Why do children have sensory food aversions? And, how can you help them overcome sensory issues with food? Get the answers and 8 simple strategies… (Affiliate links used below)
From the very beginning of Your Kid’s Table, I have always wanted to help parents better understand sensory processing and anything related to kids and eating. Over the last few years, I have answered many comments about how the two things are related, and often result in a sensory food aversion. I wanted to dedicate a post completely to sensory issues with food, to help you understand if sensory processing is playing a role in your child’s picky eating and, perhaps more importantly, what you can do help!
I first noticed my son’s sensory issues with food when I introduced food to him, I knew the red flags (you’ll read about those later), and if I hadn’t introduced specific sensory strategies to help him learn to eat foods we’d likely still be struggling, years later because a sensory food aversion is on a whole different level than just your average “picky eating”.
Why Do Kids Have Sensory Issues with Food?
To understand food related sensory issues we’ve first got to talk about sensory processing, which is our ability to interpret smells, tastes, sounds, touches, sights, and movement from our environment. Although most of us process this information in similar ways, it is completely unique to every individual, to every child. We are bombarded all day long with various sensory input, and eating, which many of us do 5 or 6 times a day, is a huge sensory experience that most of us take for granted.
As adults, we have been quite desensitized to the textures, flavors, and smells of food, but many of our kids have not. In the first few years of life, mealtimes are all about processing the sensory input they are receiving from various foods. Often when kids display picky eating, especially those with food aversions/extreme picky eating, the touch, taste, or smell of a food is being processed in their brain as dis-pleasurable in some way. And, by dis-pleasurable, I mean down-right uncomfortable. Think of something that makes you shutter… nails on chalkboard or touching a slug? That feeling that you have may be just as extreme for your child when they touch an orange.
How your child responds to foods, may at least in part, be simply neurological. I hope that this information helps you as the parent depersonalize the refused dinners, at least at little, anyways!
Here’s the good news, children’s brains are extremely plastic. Meaning they are able to easily learn new things. When a child learns something new or experiences something differently, a new connection is made in their brain. The more they have that same experience, the stronger that connection gets, and then they are able to react differently than they had previously because their brain is using a new connection to process the information.
Are you following me here? Let me say it another way by telling you about my son who has a long history of sensory food aversions… Isaac gags and shutters every time he touches chicken, but one day he helps me make chicken in a different way. We cut it into small pieces and serve it with a fun dip in a cool little ramekin. I pretend the chicken is little baby dinosaurs jumping into a pond of ketchup. Then, Isaac is really motivated and relaxed (because he isn’t being pressured), so he picks up his “little baby dinosaurs” and sends them soaring into his dip without a hint of a shutter or gag.
Guess what, his brain just made a new connection, and then I had a starting point to build from!
While I’ve mostly been providing examples that a child who is sensitive to textures because the brain is over processing the input, it is also entirely possible that your child may be undersensitive to sensory input. Think of sensory processing as a spectrum with being sensitive or defensive to input (texture, smell, etc.) at one end and seeking input at the other end with a whole lot of variability in the middle.
Not processing input well can also cause picky eating because children may not feel certain soft textures in their mouth well (as if the sensation is dulled), and thus avoid them. These kids in particular will often prefer crunchy foods, seemingly spit out soft foods, or over-stuff their mouths to try and “feel” the food.
Does My Child Have a Sensory Food Aversion or Disorder?
While there is no specific diagnosis for a “sensory eating disorder” or a sensory food aversion, these terms might be used when your child eats a very limited amount of foods because they have difficulty with how foods smell, taste, feel, or even how they look. Remember this is because of the way their brain is interpreting the sensations they get from food, which leads to the question.
To help narrow down if your child’s picky eating is related to sensory, it’s first helpful to think about certain groups of kids that sensory processing difficulties affect more than other’s. I’m going to list them here because if your child has one of these diagnoses and has eating difficulties, it is very likely that sensory processing is at least part of the picture. But, having sensory processing difficulties in general DOES NOT mean that your child has one of these diagnoses. Got it? Good!
Kids that fall into one of these groups and are picky eaters often have sensory based food aversions:
- Sensory Processing Disorder (Note that many health care providers acknowledge this diagnosis, but it is not in the current version of the DSM, which means some insurances providers will not accept this as a reason to justify therapy).
- ADD/ADHD
- Children Born Prematurely (The sensory system is one of the last to develop in utero, which is why sensory processing difficulties are common. However, this is not a rule. Many preemies display no difficulties in this area.)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Down Syndrome
- Children Adopted from Orphanages in Eastern European Countries or Russia
So, how do those sensory “difficulties” actually show up in our kids when they are related to food, here are some specific red flags to look for…
Red Flags for Sensory Issues with Food
If you child has most or all of the behaviors here, it is possible that sensory issues with food may be part of the underlying reason your child is selective about what they eat. You will notice some opposite extremes in the list below, which are indicating different ends of the sensory processing spectrum as I discussed earlier. As your reading make a mental checklist of any that you see your child doing regularly:
- Gags at the sight, smell, touch, or taste of foods. Gagging while trying to eat is a different cause that has to do with the mechanics of eating. Gagging can also be a learned behavior that may have started from either a sensitivity to sensory input or difficulty chewing or swallowing food at some point.
- Eats only specific types of textures. Most of the time the preference is crunchy foods, but sometimes soft foods are the preferred.
- Avoids or dislikes their hands getting messy, and I’m not just talking about at meals. You will often see your child get uncomfortable with crafts or digging in dirt/sand, etc. (This is an important point, learn more about it in Everything You Need To Know About the Tactile Sense.)
- Overstuffs or pockets food excessively and/or frequently. Pocketing food can also be the cause of poor coordination and/or difficulty chewing.
- Never went through an oral stage as a baby/toddler where they mouthed and chewed on toys and other objects.
- Excessively mouths and chews on various toys past the age of 18 months.
Find more sensory red flags that cover all the senses, not just related to eating. And, if you’d like to dive into understanding sensory as it relates to picky eating, head over to oral sensory processing, you’ll find more tips and activities there!
Are My Child’s Eating Difficulties all Related to Sensory?
I realize I just wrote over 800 words describing how sensory processing may be the cause of your child’s picky eating, but it is rarely the sole cause (have you notice I’ve been hinting about that). Picky eating is a complicated animal that often has many layers to it. Even if sensory processing is the major player, learned behavior and power struggles are most likely at play, too. It is really important to make sure that you have a good routine and structure in place so that you are able to see the most improvement possible. See my Basic Strategies to Improve Eating and the plan I used to help my son for more strategies to help establish a consistent routine.
How to Get Help for Picky Eaters with Sensory Food Aversions
I want to provide you will some solid strategies to begin to improve your child’s processing of sensory information (and I will in the next section). However, there are more specialized techniques that may be appropriate under the guidance of a therapist. If your child is under 3 and you live in the US you may qualify for free in home services. Another option is, a private evaluation from an occupational therapist that specializes in feeding and sensory processing may be appropriate. Read all about the ins and outs of feeding therapy.
Learn more about the basics of addressing picky eating. This is really important guys, don’t take this lightly! You will see so much more success with your sensory efforts if you put my 3 Keys to Turning Around Picky Eating in place. Discover what they are and how to use them simply in your home in my FREE workshop. Click here to save your seat!
Strategies for a Sensory Food Aversion
With that said, these few tools can be very powerful when used consistently over a period of at least 4-6 weeks because they help to desensitize the sensory system. Come back to these strategies as needed.
- Play in a variety of sensory bins at least 5-6 times per week.
- Use a vibrating toothbrush two times a day. My kids use these one’s all the time, but for smaller toddler mouths or those that are really sensitive this brush is a great option.
- When brushing teeth encourage your child to allow you to help, and brush the sides of the tongue top of the tongue and inside the cheeks as well.
- Build off of textures that your child is preferring. Think about making small changes to the foods they already like by changing up the brand, flavor, etc. This will help build bridge to new foods in a way that is comfortable.
- Encourage them to interact with the food in some way. Take baby steps. They may need to spend some time just touching the food to get used to the texture, for example.
- Cook together. This is a no-pressure time that allows kids to explore new foods. They will often feel brave enough to try something new in the fun and relaxed nature of the moment. Again, the key here is breaking down some of that sensitivity through the exploration of food.
- If your child falls into the over-stuffing/seeking texture category you will want to alternate crunchy bites of food with soft food. You can also give the cheeks a firm, but gentle squeeze if the stuffing or spitting out starts, or briskly stroke from the ears to the mouth a few times. This is not meant as a punishment, but to give input to help them process the sensation of the food better.
- Use these picky eater friendly foods for inspiration and motivation!
By implementing these strategies in combination with a solid routine you will likely see some significant changes in your child’s eating. If you’d like a little help getting your routine rock solid so you can build on these other sensory specific tips then grab this FREE 9 Tips to Improve Your Child’s Eating Printable.
More for Kids with a Sensory Food Aversion
The Best Picky Eating Strategy
Children’s Books to Help with Picky Eating
When Has Picky Eating Gone Too Far… Is it Something More?
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i just read your article and am wondering if these were/are issues with my twins. One is very picky and the other only eats a few things. They are almost 16 years old. I am very worried since they are athletes and now sports nutrition is very important. Eating has always been a struggle…always used divided plates so foods did not touch, casseroles are out of the question, foods were always plain with no sauces. What can I do now that they are older and barely like anything? All this therapy sounds great, but they would never go to it now. They don’t see any problem with their eating. I can almost count on one hand how many foods one of them will eat.
It’s hard to say Pam if sensory is/was the problem, but it is quite possible. This is a really hard age to address problems via therapy or some of the other techniques I described. I would try to get them involved with cooking and make a rule about no negative comments with food. Also, make a rule that they have to take some of everything- their choice if they eat or not. Lastly, try to change the environment around food and actually take the pressure off them. They will likely be more willing to try new foods on their own volition. I have a lot of info on this site and some of the other tips you will able to adapt, see the article index in the menu bar.
I have always viewed my son as a “picky” eater, but he doesn’t seem to fall into one specific category. For example, when he was 8 months old, i hid small pieces of baked chicken in string cheese. He tried one bite and then proceeded to pull the chicken from the cheese and separate the chicken and cheese into different piles. There may be some sensory issues, but his doctors are not worried because he is gaining weight. I feel like I have tried everything–involving him in cooking, picking fresh foods to help him understand where food comes from, playing with food, offering preferred and nonpreferred foods at meals, limiting milk, etc. Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thank you for creating this blog!
Hi Courtney, it sounds like you are doing great! I know it is challenging, but if you can set up a positive structured routine with no pressure tactics he will begin to make improvements. I would definitely try some of the tips here, and stick with them for a little time to make sure you’re giving them a chance to work.
Hi, i was wondering how being a eastern european child is seen as disorder? Could you also elaborate on this a bit more? How would that possibly affect sensory processing in children? Thanks
Of course that is not a disorder, as I said, disorder’s or “groups of children”. The issue is with children that have been in orphanages. There is a high incident rate of children that have sensory processing difficulties because there is often a high ratio of small children to one adult. The sensory experiences (or lack thereof) that young children experience shape how they process sensory input throughout childhood. Here is a link to a research study explaining in more detail: http://www.news.wisc.edu/8291
Hello. I am so happy to find your site and information. We have a 1 year old (birthday 6/26) who was progressing with table foods, but has been having issues this week with gagging and vomiting up his dinner. He has always had a bit of a strong gag reflex. We have been feeding him a mix of purees and table foods, mostly meat/eggs or bread/crackers. He’s great with goldfish, puffs, and cheese-poofs (both baby and adult style), and we have been giving him bread in smaller pieces/strips with a very thin layer of peanut butter. Last week, we were having lunch, and I think a compacted bolus of bread with peanutbutter got caught in his throat or esophagus, and his entire lunch came back up. We stopped with the bread that day, and went back to goldfish and black bean puree to finish lunch, and then some more textured puree for dinner. Ever since then, he has been hit or miss with gagging and vomiting up his dinner. (He has had puree and snacks for lunch this week, since my mom is babysitting him)
I know that we should have him on more table foods, but we have been slow to progress. He was loving macaroni and cheese my mother-in-law made for his birthday, as well as roast pork and cut chicken, and was doing fine until the bread incident.
I intend of purchasing a vibrating toothbrush in hopes that that may help him out with sensitivity, but I am not sure how else to proceed. He loves to eat, its just a matter of dealing wit his gagging.
Do you have any advice? Thanks in advance!
What you are describing makes total sense to me. First of all, I would stay away from clumpy thick foods like that for a while. Always make sure the bread is toasted when adding a topping so it doesn’t get to dense. He is now nervous and overly sensitive. Definitely go back to the crunchy foods. See the article index for other new food ideas under Mega list of First Table Foods. Absolutely get that toothbrush! Let me know how things go!
Thank you! We also ended up shooting a fever last Thurs and Fri, with a red/irritated throat (we took him to the ped on Fri). He likes the play with the toothbrush, and for the past two nights hes done so much better. I know he loves cheese, meats, tortellini, and last night had cubed roasted sweet potato. I’ve definitely found your blog to be a great resource! Thank you!!!
You are so welcome! That is great!
I TOTALLY understand the sensory issues! I am on the spectrum and have Asperger’s Syndrome. I avoid certain foods, like broccoli, cauliflower and whatever else I can’t eat. It’s funny though because I’ll eat broccoli in a cream corn casserole. But picky eating is so common. Give me the carbs and I’m fine. I eat a combination of soft and hard food. But for the most part, if you put something in front of me I don’t like, expect me to NOT eat it. Luckily, I wasn’t affected as some people were. That’s the good thing. So for all the caretakers, and OT’s etc on here, hang in there! Don’t give up on them! Be patient, kind and gentle. Forcing the child to eat the food will make it worse! You can do it! 🙂
Thanks so much for reading Suz, and for sharing your experience. I think it is REALLY helpful for parents to hear!
My son is 14 months old. He is back on baby food and formula cause he won’t swallow food. He will chew soft foods and spit them out. Hard food goes in and right back out. He won’tuse a sippy cup or a straw, just the bottle. He has also been getting his molars in but this started before that… He was also not hearing properly. Failed a hearing test had tubes put in, failed another hearing test. Doing an ABR next week. Please help! How do iIget my son to eat table foods?
Hi Tammy, I’m so glad you reached out! It sounds like there are some underlying issues going on and I would strongly recommend getting him evaluated as soon as possible, or scheduling a consult (no pressure, from me at all!). It sounds like he doesn’t know how to chew or is having a hard time manipulating where food is in his mouth (this is where the sensory piece comes in). Either way there are specific techniques that would be very beneficial for him. In the mean time I would recommend reading How to Transition to Table Foods, you can find both posts in the article index (see the menu bar). I would also try using a straw (I have a post on how to teach that too). If you have questions about any of this or need more guidance don’t hesitate to let me know.
love Love LOVE this article, this is just the information I was looking for as it describes my twin grandsons to a tee! At 6 months of age we noticed it as the boys wouldn’t eat baby food at all, it was like their brain and their mouths didn’t work together, they didn’t know what to do with the food or the spoon, they would also gag if you tried to force the issue. When my children were this age, you put food on the spoon, moved it toward their mouths and they eagerly opened their mouth, it was a natural and almost instinctual process, not with these guys. Although we kept trying, we had no luck at all, they were a year old and still eating nothing but a bottle. As you mentioned in this article, the boys didn’t put anything in their mouths like a typical 1 year old, their hands and a bottle, that was it. Thankfully my daughter stayed on top of things, but didn’t really get the okay from her pediatrician until their 1 year check up, from there the boys saw an occupational therapist and later a speech therapist. For those that are having these issues I can tell you the therapists started with letting them play in their food. It was very messy with the twins but so important, encourage it, the bigger the mess the better it is! 🙂 Also we had to encourage the boys to put things in their mouths, crazy I know but also important. We were celebrating anytime they would take something and put it in their mouths, even if it really shouldn’t go there, it was progress. The boys turned 2 in September and of course it’s still a work in progress at least they are eating some. One of the boys now has to smell anything before he will put it in his mouth, if he doesn’t like the smell he says “no” and gives it back to me. 🙂 They also do not like to have their hands dirty or things like playing in a sand box is out of the question. Maybe this summer! 🙂
Oh and one other thing that has worked for us, nutritionally smoothies have become our best friend! 🙂
What a wonderful grandmother you are! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful story and encouraging others. I promise it will be helpful!
Thank you SO much for this article. You described my son perfectly: gagged watching others eat fruit, never went through the oral phase, hated dirty hands and would grunt to have them washed before he could even talk, would not touch playdough and lived on bread and crackers for about a year! I breastfed him forevery because I was scared he would be so undernourished otherwise.
Worst of all, I got no support from health care professionals. I was told “he’s not thin” or “he’ll grow out of it” or “he’s just a picky eater” when I knew it wasn’t right. Reading your article had my in tears because I finally READ the support I lacked at that time.
Our son is now nearly 4 years old and we are only just seeing tiny changes now. Thanks to his age and seeing other kids behaviour and his militant kindergarden who basically forces kids to try everything. We played cookie cutouts and cheese at home for about 6 months before he finally tried it and he was well over 2.5 before he touched playdough and ate cake for the first time. Just a plain butter cake but my husband and I were in tears at the time. No-one else got it.
So thanks thanks thanks for this article. It means a LOT to me to read confirmation of everything I claimed then and now and to feel supported. I have signed up for the sensory newsletter and can’t wait to read my first issue.
Thanks thanks thanks again!!
I LOVE reading comments like these, thank you for taking a couple of minutes to write that! Trust me when I say you are not alone, there are so many parents in similar situations! It sounds like you have done a lot of good work, that’s fantastic and hopefully you got some more ideas here. You’ll find lots of stuff on picky eating and sensory. It is so common for health care professionals to dismiss! I just updated this post, the sensory newsletter is no longer in affect, but I co-created a free sensory course that I think you will love. You are on the list for that and will be added to our newsletters, too. The mini course begins may 31!
This describes my son so well! He’s 11 now.. He’s SO picky! I’ve always noticed it’s a texture thing for him. He loves spaghetti, but the sauce can’t be chunky and if he sees specs of herbs, it turns him off (although this has gotten better). However, I had to make it once with macaroni because I was out of spaghetti noodles and he refused to eat it. My rule is, you have to try everything I put on the plate. If you don’t like it after you take a good bite, you don’t have to eat it. I made that dish exactly how I make spaghetti, but with different noodles and he tried it, but refused to eat the rest. I have to use a divider plate for him because none of his foods can touch. Casseroles are not ever an option. He is an active child, but I have refused to have him tested (although none of his teachers have ever asked me to) because he’s easy to redirect. He’s also a thumb sucker and has a blanket that has a specific string that he has to rub near his face. We have tried to lessen his reliance on this blanket over the years because he’s 11, but when he has it, he’s completely calm. So, we haven’t tried as hard until recently when he joined the youth group at our church (obviously, older kids are not nice about those kinds of things). All of these things make me think he fits right into what you’re describing. At his age, is it too late to try the things you’ve suggested? Where would I start in trying to get therapy for him or have a professional help me determine if this is the “issue”?
Oh my gosh, no! You can absolutely address this and I would start with the messy play, although that will look a little different at his age, you will have to engage him on his level. Maybe hiding more complex puzzles in the sand, etc.? To get started with therapy, you’ll want to google your city and feeding therapy. Call around to a few places and ask what their approach is, tell them you think there is a big sensory component and you want that to be a major component of his treatment. Make sure you check with your insurance company about what is offered, too. Did you see the sign up for the free understanding sensory mini course? I would highly recommend it! It is 100% free and will help you begin to put more of the bigger picture together. A larger course is built off of that where we go into a lot more depth and address picky eating as it relates to sensory. There you have a lot of support, daily from us actually. There is no pressure at all, just wanted to mention as a possible resource. You can find the sign up for the free course in this post, in the bar at the top or in the menu bar under courses. Let me know if you need more help!
Oh. My. God. This is me 100%. I’m 23 now and have slowly over the past 5 years been able to get myself to where I can tolerate a few more foods (I would never in a million years touch a strawberry, raspberry, lettuce, mushroom, onion…pretty much any fruit or vegetable, but now I can eat a few berries at a time and can eat other veggies if I cook them exactly the way I prefer them so the texture is right – I had to experiment quite a bit before finding which cooking method worked best for me for each veggie, and I found that I can only eat fruit uncooked). I still sleep with my baby blanket because I feel the most calm when I rub a certain part of it around my lips/mouth area. Unfortunately, my parents thought my refusal to eat food was just an attempt to gain attention and this resulted in a major power struggle, even though I would get so scared from being forced to eat something I didn’t want to the point that I would gag and hyperventilate from the anxiety it caused. This power struggle got really intense because they did not believe me when I said I simply couldn’t eat whatever food item it was that they were trying to force me to eat. I remember one time in particular when I was locked out of the house for the night because I couldn’t eat a green bean, and another time when I was told I couldn’t get up from the table until I ate some of the corn on my plate – I was still sitting there the next morning because I honestly could not bring myself to put it in my mouth, no matter how much I desperately wanted to fulfill my parents’ wishes. I was a preemie, and spent full days in daycare starting at 6 weeks of age (which started before my actual due date), so it seems like those conditions could have been factors in how I ended up this way. My brother also has a lot of the issues described on here regarding liking flavors but not being able to stomach the texture – for example, he loves homemade spaghetti sauce, but all the ingredients have to be pureed beyond recognition for him to be able to eat it, whereas the rest of the family (aside from me, of course) is fine with the chunks of veggies, etc.
Anyway, it is nice to know that this is actually a thing, and that I’m not some weirdo that just can’t eat normal foods like everyone else for no good reason. (I always feel silly when I have to explain to people that I don’t like certain foods or textures – they usually say something like “What are you, 5? Just grow up and eat like a normal person.” and then I end up feeling awkward and embarrassed because I’m different)
BUT…I do have a bachelor’s in engineering, a minor in Chinese language, and a master’s in business, so it just goes to show that this issue doesn’t necessarily limit one’s life achieving potential. 🙂
Also, I highly recommend experimenting with different cooking methods, recipes, etc. for this issue. One of the main reasons I was able to introduce myself to more foods in college was because I worked in the dining hall on campus and learned how to cook every single dish that was served, which gave me the foundation to be able to experiment with cooking for myself as well.
This is such a powerful story for parents to read Michelle! Wow! Seriously you have no idea how many people you will help. This is an incredible perspective and one we don’t get to hear that often. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Wishing you all the best (and great job learning how to eat). I hope now when someone makes a snide comment you can rest assured that you DON’T need to feel awkward because of someone else ignorance.
Hi,
We live in Chile, and there is no information about this. It was nice to read this article and feel that your child is not the only one.
My kid is 2 year old and he Only esta rice, nuggets and pasta. Dessert only yogurt. In the past he eat fruit in puree but not any more. He likes to eat alone so he can pick what to eat.
I am really desperate, every day a put him something new on the plate but he doesn’t want it.
I think is senatorial thing but he doesn’t even try or touch so I am not sure.
What should I do??
Hi Andrea! If you haven’t already click the start here button in the menu bar, you will find A LOT of direction there to get you started. No matter what keep giving him the other foods, eat with him, and keep on a schedule. Don’t allow him to snack in between meals. Also, don’t pressure him to eat, let him play, get messy, explore. He needs to just start learning about the food, looking at it, touching it, smelling it. All of that is progress! Give this a try and look at the links then let me know if you have any more questions!
Thanks a lot Alisha!!!
I will Start with that!
This is a great blog;)
I am getting to my wit’s end with two of my kids and their pickiness when it comes to eating. My son’s are 11 and 8 and they are so picky. I was a picky child and started to outgrow it at about the age my oldest son is now, but he seems to be getting worse. He refuses to try anything new and generally what he eats is crunchy foods and he loves ketchup. My youngest son likes everything plain (like I do) and would love nothing more than to eat candy all day and night long. I don’t even know what to do anymore with either of them. Dinner is so stressful every night because no matter what I make it is a huge dramatic affair. I’ve tried having them try one bite- usually after so many tears mixed with snot it makes it down, just to be thrown up again a few seconds later. I’ve cut out desserts, I have given them the option that they can have a peanut butter sandwich or PB&J instead of main course, but that just backfires because they are fine with eating that every night, but I want them to try new things. Both boys are small in stature (like me), but I’m afraid that the lack of eating is contributing to this as well and damaging their growth. Please help. Thank you.
Hi Tammy, I totally understand where you are, I’ve helped so many parents in similar situations. I don’t know if this is the first post you’ve read on this site, but you are in the right place. I have so many tools and strategies here. First, I want you to go to the menu bar and click on start here. This is going to give you step by step what I truly believe are the best recommendations. Picky eating is often multi-layered and there is a lot that needs to be addressed. Take a look at that and being to slowly implement one strategy at a time. I can’t tell you how much of a difference this will make. AND, I have all the answers there about what strategies to use and which not too like taking dessert away, etc. Let me know if you have questions.
Hi Alisha. I’m glad that I’ve found your blog and I feel it is my last hope to get my son to eat. I only regret that I did not find you earlier. Of course, I have to read through all of your articles. But first of all I have to decide whether my 2 year old son has sensory issues or not. From the list above only two things apply to him: eats ony certain types of textures. Mainly crunchy (e.g. french fries, fish fingers, crackers, puffs, bread with only butter on it or just plain) he eats fruit purees (otherwise he won’t touch any fruit because I think he finds them slimy) and yoghurts and sometimes creamy vegetable soups. But nowadays he freaks out when he sees me with his bowl of food and a spoon in my hand.
The other thing that applies to him is that he dislikes his hands getting messy. But strangely it is only an issue for him when it comes to food. He likes playing with play-doh, sand, shaving foam, etc.
I’ve just read your articles on sensory red flags, and nothing really applies to him besides the two above mentioned things. And he walks on tip-toes sometimes at home. Anyway, he only has problems with eating. And I’m getting really really desperate and frustrated about it.
When I started to give him babyfoods, everything was fine. Ha ate fairly large portions of them and he ate almost everything I offered to him. He was growing well and I was happy until I tried to give him table foods. He was about 10-11 months old and already ate puffs, bread, crackers by himself etc. I decided to introduce table foods. I did not succeed…and I have to say after trying about 10 times, I gave up and continued to give him pureed and half pureed foods with a spoon. At first he gagged from the pureed food with larger chunks in it, and it took a while for him to swallow real food.
About the table food introduction the problem was the following: He touched the table foods I offered him but all ended up on the tray or some of them on the floor. He never put e.g. a cooked carrot cube to his mouth. Not to mention a fruit or a raw vegetable cube. He did not allow us to put anything to his mouth either. Never. The result of this was that he did not tasted the sliced, diced cooked or raw food on his plate. He even found the texture of pasta strange.
And he does not want to eat by his own with a spoon. I know he can because he uses spoon for his yoghurt sometime.
I thought it would be better with time but it only got worse. Oh, one more thing: he does not want to try the food that we eat with my husband and he never did when he was little. I remember one time when he picked a baked chicken slice (cube) with a fork from my husband’s plate….but that was the only occasion and he was already 2 years old then.
So it is really frustrating for me to cook something for us and try to give my son something else to eat because he definitely won’t try the food we eat (eg. pastas, casseroles, meats, nothing). And still doesn’t want to try anything new that is cooked or raw no matter how nicely it is arranged on his plate.
Do you think it is a sensory issue? Or is he just a stubborn 2 year old? I wanted to believe that he would outgrow it sooner or later or it was just a phase for him (because it started about when he turned 1 year old). But now I think that something is seriously wrong with my son’s relationship with food.
Sorry for the grammatical mistakes if there were any. English is not my native language.
Thank you for creating your blog and thank you if you answer my question.
Birdie, your english was great!!! Did you by any chance see the free workshop I did last week- if you can email me I can give you some details about that, I think it would be VERY helpful: alisha@yourkidstable.com
I will say that based on what you shared it sounds like he does have some underlying issues going on, I can’t be sure its all sensory, but is probably in the mix. Addressing the sensory will be helpful from a mouth standpoint so using the vibrating toothbrush, desensitizing the mouth, etc. will likely get you some results with consistency.
I suspect food allergies can also cause pickiness in kids. I had a strong gag reflex as a child and felt sick trying new foods. My favorite childhood memory: one day the woman who babysat me was annoyed that I wasn’t eating anything and tried to force feed me mashed potatoes. I threw up on her. Good times.
Then in my teen years I was diagnosed with a gluten and dairy allergy.
Once I stopped eating gluten and dairy my pickiness and gag reflex dissappeared, and I would eat almost anything I wasn’t allergic to. I’m no expert, but I’ve always wondered if I had that problem because my body was trying to stop me from eating the allergy foods that would make me sick. I could be mistaken, but food allergies are becoming so common these days it’s a good thing for parents to look out for either way.
Absolutely Cora, thank you for sharing, I didn’t highlight that point very much in the medical section!
Thanks for this article! We just realized three weeks ago that our son may have sensory processing disorder. Thankfully, it was right before the monthly screening offered by the school district, so we have done a couple evaluations and get their findings in two weeks. Picky eating has definitely been an issue. He used to eat anything and everything, but now is very picky, mostly just wants crunchy foods, or soupy foods like applesauce, purees, yogurt, etc. He especially struggles with meat.
Since realizing he has sensory issues, and possibly other developmental struggles, I’ve stopped the dinner battle and just started distracting him with games. For every bite, he gets to do the next step in an activity. I use a toddler animal pop up toy, or an interactive book on the ipad, or drawing in squares in a grid on the white board. Sometimes he feeds himself with the games, sometimes he’s too upset and wants me to do it. I’m sure we’ll get more guidance once we have a diagnosis, but I’d love to know if you think this is a healthy technique to use. Thanks!
Hi Diana, I know this can be a really overwhelming time and that picky eating can be a super source of stress in and of itself… I love that you are being proactive and thinking of new ways to help him eat! That’s really wonderful. However, since you’re asking, I don’t like to use rewards for food, although some therapists still do- this is an older school of thought. Its quite possible that your OT or feeding therapist could employ very similar strategies. But, if you’d like to learn more about the child guided approach I’d read this.
If you have any questions after reading that, let me know!!! And, if that sounds like something you would want to implement, you may want to check out my picky eating class, you can do that here.
Thanks! That’s really helpful. I also know that pressuring kids to eat can cause unhealthy views of food as they get older so definitely want to avoid that. We do TONS of cute kid food, which you can see on my site :), and I tend to let him make the decisions of what to eat for breakfast and lunch (do you want boiled eggs or hummus, do you want carrot sticks or snap peas, etc.).
I guess he isn’t really a picky eater by definition. What’s hard is dinner time. I cook all day for my job, and don’t have the time and energy to make separate meals for everyone. We are almost always eating something I cooked for work (food photography), which I know means my kids almost never get repeat meals at dinner.
I guess a better question would be, if he doesn’t want to eat what we are having for dinner, what then? If I tell him he doesn’t have to eat it (after his thank you bite to see if he likes it), he ends up hungry and crying at bedtime or the middle of the night for cheese and milk. Do I just give that to him? Thank you!
Hi Diana! These are great insights and you’re totally right. I actually cover this whole topic in My Best Picky Eating Strategy (make sure you check out part 2, as well! I will say that, I definitely don’t want him getting a separate meal at all, and I think its great he’s getting exposed to so much. But, the rule of thumb that will save your sanity is to always make sure there is something in the meal that he does eat. That can be a side of bread or some other leftover, some fresh fruit, nuts, cheese, etc. Nothing else you have to prepare, and nothing that is special for him. It should be a side served for everyone!
Hope that helps!
P.S. Love your pics and ideas!!! I just pinned a few!
Okay that is SO helpful! Yes I missed part 2. Just read it and I appreciate all your tips and advice. Thank you!
Wanted to follow up and say how helpful this has been. He still doesn’t eat everything, but we make sure there is always something he likes on his plate, and that makes him more likely to eat things he would normally fight us on because he’s just focused on eating as he finishes up his fruit/rice/etc. No more dinner table battles!
Yay!!! So happy to hear that Diana, and thank you for following up! Really wonderful!
This article is extremely helpful. My daughter had acid reflux really bad as a baby which I think played a part in her picky eating. She attended OT but honestly what they were doing at the appointments I could be doing at home instead of missing work, therefore I turned to the internet for help. I am glad I came across this article. At OT they stated she had texture aversion. I must admit a lot of the sensory red flags such as gagging and not wanting her hands to get dirty are the main two issues that she deals with. I am going to establish a routine and try the cooking together, sensory bins and slowly introducing her to new foods. Although she has been dealing with picky eating since she was about 1 1/2 I really hope I haven’t waited too late due to the fact that she is 3 now. Hopefully no longer going to OT wasn’t the worse decision either.
Oh my gosh, its not too late at all! I love your plan and think that you will see some great changes with consistency. Also, if you feel like you need more help at some point I offer an entire course on picky eating strategies, you can find more here: yourkidstable.com/join Don’t hesitate let me know if you have questions about any of that or as you move forward at home!
Hi All my son is 4yrs old .He is a very clever and active kid… he has no medical problems but till date he hates the sight of food… the major problem was bcoz of my mom n me from small we juz gave me liquid n semi soild food and thought him juz to swallow i was hoping as he grows old he wil learn to eat n stop swolling but it juz got worse… till date he does not know how to chew or ate any kind of soild food or snack no biscuits, chocolates, fruits, veggies , rolls , buns,crackers , fries or chips…. nothin at all he juz swolles food aft force feeding each n every time takin a sip of water aft every mouth food…. every meal time is like a war for me im so worried frustrated n helpless in his case …. need help plz share ur ideas n suggestions
Thank you
Hi Preethi, it does sound like that could be sensory in nature. Actually the steps in this post would be perfect for him. I know it sounds strange but playing in those sensory bins and using a vibrating toothbrush can have a big impact. Also, making sure you are following the basics for a routine and structure- see the links in the post:) All of this is so important to set a foundation, so while you might not see changes overnight, know that you are laying a good foundation! Also, did you see the free picky eating workshop I’m doing tonight and tomorrow- I think it would be perfect for you! You can get a seat here.
My 3 year old was a good eater up until she turned 2. Since then (and I feel it might have been triggered by a bad case of stomach bug), she slowly eliminated almost everything out of her diet-one by one. Now she smells everything before she eats it. She displays interest in foods and says that she is hungry, but then no matter what I make, she will refuse to try it. Or even if she ends up trying it, she will eat one spoon full and spit out the rest. She still drinks milk, at least she did until two days ago, and would randomly eat a few things: homemade crapes, fries, chips, yogurt, cookies. She refuses all fruit and veggies. She stopped taking vitamins. So I started adding “Orgain” (organic food/drink supplement) to her milk so she could get at least some vitamins that way. As I mentioned, as of two days ago she gave up milk as well. Her pediatrician recommended feeding clinic, so I set up the appointment, but I am desperate for answers. She likes to help me cook, but she does not want to try what we make. Sometimes when her sister eats something new, she would display interest and even try it, but it’s a one-time deal. The next time I make it, she doesn’t want it. She does not want to even try fish or meat and she used to eat it before she turned 2. I really do not know what’s causing this. She complained of stomach pain a while ago. Her pediatrician out her on MiraLAX for a month. She stopped complaining of pain but still does not want to eat. Any suggestions would help. I am desperate at this point.
Hey Julia, I can totally understand how difficult this all is, its a lot. I’ve worked with kids in similar situations before. I’m not sure there is a lot of sensory stuff going on here, but using the vibrating toothbrush could be really helpful, like I talked about in the post because she may now be very sensitive to different textures. I’d also experiment with the sensory bins- if she doesn’t readily play in a variety of textures that shows you that you need to work on that! Also, I’d suggest getting some basic strategies going to, they may seem small but can have a really big impact. I have a free workshop that I think would be great for you. You can sign up here.
And, I’d also take a look at 5 Reasons Kids Don’t Eat– this in particular will be really helpful in helping you understand what’s going on. I think feeding therapy is a great idea, let me know if you have more questions!
I wonder if my 4yo daughter could be experiencing a sensory issue when eating. She was recently ill which required an overnight stay in hospital which involved the use of NG tubes and an IV drip.
She was discharged having been give the all clear but is now making every excuse under the sun to avoid eating.
Obviously my Wife and I are very concerned at the moment
Hi Dan, that is very possible. Have you seen 5 reasons kids don’t eat? I think that article will be really helpful. It’s very common for kids to have major food aversions after an event like your daughters. A lot of the tips in this article will be really helpful, just take it slow! Let me know if you have more questions.
Hey Alisha, I love your site as a pediatric OT! I always get stumped by those kids that are sensory and will start to touch things but it is then making it that next step to the mouth I have a hard time grading in therapy. Tips? Thanks!
Thank you! Yup get them involved with play, will they hold it in their hand, pretend its crawling up their arm, touch it to their fore-head, their nose, their chin? I like to demonstrate and make this really fun, not like a checklist, but guide them through that list:)
Hi Alisha,
Thanks a lot for such deep information. First time I have come to know about Sensory food aversion. My daughter completely fall into this category. She can eat only crunchy stuff. She can’t eat semisolid stuff. She can’t play messy. and so on.
Could u pls suggest will vibrating tooth brush help here and for this age? And how to use it?
Thanks a ton
Anu.
Hi Anu!
I’m not sure how old your daughter is but its great for all age kids. Just brush her teeth like normal, but also try to get on her gums a bit and definitely the sides and top of her tongue. If she allows you can even do the inside of her cheeks. Glad this was helpful!
Thank you so much for this! We are just starting the process for my 2 year old son (had his first speech pathology apt today and was referred for ot for possible sensory issues). Since 10/11 months he was an easy gagger and frequent vomit-er even with just a liquid diet. This progressed with us noticing he didn’t transition well to baby food or solids. And now still struggles to eat anything. Crunchy preferred (cheese its, pringles, goldfish, I know all bad, but that’s all he’ll eat) , but also some doughy like food like donuts and semi solids like soft chewy protein bars. He loves dairy it seems. Sometimes he will eat string cheese, yogurt but can gag from that also. Yet, if a soft food suddenly has a different texture, here comes the gag and vomit. We are now worried about a speech delay (only says a handful of words) also and believe this is all connected somehow. He’s still on bottle and we are hesitant to take that away because of the little he eats.
Thanks for sharing your story Amanda, I’m so glad you’re in services! Hopefully some of the strategies you read here will be helpful at home!
Dear Alisha,
I am trying to learn everything I can from you website, god bless you and your family for creating such a wonderful resource. My son is 20 months old and I don’t know how to classify him. He looooves milk whether breast milk (before) or cow’s milk (now) and showed little interest in eating. He also got his teeth very late, he got his pre-molar couple of months ago so he couldnt chew much till now. We fed him purees till now while distracting him toys an ipad. Now he is done with purees and wants to eat by himself. The problem is he will eat a little and be done. He wants to try new things, some he likes some he doesnt. but he just eats very little. Milk and yogurt is his primary sustenance. Is he a (extremely) picky eater? I am trying to follow your plan to the tee but i cant figure out if he has sensory issues. He eats anything if he likes the taste and texture but only a little. never gagged.
Oh Rishi, you’re so sweet! Thank you! Have you seen my post, why kids don’t eat? If not, check that out. If so, what stands out to you? It sounds like sensory could at least be a component and its very possible that its the main factor. I know he’s older now but I also want to point you to transitioning to table foods, since he did have a hard time doing that. I’d follow the steps I discuss there, is he able to do those skills (this will make sense when you read that post). Teeth actually have nothing to do with babies/toddlers eating so its likely he was either having sensory difficulties or possibly coordination/muscle related issues with eating. Those are the most common causes. Take a look at those links and let me know if you need more help! Either way, I’d use the vibrating toothbrush a couple of times a day:)
Thanks a lot Alisha, I really appreciate your response and it makes a lot if sense. (In fact now I think even i have sensory issues). We are doing the sensory bin thing albeit by taking him to the beach often, he hates the sensation of coarse sand but eventually gets used to it. I also got a step stool and vibrating brush and will start using that now. Hopefully hat does the trick. We let him eat whatever solid food he likes, however little. Some days are good some are bad but we have to try. I will keep following your website
So many adults have learned to cope with sensory “differences”, as I prefer to call them, and there is definitely a genetic link! I’m glad you have some ideas to start trying!
Alisha – I want to thank you so much for this. I am a minority among the commenters in that my son is 14 YEARS not months old. 🙂 His pickiness has been an issue for so many years. I will go back and read all the links you have under “start here” but I’m guessing there is a huge sensory component to his resistance. He only eats chicken in the form of strip/nugget etc… the breading disguises the texture of the meat! He will also eat bacon, but those are the only two items from the meat group that he can handle. Believe it or not, he’s actually commented that certain foods (even the sight, but especially the taste/texture) make his “arms feel funny.” Sensory for sure??? He LOVES pretty much any carb – bread, rice (even rice a roni!), plain pasta, crackers, etc. Luckily bagels/cream cheese and peanut butter sandwiches are among his likes, otherwise he might’ve starved at school lunch time all these years. He already gets made fun of for not liking pizza, hot dogs, etc…and he really WANTS to like those things and fit in with other kids, but he just can’t seem to do it. I wondered if any other readers of your blog have teenagers who are struggling this way? If so I’d love to connect with any of them. I feel so alone most of the time feeling like my kid is the only one with these struggles. Anyone?
Yes! The arm comment is for sure sensory, wow!
I’m getting more and more comments from other’s with teenagers in the same boat, you’re definitely not alone! Have you considered feeding therapy. I have a post on that here!
Hi Alisha
I just came cross your post. Thank you for all the information. I have a 3yr old who is very very underweight( I am talking about a 3yr still wear 9-12m cloth). I am not sure if he has sensory issue. He dose try everything we offered him, However, he only eats very little. No matter how I try to lure him to eat just couple more bites, we will not eat. The only thing that makes me feel he may have sensory issue is he doesn’t like being messy. Whenever his hand gets teeny tiny bite dirty , he will want to be cleanup. Even if he drop something on the floor, he will want to clean it up. Can please advise what can I do to get him eat more and help him gain weight quicker? Do you think you he may have food sensory issue? Thank you so much
Hmm, actually I wonder if some thing else may be going on! I’d check 5 reasons kids don’t eat and my post on oral motor exercises, as well. Does anything jump out at you here. Also, I’d highly recommend my free workshop, this gives you the tools you need to start addressing feeding issues. You can sign up here.
I love this information about Sensory Processing Disorder, My 4 year old grand son had all to some of these eating problems, we just never knew what it was. My daughter has took him to all the Doctors, and they all say the same he’s fine he’s over weight he’s fine he’ll grow out of it, but never has. Thank you so much for this Information.
Thank you Mary! So glad you found it too!
My son is 5, and we have been busy with o/t therapy and speesh therapy, and he is on medicine for ADHD , but I feel I can do more for him. I do not understand most of the times how to help him and I feel so frustrated as I often do not understand him. I do need help please