PickledEmerald

My 3-year-old son is autistic and non-verbal. He communicates by using cards that have pictures on them and velcro on the back. There is a big laminated chart on the refrigerator with a velcro back, and it has 2 food choices stuck on it. He will grab the card, find me, and put the card in my hand. Then he will pull me into the kitchen. I know he wanted oatmeal, but that has been all he has wanted to eat lately. I offered him ravioli, spaghetti, a hamburger, chicken nuggets and corn, fish sticks, but he wants nothing but oatmeal. Now he ran out of oatmeal, and I don't get my money until Thursday. So then he wanted graham crackers, now the graham crackers are gone. I had placed the boxes in the trash, and he kept grabbing the boxes and placing them in my hands. I tore the boxes up to try to show them that there was nothing in the boxes, and he had a fit. He won't eat anything else. I tried mac n cheese, corn, green beans, NOTHING!!!! He will eat grapes, and yogurt and white bread, but this is it. What do I do? I can't force him to eat, what he should be eating and I'm out of the things that he will eat (only temporarily), but nevertheless, this is a big problem. I have gotten to the point, that I don't know what to fix him. He never wants to eat what I cook, and sometimes when I think he will eat something, he suprises me and won't eat it. Help?

Osker

I have an open adoption with my son. He spends the summers with me and one weekend a month. I wish it was more, but I had him so young. In my apt, I have a few treats. If your child is eating junk all day then simply don't buy the chips, the cookies, etc. Try buying healthy snacks such as granola bars.
I also tell my son, if he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to eat it but I am not a short order cook. He can make himself a sandwhich (he could since he was 3 1/2).

Oh sorry I skimmed your post and didn't know your son is on the autism spectrum. I believe the best thing to do is just keep healthy food in your house only. Other than that, a mother of an autism spectrum child would know best.

talboat

Is this enhanced because he is autistic?
Im not being ignorant, im truly asking, because I dont know.
because with my son, when he doesnt want to eat something, I may sometimes offer him another healthy option, but most times, he either will eat it or not. I dont go out of my way to offer 5 or 6 different foods. When he is hungry, he will eat...whatever i give him, or it sits there until he wants to eat it.

shawnzmojo102

Put him on veggies for a snack that way he will know that he can't always have junk food .

stiggo629

sometimes when I think he will eat something, he suprises me and won't eat it

This happens here too; who cares? Sometimes kids just aren't very hungry.

You're overthinking this. Just keep offering decent food at regular intervals. Don't get excited if it's refused.

My stock line for 'Ice cream for breakfast, please'-type requests is 'Mum is not offering ice cream right now'...

RinkRat1604

if it were just any toddler i'd say he can't eat what you don't buy and if you don't buy junk he won't eat it, he will eat when he is hungry; but this i think is a little different with the autism etc. have you talked to his EI person for suggestions? that said - i don't consider grapes yogurt and bread 'junk' (ok so white bread prly isn't the best but it could definitely be worse). is it bc he likes to dip the grapes in the yogurt? what about adding a teaspoon of ground flaxseed meal or wheat germ to the yogurt and mixing it before you give it to him (don't let him see!), that will add plenty. what about letting him help make something, some kids will eat better if they 'made' it?

tersaseda

I don't call oatmeal, grapes, bread and graham crackers junk. There are much worse things your kid could want to eat. (fruit roll ups, pudding cups, sugary sweets, etc)

Continue to offer him what you cook, and eventually he'll grow out of it. He isn't going to be a 30-year-old man eating just grapes and white bread.

sgt

my son is the same way. so don't let him tell you .you tell him. now i with to the doctors and ask what could do for that and he said not one thing he said if he's eating then let him be.he also said that if he ask for icecram to let him have it and i ask why he said that if eats that he well get what he needs.and most inportion don't make him eat.he well eat when he get's ready.that way he well keep eating.you see how this is sopost to work.will good luck on that one.your friend fred