For parents of children who have autism, sensory processing disorder (SPD), or general food texture sensitivity, mealtimes are challenging. Getting little ones to eat something nutritious often ends in tears and tantrums. However, encouraging broader eating patterns is vital to support children’s health and development, as food selectivity can lead to nutritional deficiencies and impact bone growth. 

Sensory-friendly foods play a key role in this process. Their textures, flavors, and temperatures make eating a more comfortable and enjoyable experience. Cater to your child’s sensory sensitivities with these ideas for SPD- and autism-safe foods.

Understanding Sensory Sensitivities

Sensory sensitivity involves a heightened response to sensory information from the five senses — taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound. While this increased awareness isn’t inherently a negative experience, it can cause sensory overload for some. An intense or aversive response to sensory input is known as hypersensitivity.

Children with SPD or autism often exhibit hypersensitivity, which can cause them to avoid sensory experiences, such as eating certain foods. As a result, autism and picky eating often go hand in hand. Common sensory problems with food include:

• Texture: Some children hate crunchy foods, whereas others can’t tolerate lumpy or mushy ones. Foods with textures that your child is sensitive to typically create an unpleasant or overwhelming sensation in their mouth. 
• Taste: Strong flavors can be too intense for kids with sensory sensitivities. Some may be hypersensitive to sour or bitter foods, while others might have an aversion to spicy or salty flavors. 
• Smell: Certain smells from foods like cheese, fish, or cooked vegetables can overwhelm your child, possibly causing them to feel nauseous. 
• Appearance: Visual aspects of food, including color, shape, and presentation, play a significant role in your child’s willingness to eat. They may have aversions to foods with specific colors or presentations. 
• Temperature: Extreme food temperatures, whether too cold or hot, can cause resistance or discomfort in some kids. 

Those diagnosed with autism or SPD can also be hyposensitive, meaning they have a reduced sensitivity to sensory input. In this case, they may seek out certain sensations. Unlike sensory-avoiding behaviors, such as refusing certain foods, sensory-seeking behavior can manifest as craving intense textures or bold flavors. Children can demonstrate both — for example, your little one may avoid foods with lumpy textures while seeking out those with spicy or sweet flavors.

Either way, sensory sensitivities can present significant obstacles in expanding children’s eating habits and encouraging them to try new foods. 

Ideas for Sensory-Friendly Foods

Since many individuals with SPD or autism experience tactile hypersensitivity, texture tends to be the most important consideration in choosing sensory-friendly foods. Your child’s aversion to a particular food often relates to how it feels in their mouth rather than its flavor. Modifying a food’s texture—through blending, pureeing, or softening—can make it more tolerable and appealing

Food’s visual appeal also matters. As children with autism are often selective of color or presentation, noting these preferences can help broaden your picky eater’s repertoire. 

With these factors in mind, here are some ideas for nutritious, autism-friendly foods. 

Soft and Smooth Foods

There’s a difference between soft and mushy textures. Soft foods like bread are easy to chew but lack sliminess. Your little one may enjoy this texture, as soft foods are easier to eat than crunchy items and might not cause the same overwhelming sensation as mushy foods like avocados.

Here are some examples of soft foods that are nourishing for your child: 

• Tofu 
• Soft beans 
• Baked or steamed vegetables 
• Shredded chicken or fish 
• Scrambled eggs 
• Banana pancakes 

In addition to a soft texture, some children prefer a smooth consistency. If so, the above foods may be too chunky or lumpy for your child. Instead, you could try: 

• Yogurt 
• Smoothies 
• Fruit purees 
• Vegetable soups 
• Hummus 
• Mashed potatoes 

Smooth foods can often be prepared with a blender or food processor, making it easy to incorporate hidden vegetables and proteins. For instance, blending chicken into butternut squash soup, or adding spinach to a berry smoothie. This tactic also works for sneaking ingredients into homemade muffins and breads. 

Crunchy Foods 

Crunchy foods can include a wide range of items—from chips and crackers to fresh fruits and veggies. If your child enjoys that crunch, there are plenty of options that can satisfy their sensory preferences while also supporting their overall nutrition:

• Nuts 
• Banana or kale chips 
• Sweet potato fries 
• Roasted chickpeas or edamame
• Raw vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, or snap peas 
• Crunchy fruits like apples and pears
• Freeze-dried fruits like strawberries and mango
• Whole grain cereal like Cheerios or puffed quinoa

Including these sensory foods for autism and SPD can provide a satisfying experience for kids with hyposensitivity seeking stimulating experiences. This way, you can slowly introduce new flavors.

Visually Appealing Foods

Visually appealing food can spark interest and encourage selective eaters to be more adventurous. The key is to present the food in a way that aligns with the child’s preferences. For example, some children may prefer finely cut-up food, while others feel more comfortable when they don’t have to touch their food with their hands.

Additionally, making mealtime more fun can help. One approach is to use cookie cutters to cut vegetables and sandwiches into shapes like hearts, stars, or even dinosaurs—whatever your child loves. You can also arrange smaller items like nuts or beans into interesting patterns. Kids with autism can be highly attuned to changes in food presentation, so once you find what works, maintaining consistency is vital. 

If your child prefers foods of a particular color, you can use this to strategically introduce new items. Let’s say they refuse to eat anything that isn’t yellow — you could add turmeric to dishes like mashed potatoes, a tofu scramble, or roasted chickpeas. You can also incorporate pureed fruits like mango, pineapple, and yellow kiwi. Similarly, if your little one favors red foods, you can blend cooked beetroot into hummus, soups, and smoothies.

Other Sensory-Friendly Considerations

Serve foods with flavors and temperatures that cater to your child’s sensory needs. Lukewarm or room-temperature items are best for those with hypersensitivities. In terms of taste, use mild spices like onion and garlic powder or herbs like oregano and basil. These seasonings can enhance the food’s flavor without overwhelming sensitive palates. 

Conversely, if your child exhibits sensory-seeking behavior, they may enjoy more intense temperatures and flavors. Chilling food in the fridge until just before serving can provide a stimulating cold sensation. These children may also gravitate toward bold flavors, like spicy curries or sour fruits like lemons or limes. 

Tips for Helping Sensory-Sensitive Eaters

When addressing the complexities of food textures and autism by preparing meals strategically, keep these tips in mind:

• Embrace meal prep: Planning and prepping sensory-friendly meals can reduce stress and ensure consistency. As tactics like hiding vegetables in sauces take time, batch cooking and freezing foods can be especially helpful on busy weeknights. 
• Create a supportive environment: When mealtime is peaceful, you create a calming environment for your child. In addition to establishing a regular meal routine, avoid distractions such as the TV and cell phones. Modeling balanced eating habits, including practicing mindful or intuitive eating by paying attention to hunger cues and savoring food, can also help them learn from your behavior.
• Involve your child: If your child feels a sense of control over what is cooked and how it’s prepared, they might be more likely to try new foods. Offer them an option between two or three meals, and get them involved in age-appropriate cooking tasks, like mixing or washing vegetables. 
• Be patient and positive: Avoid force-feeding or pressuring your picky eater. Instead, practice patience — it can take up to 15 times to introduce a new food before your child accepts it. Celebrate small wins, such as when they explore a new texture or flavor. Praise and positive reinforcement can build their confidence, encouraging continued exploration.   
• Speak with a registered dietitian (RD): Professional support from an RD is invaluable. They can offer advice and nutritionally balanced recipes, helping navigate the challenges related to picky eating in kids with food sensory sensitivities. 

Get the Support You Need From Doherty Nutrition

Balancing a child’s nutritional needs with sensory sensitivities can be tricky, but you don’t have to do it alone. Doherty Nutrition’s pediatric RDs are here to provide customized nutrition assessments, counseling, and planning to help your child grow and maintain overall health. We’ll assess your child’s health history, eating habits, food aversions, food preferences, daily activity, and adequacy of fluids.

With our pediatric nutritional services, you’ll gain access to creative strategies that can help with everything from expanding food groups to meal planning and grocery shopping. Working closely with your child and family, we’ll set goals and build an individualized plan to suit your little one’s specific sensory needs while focusing on nourishing meal patterns. 

Schedule a counseling appointment with one of our RDs to get started on improving your child’s health. 

Linked Sources 

1. https://www.marcus.org/autism-resources/autism-tips-and-resources/eating-habits-when-to-worry
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9545735/
3. https://dohertynutrition.com/encouraging-kids-to-eat-veggies/
4. https://dohertynutrition.com/having-a-healthy-relationship-with-food-why-its-important-and-how-to-get-there/
5. https://www.chop.edu/news/dos-and-donts-feeding-picky-eaters#
6. https://dohertynutrition.com/difference-between-a-nutritionist-and-a-registered-dietitian-nutritionist/
7. https://dohertynutrition.com/pediatric-nutrition/
8. https://dohertynutrition.com/request-counseling/