School Lunch ideas for kids with food sensory issues?

[mbb]

As many of you know, our twin boys are ASD/PDD. And their food choices are VERY limited.

Here's where we are:
Chicken Nuggets and FF
Peanut butter sandwiches
French Toast
Mini "pizzas" - english muffin, with a LITTLE sauce, and "Hallowe'en cheese" (Yellow cheddar LOL!)
Dry cereal
Cereal bars
Milk, apple juice, Pediasure drinks
Multi-vitamin every day.

Their school has now been declared "peanut safe"...and the boys don't like the "pea"-nut butter/soy substitute.

Any suggestions? Thoughts?
You know, as I look at the list..I realize they've come a LONG way!!

 

[HopperFan]

Since they like bread (pb sand) and Halloween cheese (my favorite holiday) would they eat a Halloween cheese sandwich ?

I also got my niece (the chicken nugget queen) to eat a chicken sandwich with very thinly sliced chicken deli meat.

 

[Ali]

My PDD/SID DS3 is still only eating a few things, and each day I pack 2 trix pink and purple yogurts, 2 purple juice boxes, accepted crackers and 2 cups of milk in his lunch box. His teachers keep asking me why he won't sit at the table while he eats, and I tell them because of the smells of the foods other kids are eating. And why does his yogurt need to be just the right texture and temperature so he will eat it? Why doesn't DS take a candy treat out of the treasure box like the other kids? Why won't he even try the foods we bring in for the kids? Why WHY WHYWHWYWHWYWYW! QArgh!

Ok - I'm back! I am just so tired fo people asking when he will start eating. I am over it!

I ask on a constant basis, are there any new foods you want to try? DS says, "no i only eat MY FOODS. Maybe when I older I eat more"

No advice - just understanding. As I have always said, at least they will eat things that "normal" kids eat so people don't look at them strange.

 

[mbb]

Last fall, for grade primary, the boys took "butter sandwiches" every day. Just plain old bread and butter. We couldn't believe the number of parents that asked us if we were having "financial issues"

The other kids went home and told mom and dad that "poor so and so...they don't even have a good lunch!"

Thanks for the tips!!

 

[tmli]

For a long time last year, my ds took bread for lunch. No butter nothing just bread. Boy did the local busy bodies have fum with that one!!

Now he is on a new med that has reduced alot of his issues regarding Food....now he is too much the other way (obsessive about food) and has gained 25lbs in 4 mths. Argh! Why can't anything just be "normal" for awhile.

 

[riu girl]

I don't know if this will information will be useful to anyone or not but here goes:
My DD7 at age three was put on a medication to stimulate appetite.

By age 3 she had been diagnosed with severe ADHD, SID, ASD, infant aneroxia etc etc. She had severe sensory problems with smelling/eating foods.
By age 3 she was extremely bulimic (would eat a few bites of food and then put her her finger down her throat and make herself vomit). While eating the few bites that she did manage to eat she flapped her hands constantly due to the stimulation from the food. Eating seemed like torture for her. She was constantly dehydrated and in and out of hospital for dehydration and numerous other illnesses. My husband and I thought we were going to lose our minds. The bulimina started when she was about age 15 months but just got much worse by age 3.

At age 3, the doctor put her on cyproheptadine ( 2 mgs twice/day). It is a very low dose of a anti-histamine BUT a side effect for kids is that it makes them very hungry. The only negative side effect from this med is that it makes the kids sleepy (drinking juice counteracts this ).

Well within three days she started eating. She was so hungry that she pretty much overcame food sensory issues and actually would come to the fridge and cupboards asking for food. She was off the drug within one month and has never gone back on.

She is now 7 and her height and weight are around the 95%. She has been the tallest in her class all three years in school .She is a little chubby and we couldn't be happier. She eats amazingly well. Due to the ADHD she eats no processed sugar, food colouring or preservatives (we do not follow a particular diet, just really healthy food choices and she is doing amazing).

Her physical health is amazing and has not been hospitalized since before she took the meds at age 3.

Without this drug, I have no idea what we would have done. I honestly think she would have died. I pray to God every night thanking him for helping us overcome her eating disorders. I watch her eat now and can hardly believe how she used to be.

Other hints to help kids eat with eating-related sensory issues: serving the food on a red plate and offering very small bite sized pieces. For lunches at school: don't put items into individual sandwich bags (too much effort for kids who don't really enjoy eating), but rather use a divided tupperware container with 3 or four sections. They simply open the lid and the food is all there is small bite sized pieces. Much less effort for the kids.

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. This board has been amazing for me and I wish that I could offer something.

Suzy V.
Omemee, ON Canada

 

[momof2inPA]

There's another peanut butter alternative made from sunflower seeds called sunbutter. I've never tried it, but people say it's tasty and smells just like peanut butter.

If you send it in the lunch, I would let the teacher know it's not peanut butter.

 

[LMC]

I would never send anything my child did not like for lunch. If he doesn't like it, he throws up and who wants to deal with that?. I homeschool now so it's a non issue for us. He has SID too and only eats a handful of different things. Has gained 25 pounds in 14 months so he is getting something somewhere (too many carbs!!!). Mine also has to keep his distance from other food smells that he doesn't tolerate or we get the vomiting thing again (even milk will do this to him). Just do what works best for them and don't worry about what the other folks say. They are not the ones dealing with the issues day in and day out.

 

[sn00zn]

My ASD daughter brings a pb&j every single day. I don't know if almond butter and cashew butter are considered "peanut safe", but my kids will eat those. You might want to check out the different alternatives at a health food store.

snoozn

 

[mbb]

I'm glad that you're little girl is doing so well, riu girl

We're going to try another type of nut/soy substirite, momof2inPA... I'll let everyone know how it iturns out!!

Thanks again!!

 

[CarolDel]

When my aspie lad was at primary school - he took a lunch box in & he had dry cream crackers, dry crackerbreads - (like rice cakes) a handful of plain doritos put in a food bag, and a lot to drink - he sometimes would take a ham sandwich (without margarine) and he had an apple, orange, pear or banana. He would sometimes coope with a peanut butter or chocolate spread sandwich as well - wow reading back it does not look that bad does it lol

Now he is at high school they have like a vending machine which gets charged up at the beginning of the week and he eat's a burger each day ( his main food obsession) - it's great that he is managing to eat in the dinner hall - he has a helper - but means that it is harder to find something to eat each night as he has had a burger alrady & I worry about the amount of meat he is eating.

His lunchbox may have looked odd - but hey vive la difference

Carol

 

[BethanyF]

Im glad this thread is here. My SID / HF Autistic son is having lunch issues too. Mine will not eat bread, so it makes it more interesting.

So far I am sending (and one of these things is used for snack time)
rolled up ham (he might eact 1 piece)
shredded white (mozzarella) cheese (eats very little)
Canteloupe (eats it all)
carrots (eats maybe half)
Pringles (eats them all)
fruit roll-up (doesnt eat it every day)
Bottled water

I havent tried it yet, but it was suggested to me to put hot dogs or chicken nuggets in a thermos. It should keep them warm enough until lunch time.
His classroom aide is working with me on making sure he at least tries everything in his box. She sends home any leftovers so I have an idea of what he did eat. I just make sure he gets a good breakfast and be prepared for him to be hungry when he gets home.
This is the first year he has to eat lunch at school, so we will keep experimenting until he finds something he likes. He has asked to try chicken lunch meat, so we will try that next.

 

[LMC]

When you cook at home, you may want to consider purchasing the leanest cuts of ground beef. I do this for my son who eats almost nothing but ground beef dishes (hamburgers, spaghetti, tacos). It costs more but in the long run the expense is nothing compared to his health. We have some meats here that are only 4% in fat so that is what I buy now for home.

 

[wide awake]

Hi All,
This thread made me laugh out loud...DS is currently casein/soy free, and we're working toward gluten/casein/soy free...I loved the questions about financial issues !!! As for food tips...the yummie things that you and I would eat they won't touch...giant shrimp with cocktail sauce...wonderful raw fruits...dried fruits and nuts...crudites with a good vinagrette or aoili...high quality dark chocolate...tamales. I send chips, lots of sliced meats, jello jigglers, casein/gluten free candy, juices, popcorn balls, and bars made with gluten free cereal and marshmallows. Also, any of you that are gluten/casein free...you know about the best peanut butter cookie in the world recipe...just in case...1 cup pb, 1 egg, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda...mix, roll into balls and flatten with fork, bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes...makes about 2 dozen...of course DS won't touch them...everyone else LOVES them !!!

 

[SweetSpot]

You all make my house sound normal! When my DS was young he ate only:

Perdue chicken nuggets
Yoplait custard strawberry or banana yogurt
McD's type small hamburgers and some fries
bread, rolls or bagels
nutri grains
bananas
apple juice and an occasional 1/2 chocolate 1/2 milk.

People would always say why don't you make him eat a variety of things, he will not starve himself he'll eat when he's hungry... don't know why I never thought of that!!! I just learned to nod at their expert advise finding it easier than explaining that if I forced him and the taste or texture wasn't right he'd throw it up. There was a time we were so desperate for him to try new food that we would bribe him or pay him a quarter to try something like a donut or chocolate hoping that if he like that he would be willing to try other things. He didn't even try an M&M or ice cream until he was around 6. If it helps at all with patience and time things have changed. He is still picky but he eats most vegetables and meats. Nothing can touch and no sauces, soups or casseroles at all but it did get livable.

It took a long time to get him to eat peanut butter so that he could eat it at lunch time because he doesn't like cheese or any lunch meats. He now eats peanut butter sandwiches everyday for lunch. Before he would eat peanut butter I would send in nutri grains and yogurt or even cold chicken nuggets. If your son will eat chicken nuggets do you think he will eat a chicken patty on a bun? It might not be hot but he might not mind. Turn the english muffin pizzas into make your own lunchables if they are old enough to do it.

Good luck!

Tracy

 

[CarolDel]

for LMC

thanks for that - I did try him on home made burgers - but they were "not the right taste" - but not done this for a while - great prompt I might just try it again - The burgers he does eat are just beef & nothing else ( they can't have onion in them, lol).

Carol

 

[SillyOldBear]

I have been on these boards a long time. It was great to see all of you posting about SID (my 6 year old has this as well as ADHD). It is good to know that I am not alone in my quest to find SOMETHING that my child will eat. I remember the day he took a bite of a McDonalds burger-tears welled up in my eyes.

 

[mbb]

I cry too

Glad you found us!!

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

I don't know if anyone thought of this but my DS loves cream cheese sandwhiches

 

[tmli]

Funny you should mention that. My ds loves sour cream sandwiches---that is strange!