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What Parents Need To Know About Children with Aspergers And Eating Habits

By Dave Angel

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 20Mar2011 Word count: 710 Viewed: 604 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Question

My grandson has Asperger's. He is 7 years old and his diet consists of cheese, eggs, bread, milk, juice, wieners, fish, hamburgers, chicken, mashed or French fried potatoes and, on occasion, chocolate and bananas. He will eat no pasta, vegetables or any other fruit. Does this eating problem go along with Asperger's? How can we get him to change his eating habits?

Answer

Asperger's eating habits are often alarming to the people around the child. Asperger's Syndrome can cause unusual reactions to new foods and he may not want to eat them. To the Asperger's child things can taste particularly bitter, salty or just awful. They can also smell badly to him. Texture is often a big problem for Asperger's children, as well. Certain textures can actually cause a gagging reflex. Consequently, he doesn't want to eat foods that cause these reactions.

Actually, your grandson's diet isn't too bad as it is now . He gets protein from eggs, milk, cheese, wieners, fish, hamburger and chicken. He gets grains from bread, and hamburger and hot dog buns. Grains are a great source of vitamin B6. He gets some vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, from juice, potatoes, chocolate and bananas. He also gets vitamin D from cheese and milk. All in all, his diet could be worse. Asperger's eating habits are usually much worse and your grandson seems to eat as most typical children do. However, his diet would be more nutritious if he ate more fruits, vegetables and grains.

Try some whole grain cereals, such as Life or Cheerios. Find out if he likes popcorn, which is a whole grain. Just don't add a lot of butter to it. Try whole grain breads, hamburger and hot dog buns. You can also try whole grain rice and mix it with cheese and chicken in a casserole. Most children like macaroni and cheese so you can try that as well. While Asperger's eating habits are challenging, never give up trying new things. His tastes may change and it may be worth revisiting things you haven't tried in a while.

Try tacos made with whole grain tortillas, hamburger, and cheese. You might be able to sneak in some chopped tomato and onion. Use low fat hamburger. See if he will drink various types of juices. There are new ones on the market that combine servings of fruit and vegetables and are delicious. Keep in mind that many fruits might taste sour to him. Try slicing a banana into cereal and cut up fruits into bite-sized pieces so they are easy to eat. Canned peaches and pears are sweet and may appeal to him. Just don't chastise him if he doesn't eat them, maybe in the future we will.

As far as vegetables are concerned, it could be an uphill battle for Asperger's eating habits. Sometimes, vegetables can be hidden in other foods, for example, in the juices mentioned above. Potatoes are vegetables and he likes them. Try oven frying French fries rather than frying them in oil. Trying blending some cooked cauliflower into his mashed potatoes to get a serving of vegetables into him. Try vegetables soups, pea soup or tomato soup. You can also try putting finely chopped carrots and peas into a chicken and cheese casserole. Avocado has a bland taste and could be mixed into hamburger patties.

Don't make a big deal about what he does and doesn't eat. Doing so will exacerbate his Asperger's eating problems. Some battles aren't worth constantly fighting, especially when his diet is not that bad to begin with. Keep serving new foods along with the old ones and avoid soda pop and sweets so he won't fixate on them. Make sure he has a multivitamin each day. You can get the kind that are chewable and taste good, in a fun shape. You can also encourage him to drink Ensure or PediaSure which are great ways to supplement his diet with vitamins and minerals.

I hope this gives you some helpful tips when it comes to eating habits and your child with Aspergers.

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