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.
I am a first time mom from the Philippines and I am terrified my 16 months baby won’t eat food with textures. She will just eat puree or cerelac but gag everytime I introduce another food especially crunchy foods please help me what will I do I am concerned she might nor get the nutrition she needs at this age thanks a lot
Hi Kim! Thanks for reaching out! Because of her age, we always recommend consulting with your pediatrician to make sure there are no underlying issues or weight concerns. In addition, it sounds like she has some oral aversions related to sensory sensitivities. Utilizing some oral motor exercises may help! Try using a toothbrush to brush the sides of her mouth, or use sensory bins to help get her more comfortable touching different textures. We have an entire blog with different types of exercises you can check out, here!
Best,
Kalyn
My son also gags/ vomits when someone chews and open their mouth, or if he sees someone chokes.
Hi Neshar! We have a blog post that can help with this! Check it out here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello. I have a 7 year old that won’t eat anything but chicken nuggets and pasta, nothing else, he won’t even try hamburgers or pizza! I am at the point of giving up now. I have tried what you mentioned but he’s terrified if trying new things.
Please help
Hi Carolina! Thanks for reaching out! This is such a common issue— you are not alone! We have a blog post dedicated to this. Check it out here and let us know if you have any questions!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello,
I have a big concern with my 3 yr old. And I’m not even sure if any of these issues fit the category.
My son has some mild sensory issues, been in OT for a year. His feeding issues is not so much picky eating, but it is almost behavioral. He won’t feed himself. Never has, never will. The only foods he eats himself are any fruits (any texture), all snacks, fries, crossaint, peppers, tomatoes, beets and avocadoes. He will NEVER use a utensil to feed himself unless it’s apple sauce. Nor does he like finger foods much. It’s as if he has no motivation to eat. But if he’s distracted and I feed him myself, he will eat for the most part anything. No therapist has been able to help us on this. It’s been purely frustrating.
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! So sorry to hear about his feeding troubles. Have you tried sensory bins? Also, maybe try some outside of mealtime play, where you have him play feed a toy; this may inspire him to want to feed himself when it’s mealtime.
Best,
Kalyn
These are great strategies for young kiddos! I’m wondering if there are more targeted tips for older kids (10-12)? The family I’m working with is very distressed about how little their daughter is eating, but the play-based strategies are inappropriate for her at this age.
Hey Erin,
We have an article for teenage picky eating, you can check out. There is a book at the end we recommend as well!
Best,
Desiree
Your Kids Table Team Member
Hi I don’t know if it’s appropriate to leave a question here or if you’ll answer it, but here goes . My son is 2 anything that he feels isn’t crunchy he will not eat . It won’t even get to his mouth he’s at risk of being under weight because of his very poor diet but I cannot get him to eat anything that isn’t fried can I ask any strategies to overcome this ? Thank you
Hi Alexis! Thanks for reaching out! Sensory related picky eating can be so stressful. Definitely try the strategies listed above to help- sensory bins, vibrating toothbrush, build off textures, interact with food, cook together. For more in-depth tips, check out our free picky eating workshop. Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi
I have a 11 months baby who is still not having solids. Only foods he eats are baby cereal, bread, banana (from the peel, not chopped or mashed), pancakes, grapes, and munches on apple, pear. He also eats pizza, which is strange. We have consulted a paed and a nutritionist who say to cut out night milk feeds completely but that hasn’t solved the problem. Can tou help please, I do ‘t know what wlae to do. He doesn’t eat any fish or meat and I’m worried with iron and omega 3 levels. He also refuses all vitamins thank you
Hi Ana! Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like he’s doing pretty good with some foods and textures! Keep practicing and offering different foods/flavors/textures without any pressure. Allow him to touch/feel/play with his food so that he becomes more comfortable with it. You can always discuss feeding therapy with your pediatrician. In the meantime, we do have a free table foods workshop that can offer additional tips and information- save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
My babe is exactly the same. How are things going for you ?
Hi!! I so appreciate reading your content. Our son is 6 months old. He was showing all signs of being ready for solids (including taking great interest in our food) so we started him on oatmeal with breast milk two weeks ago. He was so excited to eat off the spoon! Did that for a week & it went well. Then I tried some purées & mashes – sweet potato, avocado & apple. He gagged on everything. Lots of gagging. Then I let him hold a piece of watermelon & he gagged even holding it. I went back to oatmeal – more gagging but then ate a little. He crews on all his toys and is fine with a bottle. I got nervous cause he even gagged on his breast milk popsicle he usually loves which he’s never done before (although he eventually ate it) but I’m nervous he’s developing a negative association to food. I’m not sure if I should go back to oatmeal for a while? Or just take a break for a few weeks and try again? Thank you for any thoughts!!!
Hi Gina! Thanks for reaching out! Keep practicing with those toys and allow him to mouth those! Keep offering the oatmeal, since he originally did well with that! Don’t force or pressure, and if he gags, try to act casual- babies can pick up on any tense reactions and then associate feeding with that negative energy. Overall though, gagging is very normal, as babies have a strong/sensitive gag reflex to help them learn to properly chew/swallow and prevent choking! Working those oral muscles and continuing to practice helps to desensitize that gag reflex. We have the perfect blog for everything you described (offering more tips/info!); read more here!
Best,
Kalyn
I wish I had found this website when our daughter was 2.5 years-old. She is now 10.5. Our daughter’s transition from breastmilk into regular food went really well. We had an organic garden, and I would freshly puree all kinds of vegetables for her meals. She loved it all. Purees, fruit smoothies, baby biscuits, small crunchy crackers, blended soups, and small bites of any item or texture. Then, at around 2.5 years old, everything changed. She suddenly rejected ALL fruits and vegetables. We then realized it had to do with textures. Whereas before she had no issue with blended fruits and vegetables, all of a sudden, that texture in her mouth caused her to gag and vomit. All kinds of other foods were labeled as “slimy” in her mouth and she rejected them. We tried rewards, we tried having her favorable foods along with re-introducing ones she had rejected, we made it light hearted, etc. None of this changed her behavior though. We tried to address the issue w/ her pediatrician, who semi dismissed us. We kept at it, and eventually he referred us to a food therapist or OT. Unfortunately, in our area, these specialists were full working with kids with food disorders that jeopardized their health and life–Because our daughter would eat other foods, just not any healthy ones, we were not prioritized and placed on a long list. As parents, we kept trying to reintroduce fruits, vegetables, soups, yoghurts, and all foods our daughter found “slimy”, but it proved frustrating and not very effective. We knew it was important to address this issue as early on as possible for fear our daughter would cement her eating habits, but unfortunately it seems like that’s what’s happened. She is now 10.5 and will not eat any pieces of fruits or vegetables. This is unbelievably limiting. It also is isolating her socially as she’s at the age where they have sleep-overs, etc. and she is embarrassed by her eating habits. She states it still has to do with the slimy texture of these items in her mouth–they make her gag. I will note our daughter also had sensitivity on her feet and used to refuse all socks for years until I found ones without the seam on the toes. She also refused all pants for a long time and will now wear them, though not that often. She has such sensitivity on her legs she thinks even the plushest of sweats are “too scratchy”. We beliee our daughter may also have an executive function disorder and possibly a learning disability. We believe this because she tested as a junior in high school for her reading level and comprehension when she was in 2nd grade. Despite this, our daughter has had difficulty learning to write, and cannot spell. It’s not dyslexia, because she reads voraciously and she reads many many levels above her grade. The disconnect between her reading and ability to spell is super frustrating, as well. The school psychologist said it’s common for gifted kids to be more sensitive and have sensory issues? Anyways, wanted to provide a full picture unless these school challenges are somehow related to her sensory challenges and issues with food sliminess and gagging. Thank you for any insight you can provide, and for pointing me toward any learning opportunities.
Thanks so much for sharing with us and reaching out, we truly know how hard it is! However, it’s definitely not to late to work on the feeding and for sure sounds like she has other sensory difficulties going on in addition to the feeding. We do recommend a no pressure environment as well as working on the underlying cause of the picky eating! Our free workshop does walk you through that to get started in the right direction! You can save your seat here!
Best,
Desiree
Hi there, My 6.5m old son has some sensitivity to food textures despite showing all other signs of readiness. He often will touch food but won’t taste it (all toys, rusks and anything else goes straight in his mouth but he isnt a fan of wet/soft/slimey). We have been trying for about 3 weeks now. Question is – should I keep giving him the same say 10 foods on different occasions for repeated exposure? Or give him more and more different foods? We currently do a mix of finger food and purees. Thank you!
Hi Nicole! Thanks for reaching out! We understand how you feel and it’s hard to not feel worried sometimes, but he is still young, so you have some time to work it out! I’d first start by getting him engaged in play with the food, touching is the first step to eating. So getting his hands in the puree can be really helpful. Also providing a spoon for him to hold while you are utilizing another spoon to help feed, can be great. I would keep trying, but also making sure he has opportunity to touch and play with the textures as well, this can help with them eating it! We do have a free workshop that walks you through some tips as well. You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Kalyn
Hello there,
My son is 5 years old and will only eat “blue” cookies from Walmart, mint Oreos, chips and protein shakes. He gets extremely upset if you try and offer him anything else. We finally started to get him to start taking chewy vitamins but I am afraid he is still not getting all the nutrients he needs. The doctors say he is not bellow weight for his height and as long as he’s drinking the protein shakes he should grow out of it. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
John
Hi John! Thanks for reaching out! Sorry to hear that your kiddo is a picky eater, but that’s great news that he’s at a healthy weight/height! While doctors like to say they’ll grow out of it, we always encourage being proactive with tackling picky eating, since sometimes it can get worse. Keep serving food variety, pairing meals with at least 1-2 of his preferred foods, and utilize a no-pressure environment. We have a free picky eating workshop that goes over many more tips! Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi my son is 8 years old and won’t eat anything new his diet consist of pizza, chicken nuggets, fries, white rice, chips and noodles. He will eat pizza but won’t eat bread or cheese if not in pizza form. He will eat chicken nuggets but won’t eat regular chicken. He would rather go to bed starving than to eat anything new I’ve tried so many tactics. I’ve tried a reward system I also tried having him help me cook In the kitchen. He drinks an ensure in the mornings and he takes vitamins but I’m worried that he’s not getting the proper nutrients his body needs. I will take any advice !!
Hi Isaac! Thanks for reaching out! We understand how stressful picky eating can be, but you are not alone! First, here’s a post about picky eating for older kids that may be helpful. Next, we always recommend promoting a no-pressure environment with mealtime. So continue to serve a variety of foods, but don’t force or pressure. Allow him to choose how much he eats. Keep cooking together- that’s great! Frequent exposure to different foods is very helpful. Try including 1-2 of his preferred foods with each meal, so that he feels more comfortable. Lastly, we have a free picky eating workshop with tons more tips! Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
I have a client who has a set of 3 year old twins. The twins will only eat applesauce, crackers and milk. This has become a struggle at daycare and home. What are some things that the parents can try to assist the twins in this area.
Hi Lisa! Definitely recommend sensory bins, food play, vibrating toothbrush, cooking together, building off food preferences, and as always, utilizing a no-pressure environment! Depending how much milk they’re drinking, they made need to gradually decrease their milk intake, to allow for more room in their tummies to want/eat more foods. Our free picky eating workshop is a great place to get started with more ideas!
Best,
Kalyn
I’m sorry, I did not read this entire thing, but the part about “no diagnosis for sensory eating disorder, got my attention and I see absolutely no mention of ARFID. ARFID is very much a sensory eating disorder. Sometimes it is caused by other issues but for many it is sensory based. I’m just shocked in 2022 that I didn’t see this mentioned anywhere in your article. Please research Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder as this will help you help others I’m sure. If you mentioned it and I missed it, I apologize. I just skimmed it looking for the term but didn’t see it. Thank you for reading this.
Disclaimer: I have ARFID myself.
Hi Meagan! Sorry about the delayed response- thank you for reaching out and sharing your feedback! We definitely agree- ARFID is in fact an eating disorder! We do have a post that talks about this, as well as PFD, in detail here.
Best,
Kalyn
Hi. My daughter is 4.5yrs old. She won’t try any new foods and basically lives off fruit, salad, pasta and noodles. She is often sick with any strong smells. In fact today we went to a party and when we walked in, the fat smell from the fried chips made her throw up. It’s not just food smells though, it’s any strong unpleasant smell… Fish, chlorine, dustbin lorries etc. She also suffers from nerves so I find it hard sometimes to understand whether she’s being sick because of smells or because she’s nervous. I don’t know how to help her and it makes me nervous that she’s going to be sick everywhere.
Hi Sharon! Thanks for reaching out! That sounds stressful, for both you and your daughter! Having a sensitivity to smells could also be a clue that there are some other sensory red flags in play. When one of our senses is hypersensitive, it can throw the others off too. We have a free sensory challenge coming up that you may benefit from! It will help identify the root cause of these sensory issues. Join the waitlist here! In the meantime, be patient, supportive, and try not to react when she has these episodes. If possible, remove the source of the smell further away from her (within reason) and open a window. Give a warning, letting her know that a strong smell may be present. Have her use a towel, handkerchief, or her shirt to cover her nose. Put essential oils on her wrist or give her something else to smell- this can help with desensitizing her smell sensitivities. More here. Hope that helps!
Best,
Kalyn
hi im having trouble with my 11 year old son to try any kind of food, right now he only eats chips(lays) baby goldfish(cant be the big ones) oreos has to be double stuffed, and cocoa puffs and fries from mcdonalds, has to be mcdonalds fries,and chocolate milk i give him the breakfast essentials which has vitimans and protein we had him try some soup (broth) and had to feed it to him with a medicine dropper, and had to be in the bathroom incase he puked it up, what can i do ?? im afraid he is going to get really sick and they will have to put in a feeding tube.
Hi Jennie! Thanks for reaching out! We are so sorry to hear about your son’s eating challenges. Hang in there- you are not alone! Try to promote a no-pressure environment with mealtimes. This means that he gets to choose how much of his food he eats- even if he doesn’t eat any of it. The less pressure you put, the more comfortable he will feel with different foods. We have a post with more tips, which you can read here!
Best,
Kalyn
Jennie, I wish we could get in touch! I have an 11-year-old daughter who is exactly the same! She will only eat fries from Jack in the Box with a chocolate shake, Oreos (!), either Lays chips or Lays Stax chips!!! It’s been like that for awhile now. She used to drink only water but decided no more water and now drinks fruit smoothies, which is great but she won’t eat anything with protein in it. She used to drink juice, milk, and eat such good, organic foods. When she turned 6 years old, it all stopped. She was diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome, but with medication it (CVS) went away. We don’t know what to do. I too fear a feeding tube. I have had to beg her to drink and eat for fear she would end up in the hospital. I’m so stressed and upset; her OCD has gotten so badly. She was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum because of all of this but no one can seem to help her! She will take gummy vitamins but gets hardly any nutrition. Do people judge you for giving him the chips and Oreos? They judge me, but I’m afraid for her to not eat at all. If she can’t eat what she likes she won’t eat at all! Believe me, I have tried! I’m really learning a lot from these articles, and I have no doubt a processing issue is at fault. What do I do though?! The doctors here in Bakersfield CA don’t seem to know what to do. Health care here is not great. Please, if anyone reads this, and wants to get in touch, I am on Facebook!!!! Thanks, Lesa Kay
Hi my son is 5 years old & he is still on purees. He used to vomit many times a day till 2 years finally after begging doctors sent him for allergy tests & he was allergic to multiple things. His vomiting isn’t that frequent now but still he cannot tolerate even a little bit of texture. Even on some pureed foods he will gag & vomit. I’m totally helpless. Don’t know what to do to help him. He vomits very badly & cries alot at that time. No1 understands what the actual problem is. Please help me with this. I’m in total loss. Every1 thinks I’m doing something wrong & now I also blame myself that I’m not a good mother I cannot do anything for my son. Please please help me.
Hi Soni! First of all, I’m so sorry to hear about the challenges you’re facing with your son’s eating. We understand and you are not alone! Second of all, please know that you are not doing anything wrong. You are a good mother and should not blame yourself! Because of his age and his history of food allergies and vomiting, we would recommend asking his pediatrician for a referral to an Occupational Therapist or Speech Language Pathologist, who could help him with feeding therapy. You can read all about feeding therapy here! In the meantime, you can also help him by practicing some oral motor exercises, like using a toothbrush to brush the inside of his mouth. This will help to desensitize his gag reflux and strengthen the muscles inside of his mouth- which are used for chewing and swallowing. There are more tips to conquer oral aversions here in this post! Be patient, promote a no-pressure environment at mealtime, and take it one day at a time!
Best,
Kalyn
Soni, did they say anything about Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome? It sounds like he might have it? Every time my daughter had an episode, she would be in the hospital once a month for 3 to 4 days at a time. It was so painful to watch her vomit so violently. I started to worry that they would think she had Munchausen by proxy, because when she arrived at the hospital and was admitted her vomiting would always get better immediately with IV hydration! The docs think she might not want to eat because she’s afraid she will throw up. I don’t think that’s it. Feel free to contact me too!
I have a 9 month old who absolutely will not eat anything other than breastmilk. I believe some of it is sensory (she really hates purées) but for the most part, we can’t even get food anywhere near her mouth. She purses her lips, turns her head, and refuses everything. We went to a feeding therapist (SLP) who found she has a lip and potentially tongue tie that could be contributing. We are going to get those revised, but how can we help overcome the extreme reactions and refusal of any sort of food? I am getting concerned (and tired of pumping 😩) and hoping to get her eating some foods within the next few months.
Hey Kayleigh,
Thanks so much for reaching out to us, we know how hard it can be to make the transition to eating table foods! I do think you are on the right track with there being a sensory component with her not wanting anything near her mouth food wise. I would initially start with just trying to get her accepting of a toothbrush in and around her mouth (outside of mealtimes) so that she start to get some input. We do also have a free workshop that will be helpful in walking you through steps on transitioning to table foods as well. You can save your seat here.
Best,
Desiree
Hi my son is now 5 years old since 2 years old we been having trouble getting him to eat. At first I thought it was a phase but now it’s still happening. He only eat a few things like chicken but only if it grilled or stove cooked, French fries, tortillas, anything junk food, pepperoni but won’t eat the pizza, and most things that are bbq, and also spaghetti pasta but just the pasta no sauce, and bacon. He is very stubborn to the point that he wont even try new foods like even take one bite to see if he even likes it and it’s fraustrating at this point. I pack his lunch everyday with food I listed above but most of the time the school says he never even eats it there so I’m very confused on what to do now and just want him to at least try eating more things that I know he would probably like but he wont taste it.
Hi Taylor,
It can be so stressful dealing with picky eating! You’re definitely not alone. We always like to suggest including at least 1 preferred food on the plate along with the new foods. Modeling can be a great way to encourage eating. Our free picky eating workshop is a great place to get started with some new no-pressure ideas! You can save your seat HERE. Reach out with any questions!
Best,
Andrea