Meal Ideas for Toddler with Sensory Issues

Lbaker

Hi everyone! Oliver will turn two in about a month, and I am going crazy trying to get him to eat. He has some developmental delays, and has developed some sensory issues, especially with food. He struggles to use a spoon and fork, but doesn't like the feel of most foods on his hands. He also doesn't like cold or hot food. He used to eat everything we ate, but now the list has been narrowed down to very few foods. He will not eat any meat. He will eat peas, corn, romaine lettuce, apples, bananas, and grapes in the realm of fruits and veggies. He likes peanut butter, and will eat a peanut butter sandwich. He will eat breakfast foods (oatmeal, dry cereal, waffles, pancakes, toast, and scrambled eggs). He will also eat yogurt. He flat out refuses to eat rice, quinoa, pasta, potatoes, tortillas, and beans.

Does anyone have any simple meal ideas that might work? I feel like an awful mom giving him some variation of breakfast meals all the time, and I'm worried he isn't getting all the nutrients he needs. I have tried making smoothies, and he won't drink them. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

K&H

I know that people will have tons of ideas for you, but I just want to throw out there the idea that this is not necessarily a sensory thing, or a permanent thing. It is the job of a two year old to become unbelievably picky about food. Things they used to eat disappear for absolutely no reason at all. We spent much of the twos serving cottage cheese, hummus, and green juice. That was just about all that E would eat.
It comes back. You just keep trying. Offer one thing you know he'll eat, one thing you think he maybe will eat, and one new thing at dinner every night. Make a point to eat at least one meal as a family every day and don't make bargains and pleas and deals and changes of menu for him. Think about his food over a week and don't stress about one meal. He'll get there. The most important thing is to make food enjoyable, interesting, and fun for all of you together. Cook together. Shop together. Talk and have fun and laugh at the table together. Don't offer juice or milk in between meals, don't offer snacks all day long (we found, and still at four find, that E is hungry at 8, 10:30, 12:30, 3:30, and 5:30. 10:30 and 5:30 were light snacks at 2, the biggest meals were 8 and 3:30).
I hope people give you lots of food ideas, feeling worried about your kiddo's eating is never fun.

Lbaker

I hope you're right about it not being permanent. We are dealing with some other sensory issues, so it was easy to relate this new behavior with that. We already limit his snacks (usually just a small morning and afternoon snack), and he isn't too fond of milk, so I'm lucky to get him to drink it at his meals. He's more of a water kid; he doesn't like juice either. And thanks for your story, it is always nice to know you're not alone

Zen

When I looked at your list I was thinking you just need a citrus and you're fine! With Shiloh (no sensory issues, just stubborn!), I want her to have 4-5 fruits and veggies daily, and 3 servings of protein. She's no longer underweight so I don't focus on complex carbs. She likes bread. If she never eats pasta, rice, or potatoes I don't really care.

With Oliver, I would count eggs, peanut butter, and yogurt as protein, serve with the fruits/veggies he likes, and be happy! For fillers and snacks, those pancakes, waffles, and cereals are fine.

When I think of serving other people or planning family meals, I aim for variety. Shiloh doesn't clue into variety. She eats the same 1/2 peanut butter sandwich Monday-Friday. She's happy. I'm happy. It's all good

insearchofadonor

Ironically when I read your list of what he currently eats, I was thinking it looked pretty good actually lol! My two year old (no sensory issues either, just stubborn too like Zen's Shiloh!) won't even eat the lettuce, the grapes or the scrambled eggs that you have on your list! ;-) So my son's diet is even more limited that yours at the moment and he doesn't have any issues - aside from being 2! (Referring to K&H's info about 2 years olds!) He'll eat the other stuff on your list, but only just, and only on a 'good' day. So yeah, I don't think your son is doing too badly at all especially if he has sensory issues going on. :-)

old mama

One of my adopted daughters is much older than your son but we have delt with sensory and swallowing issues all her life. I use a small blender called a rocket...I puree her foods...which must be plain...no hot...must be room temp...she will take cold things...I can't remember all you said about what he would eat but if he likes banana...throwing a banana in will hide the taste of so many foods. You don't have to make it smoothy liquid form...a little rice baby cereal will thicken foods up nicely. I feel for you...it is a battle...with my daughter it is trial and error and I have thrown many foods out over the years with things she would not go for!

Lbaker

Thank you for all your ideas! I think my biggest concern was meat, but I never really stopped to think that he was getting protein from the yogurt, peanut butter, oatmeal, and eggs. I'm glad to hear that he's not in the minority here with the number of foods he will eat!

Zen, I wish he would eat citrus! He likes the flavor, but cannot handle the texture. He will rub it on his lips, but will not put it in his mouth.

Old Mama, adding rice cereal might be just what we are looking for! He likes the flavor of so many foods, but won't eat them, and he loves oatmeal, so that might be the perfect way to hide some extra nutrients. Hmmm, I wonder if he would eat a fruit puree stirred into his morning oatmeal....

Shanny

I agree with 2 things - he really does have a decent diet for a "picky" 2 year old! And everything K&H said about it being very normal and a stage you need to work through by continuing to offer him a variety of foods, even those he has said he doesn't like.

I would NOT start offering a two year old with that healthy of a diet rice cereal (been linked to obesity) or start hiding foods (can open, worms everywhere!)

Just continue to offer foods, let him have in put at the store and with food prep and don't let it turn into a battle.

If he likes citrus flavor but not the texture I would buy a juicer and he can help make freshly squeezed orange juice.

Think outside the box. Will he drink smoothies? Does he like grilled cheese - would he eat it with lunch meat on it? Have you tried all different kinds of pastas?

The biggest key is to NOT stop offering things because they are not on his list and model good eating in front of him. You really hold the key as to whether or not this gets better or worse in the next couple of years!

Lbaker

We are definitely still offering him all the foods he has refused. I cook healthy meals and we all eat together every night. I think another large struggle we have is that he does not talk or communicate at all, so he won't tell or show me what he wants. We are working with a speech/language pathologist, but so far he is still really behind. That leads to frustration on both our parts, especially at meal time.

I wish he would eat cheese, but I haven't found any he likes. I've tried grilled cheese, plus cheese cubes, shredded cheese, and string cheese. I also haven't found any lunch meat he will eat. He currently will not eat any meat at all, other than the occasional piece of white fish.

I have tried juicing, but he won't drink juice, or smoothies for that matter. He will only drink milk and water.

Shanny

I think you are doing all the right things and should keep on trucking!

Have you used sign language? If not, maybe start with a few basics - no, more, eat etc.

I wasn't really referring to "juicing" but more him squeezing the juice from oranges using something like this. If he gets a little on his hand and licks it off he might realize he likes it and wants to drink it. If not, you'll have freshly squeezed juice

http://www.forsmallhands.com/small-glass-juicer-cobalt-blue

Lbaker

We have tried sign language, and are still trying. He is just picking it up really slowly. He will use the sign for "more", but that's about it at this point. We are also working on choosing when given 2 options (would you like yogurt or grapes?), which he does about 10% of the time. The speech therapist wants him to make the choice when given pictures, but right now he has only made the choice when presented with the actual objects (which is fine with me!). Small steps.

mausandlodie

From my perspective, you guys have a great eater! Maeve does really well, but I would give a lot to have Henry broaden his palate to match Oliver's - and my guy is almost 5. He is adding a few foods here and there, but not close to where you are yet - we also sit down as a family to a healthy, balanced meal every night. You guys are doing fine - keep it up!

Zen

Lbaker wrote:

Old Mama, adding rice cereal might be just what we are looking for! He likes the flavor of so many foods, but won't eat them, and he loves oatmeal, so that might be the perfect way to hide some extra nutrients. Hmmm, I wonder if he would eat a fruit puree stirred into his morning oatmeal....

Ironically, Shiloh's favorite breakfast is a variant of this. As an toddler, her [Latin] babysitter would mash banana into a puree, and add that plus peanut butter and applesauce to her baby food oatmeal. I leave out the applesauce now but the oatmeal/banana/peanut butter is her choice for Sunday breakfast every week!

babybaby

along the lines of adding things to his food to hide nutrients, have you heard of jerry seinfeld's wife's cookbook? she hides all kinds of veggies in typical kiddie foods to get them to eat.

Kari

Justin had a lot of sensory issues around food. He would regularly vomit at meals until he was 3 if he got something in his mouth and the texture was weird. He doesn't do that at all anymore, so some things definitely get better! There were days/weeks when he only wanted cold pureed things, or crunchy/salty things, or stuff through a straw. It varied, and as long as I had a few ideas that fell into those categories, we were good.

Will he do any soups? Justin liked potato soup, chicken noodle - minus the chicken, spaghettios, ravioli, etc.
Will he dip foods into sauces to try them? Justin would try just about anything once if he could dip it into ketchup, like broccoli; other kids prefer Ranch dressing
Does he like food in a pouch? I bought those Nourish Me reusable pouches off amazon.com and the kids will eat a lot from a pouch that they won't eat off their plates. Put foods with mild texture into the blender, puree them, and pour it in the pouch.

Some thoughts on protein:
Justin will only eat meat (too stringy!) if it was spicy. Apparently the spiciness out powered the stringy texture. He'll eat boneless BBQ wings this way, and even tried the chicken tortilla soup I was eating the other day because the salsa overpowered the chicken texture. He'll also eat teriyaki steak, but not regular steak.
Both my kids will eat deviled eggs, but won't touch eggs any other way.

Another thing I've learned is to get someone else offer him something new. For years my sister could get him to try "Auntie Kim's special xyz" when he wouldn't touch it if I made it. Same for the deviled eggs - my dad made them. Sometimes they'll try something for someone else that they won't for you.