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…
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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.
Knowing the red flags (you’ll read about those later), I also knew 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 shudder… 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.
Their brain is processing it all in different ways than yours does. A strong negative sensory reaction can even result in a sensory meltdown.
This of course can start your child down the slippery slope of a limited diet, narrow lists of favorite foods, and specific foods they won’t dare come near during mealtimes.
How your child responds to foods, may at least in part, be simply neurological. While a sensory overload can seem exaggerated, it is a real experience to your child. 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 shudders 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 shudder or gag.
Guess what? His brain just made a new connection, and then I had a starting point to build from! I promise there is hope for your child who only dreams of eating chicken nuggets.
While I’ve mostly been providing examples of 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 under sensitive to sensory input.
Think of sensory processing as a spectrum with being sensitive or defensive to input (food 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.
*Note that sensory processing isn’t just related to food, head over sensory sensitivities in kids to learn more.
Does My Child Have a Sensory Food Aversion, Sensory Feeding Disorder, or Restrictive Food Intake 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.
Kids that fall into one of these groups and are picky eaters, often have sensory based food aversions:
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- 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
It’s also important to note that kids with significant sensory difficulties with food, whether they have one of the above diagnoses or not, could receive a diagnosis of Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD), which applies to kids through age 18.
Let’s talk about how these 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 you’re reading, make a mental checklist of any that you see your child doing regularly:
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- 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. Read more on how to help with Gagging at the Smell of Food.
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- 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)
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- Over stuffs or pockets food excessively and/or frequently. Pocketing food can also be the cause of poor coordination and/or difficulty chewing.
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- Never went through an oral stage as a baby/toddler where they mouthed and chewed on toys and other objects.
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- 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.
Picky eating is a complicated animal that often has many layers to it. Even if sensory processing is the major player, learned behavior, routine, and other hidden reasons could be at play too.
Check out 5 reasons why your child isn’t eating to uncover any other factors that could be contributing to your kids difficulty eating.
How to Get Help for Picky Eaters With Sensory Food Aversions
I want to provide you with 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.
It is important to seek medical advice with your provider before making any changes in your child’s diet or health plan.
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, and can result in feeding therapy.
Whether you seek out further in person help or not, I’d also highly recommend our free workshop: 3 Keys to Turning Around Picky Eating. You’ll learn more about the basics of addressing picky eating and see so much more success with your sensory efforts if you put in.
8 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 and can be foundational as you make a picky eating plan. Come back to these strategies as needed.
1.Play in a variety of sensory bins at least 5-6 times per week. This is often the first thing I suggest to sensory kids and picky eaters because it helps to break down the overall sensitivity at the brain level.
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- 2. Use a vibrating toothbrush two times a day. My kids use these all the time, but for smaller toddler mouths or those that are really sensitive, this brush is a great option.
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- 3.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.
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- 4. 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 a bridge to new foods in a way that is comfortable.
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- 5. 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.
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- 6. 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.
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- 7. 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.
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- 8. Maximize the foods you are serving your kid. Oftent foods that have a uniform shape and even texture are more likely to be eaten. And, it’s very common for kids with oral aversions to have a strong preference for a specific type of texture.Use that to your advantage! For instance, I would serve a small cube of cheese instead of a slice of cheese that I had randomly torn into pieces. Or, if a child preferred crunchy foods I’d serve meats that veggies that had a crunchy texture. Want more specific examples? Head to picky eater friendly foods for inspiration and motivation!
I believe in these strategies, not only because I’m an OT, but also as a mom. I’ve used these food aversion tips with my own son. See the plan I used to help my son, who now eats a wide variety of foods, including salad!
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 our FREE 9 Tips to Improve Your Child’s Eating Printable.
Have a question about your child’s sensory food aversions? Ask below!
More for Kids with a Sensory Food Aversion
The Best Picky Eating Strategy
Are Food Jags Affecting Your Picky Eater? What You Need to Know…
When Has Picky Eating Gone Too Far… Is it Something More?
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Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 14 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Hi my daughter is 6 years old had acid reflux as a baby and was a Preemie, she still to this day won’t try new foods doesn’t eat meat or veggies some fruits. We have tried so many things over the years. We thought with her being in school she would maybe try new foods nope she doesn’t pb&j everyday with chips and a drink. Please help
Hey Sarah,
This is such a common concern that we hear from our families! But, we are happy that you are reaching out and looking for some answers! If you have not taken our free picky eating workshop, I’d highly recommend. This goes over starting a no pressure environment and how to set up mealtimes for your picky eater. It can be so beneficially and helpful for everyone to relax a little at meals. This helps kids explore more on their own. You can learn more and save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi, thank you for this blog and all the links within it. My boy is almost 10 and has SPD with severe oral aversion. I have tried so many strategies to get him to try new foods and textures without much success. As he is approaching pre teen it is getting harder and harder to meet his caloric needs as a super active fidgeting kid. We have introduced a wriggle cushion for school and he always has a pack of gum available. Can you maybe suggest some age appropriate sensory play for us as we head into our colder months of the year? His diet consists of crunchy foods (carbs), sausages, rice with a small amount of chicken stock, milk and cheese. That’s it. I’m getting more and more anxious about his health on this diet and have not had much success in gaining access to an OT in my area. It may be worth mentioning he has quite a severe lisp which sometimes even makes it hard for me to understand him. I have tried to find a speech therapist but as he is not on the spectrum and of school age that has also proven difficult. Otherwise he is a fun, functioning, super intelligent, active kid.
Thanks again
Deanne M
Hey Deanne,
We get how hard it can be! For working on the picky eating, if you haven’t signed up for our Free picky eating video series you can still sign up HERE It’s only available for a limited time. For sensory input if you are looking for movement I’d try sensory activities on a yoga ball. We do have some great suggestion in this article
Best,
Desiree
Hi my daughter Is 21 months was eating well and didn’t show any signs of food aversions until she got very ill and was diagnosed with Celiac disease at 15 months and now she completely refuses all foods we just recently got her to eat yogurt and she has begun to lick foods but won’t actually eat or chew it what are your thoughts about food aversion post a GI disease diagnosis thank you for your input
Hey Melanie,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, food aversion due to underlying medical cause happens. We do work on it the same as a picky eater with how we are presenting foods, etc (as well as continuing to treat the underlying causes and make sure to follow dietary restrictions). We have a free workshop that walks you through some first steps to take to work on increasing the foods. You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi there please help. My son is 6 months old. We have been from paed to pead doctor to doctor , seen a speech therapist and no one has helped . He is on 10mg nexium a day as a doctor said it could be reflux and that is why he refuses to drink. We have been feeding puréed solids for 2 months . He only drinks while sleeping . Refuses to drink while awake . He is on formula and a bottle . Was never tube fed , 3 weeks prem. Never breast fed went straight to bottle , was expressing at first then weaned him into formula . He also never opens his mouth for food. I’m beyond stressed and have actually sort of given up . Please can you give me some advice of some sort . I am at a dead end . He is only 6,7 kg and 6 months old .
Hey Zoe,
So sorry you are dealing with this. I’d check back in with the pediatrician that was suspecting reflux as sometimes it does take awhile for the medicine to take affect as well as they adjust/try different meds if reflux is the issue. I’d also look into a feeding evaluation. I know you said you seen a speech therapist, but I’d really look for someone with experience with feeding (this can be an occupational or speech therapist). You can read our article on Feeding Therapy Here
Best,
Desiree
Hi Zoe, I know this is old. But my baby is having a same problem. She used to take bottle while being drowsy or sleeping and i already solve the problem. However she is not opening her mouth for anything not just food. She never bites toys so i think she has oral aversion. Its been 4 months since first time I introduced solid to her but no success yet. She is now 9 months old. I just want to see if you had any solutions for your baby. Im sending her to daycare to see if she will copy other babies and start eating
Hi Zoe, I know this is old. But my baby is having a same problem. She used to take bottle while being drowsy or sleeping and i already solve the problem. However she is not opening her mouth for anything not just food. She never bites toys so i think she has oral aversion. Its been 4 months since first time I introduced solid to her but no success yet. She is now 9 months old. I just want to see if you had any solutions for your baby. Im sending her to daycare to see if she will copy other babies and start eating
Hi,
My son will be turning 17 months at the end of Dec.
He is growing well from a weight and development perspective. He still drinks breast milk both from a cup/bottle ( in the day)and from the breast when I am home. Does not prefer the cup/bottle.
My concern is that he is still on pureed food. He is happy with the smooth texture the most, eats it well. We have progressed to give him pureed food with pieces ( pasta, some texture) but really still smooth for 10-12 month old babies.
He will not eat anything but the pureed food. If you put any food in front of him he will not touch it, he will not eat any puffs. if he feels any texture/food piece in his mouth he will gag until it comes out and cries.
Lately as I am reading more and more articles, I have tried to put the spoon on one side of his mouth to see if he chews, I have also tried to give him puffs to see if he will try them and the soft rubber training tooth brush in this mouth, he does not participate in any of the above…
I have trie to give him biscuits, cut up fruits, puffs etc, he will not even touch it.
He will touch some of the food in my plate at a push or sometimes even put it in his mouth but rarely.
He eats all his food ( pureed) well, drinks water/juice from a cup/even with a straw but we need I am worried he has a texture aversion as he gags and vomits anything that has a texture in it when fed, is there a way I can help him or do I need to see an OT?
PS: He hates touching grass or having food from his high chair on his hands, he likes to play with the spoon and tries to put his pureed food in his mouth.
Please assist?
Hey!
So happy you reached out! It sounds like you are trying some really great things! I’d keep on trying with having him play in foods. So these can be messy foods like his pureed foods as well as other dry foods (you can do this outside of mealtimes) to try to get him engaged in touching of the foods. We do also have a free workshop that walks you through transitioning from purees to other foods that I think you’d find some great information in. You can save your seat HERE If you are looking to get a feeding evaluation, here is our article of tips for what to be looking for and the different types, you can read all about it HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi, my son just clocked 8months and he isn’t eating, he didn’t take formula also, he wouldn’t even take breast milk if pumped in a bottle, so basically all he takes is breast milk from breast!
He takes like a spoon of purée sometimes, and that’s it, cereal, purée, formula, he just wouldn’t accept it, he grabs cups and spoon and puts it in his mouth, and seem interested when I’m eating but wouldn’t eat when given to him, he drinks water from his sippy cup very well, sometimes without help, but doesn’t take more than one or two spoons of food, sometimes he gags and spits out and cries a lot, is he just spoilt or does he just hate food?
Hey Helen,
We know how frustrating this can be. Sounds like you are doing some great things with providing a sippy cup! I’d work on trying to let him play and explore foods outside of mealtimes with no expectations of eating (this can be very helpful in the first steps to eating. Also, you mentioned that he was gagging sometimes, I’d check out this Article for pinpointing reasons for gagging and things to work on if needed! Hope that helps.
Best,
Desiree
Hi
My son just turned 7months. We started introducing solid food when he was about 5+months. He did open his mouth when the spoon was presented to him at first. However, after 1 month he just stop opening his mouth. We tried many ways to get him to open his mouth. He gags when he tried food with abit more texture. Sometimes the gag was so bad that he vomit the food out. However, he has no problem with water from spoon. It has been a month since he started refusing food. What should we do next?
Hey Ally,
Thanks for reaching out, we understand how hard this transition can be! I’d make sure to let him play with the food with his hands (you can do this outside of mealtimes) but so that he has that opportunity to play and touch and learn about the food, this helps to ease getting to their mouths. We do have a free workshop that would be very helpful with your son providing suggestions on other things to do! You can Save Your Seat Here
Best,
Desiree
Hi my son is 8 months old and he takes a few spoonfuls maybe 10 and then loses interest. He already has bottle aversion due to reflux. I’m so worried.
Hi,
I’d recommend making sure that you give him opportunities to play and touch a variety of textures, you can do this outside of mealtimes to get him used to different feels. Also utilizing a tooth brush and providing variety of objects for him to bite/chew can be really helpful.
Best,
Desiree
hi there,
Thank you so much for your website. Im a first time mom and a nurse practitioner. I have a 2 year old who has some difficulties with eating. He always had trouble swallowing and even eating as a baby. We had to thicken his milk and did all the barium swallow evals and nothing was “physically” wrong. He still struggles to gag with certain foods and if he gags, he immediately pukes. He also has started to spit out his foods. he will chew and spit it out and say he took too big of a bite..event though he didnt. I know I contributed to his unwillingness to eat by trying to coax, bribe, and make him eat. All things that are a “no no” but he is sooo frustrating to eat with. We always eat together and sit at a table. I feel so bad because I think he hates eating meals (he does snacky cracker food just fine). Any tips? THANK YOU
Hi Heather,
So glad that you found us and are reaching out! We understand how hard this can be but glad you have read our sensory article! I’d also suggest watching our free workshop as it will be helpful in learning out to set up mealtimes and how to present new foods. It will also discuss gag reflex! You can Save Your Seat Here
Best,
Desiree
Is it too late for my 9 yr old son? He never went through the oral stage, first ate table food at 19 months, had speech delay and had some sensory issues with sound but outgrew that but we are still struggle with food. For him it is smell related. He did OT for while but we did not see any difference so stopped it as it becomes costly. Since he skipped on the oral stage as a baby he seems to be doing now, he will chew on pencil led, crayons, we go through so many toothbrushes because he chews on them and dislikes the electric one. Even things he will taste and like, he will not eat again. Its extremely difficult for school because there is no cafeteria and we have to send food from him but he doesn’t want to take it 🙁 just want to know if these tips will work for him since he is older.
Hey Shevona,
IT is NOT too late! These strategies are still appropriate for him. I’d work on adding some smells into the sensory bins and cooking it will be in there naturally if smell is a lot of it! We do have a free workshop for picky eating too that may help with some suggestions. You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
My daughter is almost 14 months old. She has always loved her pureed food but we have not been able to transition her to table food. She only likes crunchy things aside from baby food. She will eat puffs, teething wafers, chips, veggie straws, etc. But will not let anything else even go into her mouth. We are still giving her purees to be sure she is getting the nutrients she needs especially since she will still eat them. We have been able to get her to eat some other things like rice or black beans and guacamole at the Mexican restaurant but only on a spoon we feed to her. She will not pick those things up and put them into her mouth. She will pick up and eat crunchy things. I have read through a lot of your blogs but what do i do when she refuses to put things in her mouth? Also, she will touch some things but do you think its a texture issue from her hands versus her mouth since she wont even let it go into her mouth?
Hey Rachel! So happy you have been following us! Sorry you are having this trouble transitioning. It could be a texture issue (touching with their hands is the first step to them eating it). It does sound like she is on the right path for the next step of foods typically we recommend purees and then puffs (crunchy meltables) and move from there. You can learn about what to try next in our Free Workshop Until then, I’d try some play with foods/textures outside of mealtimes to see how she responds.
Best – Desiree Your Kids Table Team Member
Hello. We have a 1.5 year old that caught swi e flu at 6 mo ths of age. It penetrated her blood brain barrier and damaged her mitochondria and nervous system. We have been worki g with nu erous doctors and therapists to help her fight these dysfunctions. After the ill ess…her ability to sit and play and grab and hold her own bottle and eat was compromised. Re-learning has been tough. My question is….how can we get her to drink water. Her sensory issues are high since the illness and the only liquid she will take is breastmilk from the breast. Not even from a bottle. Weve tried spoo s, sippy cups and even medicine syringe to get her to drink the water. She just lets it fall out of her mouth and if she does happen to swallow…she throws a crying fit. Shes had major gagging issues at the beginning of her setback, but now will eat cooked food, but it all has to be mashed up and soft. Can you please give me any advice on how to help her drink water? We have a new OT starting 3 weeks from now. Weve even thought of hypnosis. Its a sensory thing for her. Were lost on how to help fix this. GOD Bless you and thank you
Hello, I am so sorry you are going through this, as I understand how hard this seems! It sounds like you are trying things I’d suggest such as syringe, bottle. I’d try putting breast milk in those different containers/syringe since it is the same liquid she is used to drinking. Once successful from there, then switching the liquid to work on water may help. I’m glad to hear that you are receiving an OT, they should be able to recommend items that are more specific to your case after seeing your daughter!
Best,
Desiree
My son is 5years of age. He will be 6 in January. his eating is slim. He has told me straight up that he only likes breakfast food and snacks. He don’t like dinner. He will help me make dinner but won’t eat it. He eats cereal and almond milk. He eats peanut butter. He will eat bread. He will eat pancakes with or without syrup. same goes for waffles. He eats bacon but must be crispy. How can I get him to eat different foods. Veggies he not even having that. Fruit he may eat a banana, no brown spots, maybe a apple and maybe a orange. What trips me out is that when he was a baby and started eating table food he would knock our plate over trying to eat my food, but the last couple of years it has declined. I want to say the last 2 years. I’ve spoke to his Pedestrian about it and she say its a faze. He is hitting his weight milestones. I just don’t know what else to think. His eating with his dad is a similar as when he is with me. So we will try to put our heads together to come up with something. I know for a fact that its has something to do with Sensory. When his chicken strips are fried they need to be fried hard and look more orange than pale looking SMH. PLEASE SUGGESTONS
Hey Brittne,
We know how hard this can be, and while sometimes it is a phase, it can snowball into further picky eating! I’d suggest signing up for our free workshop video series starting 9/17/19, this will provide you with suggestions for setting up a successful mealtime. In the meantime, I’d make sure there are no snacks between meals and that milk is only offered during meals to make sure that he is hungry! Save your Seat for Workshop here
Best,
Desiree
I’m at a loss. My 8 yr old son hardly eats anything. He refuses to try anything new. I have noticed he makes frequent comments about smells when I’m cooking. I have tried giving him “new items” along with his usual. I have asked him to help me in the kitchen. I have tried to talk to him. My husband tends to be a little harsh with him by intimidating him to eat or making him feel bad for “what he’s missing out on” by not trying. Our son has been seeing a counselor for about 8 mths for anger control which has helped tremendously but the counselor has had no luck with his eating habits. He is a good weight, wears husky jeans, he does eat but keeps getting in to the usual foods. I even tried NOT buying certain foods anymore so he might try something new. He’s tall for his age. Most people think he’s about 10 yrs old. He has made comments that he’s scared of foods poisoning him or choking him. He has never had “gagging” episodes. When he was little he would eat anything you’d put in front of him. Lemons, olives, veggies, fruit but then when he was three he just stopped eating like that. He will eat fish sticks, honey mustard potato chips, choco-chip pancakes, applesauce, pop tarts, donuts, french fries, and sweet things like cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies. Yes I know it seems like I only feed him junk but I do have my times where I just allow it so that he has something in his stomach. I’ve had people tell me to just starve him. Don’t have any of those foods in the house. But it doesn’t control what he eats at school. He trades with other kids at lunchtime. Teachers give out sweets for rewards. I wonder if he has a sensory issue. I don’t know what else to do. I just want him to try new foods. I would love more than anything to solve this myself without the help of a food specialist. But I also know my son better than anyone. He does things in his own time and doesn’t like to be “pushed”. My husband seems to think since he’s the adult, the dad, that he can push him as much as he wants. I disagree. Be stern, yes. Be a bully, absolutely not!
Hi Betty,
Glad you reached out to us!! If you are looking for a professional, I’d recommend looking into Feeding Therapy. Our approach is to take pressure off of mealtimes to have the children gain a more positive experience with the food. You can learn more and Save Your Seat for our free workshop to learn more and be provided with more suggestions! Hope these help!! Keep us posted!
Best,
Desiree
It’s genuinely very difficult in this busy life to listen news on TV, so I just use world wide web for that reason, and obtain the newest information.
Hi Alisha
This is a great article. I feel like everything is written looking at my child or for him. He will be turning 6 next month. Started having food aversion before he was 3. Still gets gagging spitting or throwing up when he is even sick with a mild cold symptoms. Gets anxious when eating in a group with our family and friends and his friends. He is very little weighs less than 16kg and easily loses weight even with mild sickness and has not much reserve in his body. He is on a supplement which he takes a long time to drinke. He rarely finishes his school lunch but we are lucky to get a teacher who tries to get him to drink his pediasure at least. May be we should organise an occupational therapist appointment next. Very confused parent.
Thanks
I’m glad you found this article helpful 🙂 I am glad that you are in tune with what your child is doing, that is great! I’m sure it can be difficult for meal times. You can always reach out to receive and OT evaluation, as they can provide specific input for your child. We also have a free workshop that can help with some tips to assist with mealtimes!
You can save your spot here: yourkidstable.com/free
Hi Alisha,
I found your article after desperate Googling. I don’t know what to do. My son is nearly 5 and had a stroke as baby. He has a mild left hemiplegia and although he’s doing well in most areas, his oral motor skills are severely affected. His speech is unclear, is still very dribble and his feeding is affected. His swallow is fine but I think he is hyposensitive in his mouth. He eats a great variety of foods, doesn’t show any sensory aversion but it’s like he can’t be bothered to eat and will just sit at the table, muck about and not feed himself. He will eat of someone spoon feeds him. He is really small and skinny when genetically he should be the opposite and fell down the weight and height charts after his stroke. He has Pediasure drinks prescribed and holds steady along the 25th centile now, but he should be 95th-99th and doesn’t make the gain back. He is very active and burns more energy due to his hemiplegia so I do get stressed that he won’t get enough if I don’t help him. He is also type 1 diabetic which is a nightmare in itself and a problem if he won’t eat. I don’t know what to do. Meal times take forever and feel so stressful. I know I shouldn’t react as I do but I feel so unbelievably stressed. I don’t know what I can do to make him more interested in eating.
Hi Helen,
I can understand how it can be frustrating as you really want your child to eat. But, you are doing great!! You are looking for resources and ways to help you child!! Take a look at this article for oral motor exercises I think these will be helpful for your son. Also, if you haven’t already I’d try to get scheduled with an OT or SP therapist for them to provide more input as what might be helpful in his oral motor skills to get him eating! Keep us posted!
Best,
Desiree
Hi Alisha, I wish I had your article 13 years ago. My 16 year old has fruit and veggie aversions. She doesn’t want to see them, doesn’t want to see you eating them, doesn’t touch anything that’s touched fruit especially. Veggies are more tolerable. She’s developing rituals to avoid things that have touched fruit. Example, I can’t put my cell on her bed because it’s been on the kitchen counter.
She’s ready to deal with it as she’s realizing that it’s starting to get in the way of her doing things in life, but I’m having difficulty figuring out which type of therapist she needs.
She has unrelated anxiety (started over math) and depression that shows up with menstrual cycle.
These symptoms could be intertwined or totally unrelated.
We’re in NY. We’re looking for a good therapist or two that has been helpful in these areas. Our pediatrician wasn’t able to suggest anything except for saying “there’s no one that deals with that for her age”.
Oh I can imagine how hard that is after all these years of managing it. It’s so good that you’re not giving up though! There are therapists that work with teens, I’d do a google search and start calling around. In NY, I’m sure you can find somebody! Wishing you lots of luck!
I have a 19 month old daughter with severe receptive and expressive speech delay that is at high risk for ASD. She had swallowing/choking issues as an infant and had laryngeal penetration during swallowing study. She has never, since birth; put anything in her mouth. No teethers etc. Her first reaction to every bite of food is to aggressively swat it away. Once I can get the food in her mouth she will usually eat it. She will eat well if distracted by a toy, coloring or cartoon (she just opens her mouth automatically and absent mindlessly). It takes an hour or more to feed her every meal. She has never taken a bite off of something (cookie, cracker etc.) and she has never licked anything. She doesn’t lick food off her face/lips. She does use a sippy but refuses to put a straw of any kind in her mouth. She refused a tooth brush so we currently use a wet rag with toothpaste on it which is still a fight. She is in speech and feeding therapy but her speech therapist doesn’t seem to want to help with feeding. She believes that she is not using her tongue laterally etc but also believes it is sensory. We are being evaluated for early intervention which will get an OT involved. I’m just looking for any kinds of tips on how to get into her mouth. I can’t use tools to move her tongue etc. because she will not allow it. We currently have toothbrushes all over the house for her to play with etc. to get used to. Are there any things/games I can do to help her get used to having things in her mouth? Thanks in advance.
Hi Brandi, that sounds tough! I’m a SP in Australia. No particular expert in feeding, but this sounds like a good area to patiently persist with. It would be important to keep experiences positive/ pressure free, which can be challenging if you are concerned. Remind yourself she will get there in her own time. What are her favourite flavours- get ready to get messy and explorative. I’m talking in a nappy in the highchair- pour tinned spaghetti on the high chair table and play with it- mush it, pour it drop it, slurp it etc… have fun exploring it. Try cream, ice cream, mash potato. Make funny games sucking fingers with silly noises- see how it’s not about eating at all at this stage? Cut back on milk if that is filling her up at the moment. Also try bland foods- have little pieces of pasta, strips of bread etc. Present them first multiple times a day. Also dissolveable foods can work for first bites- like cruskits or cherries. Finally, find a good OT or SP who will workshop ideas further. Hang in there!
Sorry- typing error. Not cherries! Cherios!
Thank you so much for all the ideas! We had just started kind of playing with food but not to this extent so I will implement that right away!
Hi Brandi,
Thank you so much for reaching out. We understand where you are coming from as there are many pieces to the puzzle with feeding. I am glad that you are getting an OT involved as they will be able to help with specific strategies focused to help your child. It does sound like you are trying some good things with leaving tooth brushes around the house, etc. My suggestion would be using play more with all different types of food outside of mealtimes for your daughter to experience, touch, smell, etc. As she gets comfortable with touching on hands, you would start to try to engage her moving up her body (like her arm, shoulder then getting close to her face as she models from your play). This will help get items closer to her mouth at a comfortable pace. You can also use one of her favorite toys and try to do some play on her face to see if she will tolerate, if not back off and slowly work your way up.
We do have a free workshop that provides tips for mealtimes that I think would be helpful for ideas on when and how to set up your mealtimes.
Save your seat here yourkidstable.com/free
Thank for all the help!!!
Hello. I am the parent of a 15 year old daughter whom I have long suspected had food texture and smell sensitivity. It appeared very early when we started baby food. She would gag until she threw up anything she didn’t like the feel, taste or smell of. At that time there were very few resources available in our area. She developed normally in all other ways hitting all the milestones early or in the normal range. She is extremely intelligent placing high honors in all advanced classes. She eats about 15 food items regularly and will try most beverages but new foods and vegetables in particular are a real struggle for her. Is there anything I can do to help her expand her diet? I feel like I somehow failed her by not getting the help earlier. I thought she would outgrow it and it has gotten better but I still worry about her diet.
You know I’d ask her what would help. I’d get her involved in menu planning, scroll Pinterest together, what looks enticing? Then have her make some meals, but try to base them around some of the foods she eats. Try to keep it light. There’s also a great book to help teens and adults with picky eating: Conquer Picky Eating for Teens and Adults
Hi , my son has women texture aversions and the doctor recommended speech therapy for him. However we noticed that he was getting better as we kept offering him more foods. So we opted out of the therapy .
Recently for the past month or so he has this new habit where he gags and pukes when he sees others eat . It could be seeing food that he doesn’t normally eat in someone else’s plate or accidentally seeing some one chew . Today he vomitted when he accidentally saw some sauce drip on the side of my hubby’s mouth.
I am trying to understand if this is just a phase or if I should not have missed therapy in the first place .
Appreciate if you can respond and help out .
Hi Susan,
I know this can all be very difficult to figure out. I would recommend going back to therapy. Although it may pass, this is a pretty big indicator for sensory needs with food. Wishing you the best.
Thank you for your article. I’m a 43 year old with autism and oral sensory issues. Problem is I wasn’t diagnosed until I was forty. My parents divorced when I was 3 I lived with my mom until I was eight and I was extremely underweight eating only limited foods then I went to live with my dad and he felt my eating issues was behavior related and made me clean my plate or else I can have it cold for the next meal. I was forced to learn how to eat almost anything put in front of me by adding enough Toppings. This may sound like a good thing but now at 43 I weigh just over 300 lbs and cannot diet. I only eat gooey/creamy foods. Sour cream, cheese, ranch, cottage cheese, mayo, cream cheese, etc is applied to all foods in order to make them edible and they are applied heavily this adds a lot of calories to my diet. Even with these toppings I stick to a small variety of foods on a regular basis not liking alot of “normal” foods like chewy/gummy foods. I almost never eat unprocessed meat,and and never eat gummy candy or beef jerky for any reason. I also have lots of other food “rules” such as meat can’t be sweet ( like hunny roasted ham, or a fruit glaze on meat) the two together is gross ! Do to these “sensitivities” I eat a qground beef based(whole meat is too gummy) diet speghetti with ranch, ground beef and bean burritos lots of cheese and sour cream, loaded potatoes ( topped with ground beef or bacon, cheese and sour cream ), brocolli cheese soup ect. Any attempt to diet the food rotts untouched in the ice box and I go hungry as I can’t get myself to eat it. I have looked into dieticians but can’t find one that will take my insurance to work with me on these issues and occupational therapy for this type of thing isn’t covered in adults from what I’ve been told. So I’m needing to “treat” myself and find articals like yours very helpful.
Wow, thanks for sharing, it’s so helpful to hear the perspective of an adult. I’m glad the post is helping and you can definitely apply some of these strategies!
Hello:
I am a Registered Dietitian. Please call the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at 1-800-877-1600 and ask them for a list of Dietitians in your area. I work in the field of community dietetics, but it would be best to see a Registered Dietitian who is a specialist. Thank you. Pam