I’ve been on the subject of dietary needs lately. Many families struggle to get their child on the #autism spectrum to eat, on daily basis.
This is something that the Lost and Tired family is currently working through.
I got to thinking this morning about something and I wanted to share it with you and get your thoughts.
Basically, I was wondering how you balance eating healthy with vs eating anything at all? Does that make sense? Let me give you an example of what I mean.
Right now, the only thing that Elliott will eat, is pretty much East of Chicago pizza. I don’t know what it is about it that agrees with him but he will almost always eat that if offered.
My concern is that he can’t live on East of Chicago pizza, nor can we afford for him to live on it.
However, in the absence of any other viable options, what are we supposed to do?
When you have a picky eater that isn’t just being difficult, how to you balance healthy eating vs eating anything at all?
Does that make sense?
My son has a horrible fixation as well with pizza lately, and believe me, gluten free pizza is not cheap. He used to be the junk food king as well. We buy the premade GF crusts and non dairy cheese and make it for him at home using homemade pizza sauce. I try to make sure he eats a certain number of bites each meal before he is allowed to have his comfort food. I do hide veggies and fruits in quite a few things and make him drink a homemade smoothie with them inside daily, or else eat his produce. We have tried hard to make that non negotiable. What about having Elliot learn to make homemade pizzas as well, and trying to get him to add new toppings on, like meat and veggies in the meantime, until this fixation passes?
Especially if he is anxious right now, he might see that pizza as a comfort food. Are there other foods you can think of that are comfort foods, or ways that you can replicate that feeling for him with what you have (homemade pizza, cheesy pasta)? Those are easier things to “hide” veggies in.
For the time being, could you get one or two pizzas some day when he is not home and freeze the slices individually so you have a backup when you really need to make sure he gets some food? Or do you think it is the ritual of ordering out that appeals to him?