of our kids have unique preferences, and some may have sensory sensitivities that make them averse to certain flavors or textures. It is totally fine to want to expand your child’s diet to include more nutrient dense foods that offer more nutrition, and that can definitely be done. But first, you have to meet your child where they are at. So, start with what your child likes, and try to build on that.
If you need help determining your child’s food sensory profile, this workbook is a great place to start. It will walk you through the steps to identify their food sensory type and help you discover new ways to expand their food list.
Examples of autism safe foods
Foods for sensory sensitivities
Many children with autism have sensory sensitivities that affect their eating. In fact, a recent review found that children with autism are five times more likely to have feeding challenges compared to children who do not have autism. [1]
Some foods that are more acceptable to those with sensory sensitivities include foods that are soft, smooth, and don’t have a strong taste or smell - foods like yogurt, milk, bread, waffles. If that describes your child, and you want them to eat more fruit, you could try blending a strawberry into their yogurt, mashing up a banana, or blending it into nice cream.
Foods for sensory seekers
On the other hand, you may have a sensory seeking child who prefers crunchy foods, or
stronger flavors - foods like cheetos, pizza, granola bars, pretzels, crackers. Maybe your child really loves cheetos for their flavor and crunch. You may want to look for new foods to offer that are crunchy, like popcorn or rice cakes. You could try cheddar popcorn or cheddar rice cakes to start with for a flavor similar to cheetos.
Whether you have a child who is sensory sensitive or sensory seeking, the key is to take the foods your child prefers and look for ways to expand them into a wider variety of options, and it will look a little different for each child!
Tips for expanding your child’s safe foods
Start with foods similar to your child’s safe foods in taste, texture, and color. Then, you can change one small thing about the food to make it just a little bit different. Food chaining is a great way to do this! We have examples here.
Continue offering your child’s safe foods along with the new foods. If your child’s safe food is cheetos, offer those along with cheddar popcorn (the new food). The goal here isn’t to immediately take away the safe food, it's simply to add a new safe food along with the established one.
Take it slow - try not to offer too many new foods at a time. Offering too many new foods at once will be overwhelming for your child and could backfire and cause them to refuse any new food. Try offering only 1-2 new foods per week, and plan on offering them along with foods your child already likes.
Make it fun! Allow your child to play with the new food, be silly, and explore the food in different ways. Interacting with food in different ways increases the likelihood that your child will eat it. If you know your child will be resistant to the new food, try playing with it before you put it on their plate.
Let your child choose. If you would like them to try a new vegetable, find a few options that are similar to foods they already eat and give them a choice. Which one do they want to try most? Then, let them help pick it out at the store and help you prepare it. Giving them some control over the process will make it more likely they’ll try the food.
No matter which of the strategies above you try first, just take it one step at a time. Baby steps are key here! Let your child be involved in the process and follow their lead. If you still feel lost, or you have questions and need more guidance, the Nourishing Autism Collective is a great resource for parents, providing live support calls where you can get your questions answered, along with guest experts, a comprehensive library of information for parents of kids with autism, and an amazing community of autism moms.
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MEET BRITTYN, THE AUTISM DIETITIAN
Brittyn Coleman is a Registered Dietitian and autism specialist. She helps parents of kids on the spectrum expand their number of accepted foods and maximize their nutrition to help them feel their best & thrive!
You can find her on Instagram at @autismdietitian or on Facebook!
Blog Written by Kalee Lundmark, MS, RDN, IFNCP
Kalee Lundmark is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who enjoys sharing her passion for nutrition with other moms. She has spent the last 20 years working with children to optimize their nutrition and help them overcome feeding challenges.
References:
[1] Sharp WG, Berry RC, McCracken C, Nuhu NN, Marvel E, Saulnier CA, et al. (2013). Feeding problems and nutrient intake in children with autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis and comprehensive review of the literature. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(9), 2159–2173.
