FAQautism

We simply can’t ignore the research confirming the health benefits of vegetables. Even if our friends with autism are very picky eaters or if they insist on eating just two or three preferred foods, we can still contribute to a person’s overall well-being by sneaking in undetectable vegetables.

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The key to increasing vegetable consumption by picky eaters is to just gradually add more vegetables into their daily diet without fanfare. Of course, you must take into consideration any food allergies or other dietary restrictions, but use the ideas below to get your creative juices flowing.
+ BLENDED HEALTH. Blend up some healthy veggies and stir a bit into spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, taco salsa, soups, or anything else your friend normally eats. Get the full nutritional benefit by blending up the edible skins of veggies. For very picky eaters, use bland vegetables to avoid detection.
+ DIPS. Mix some blended veggies into a favorite chip dip, into salsa for corn chips, or into the catsup for French fries.
+ SANDWICHES. Mix some blended veggies into a favorite sandwich spread. You can even stir some into peanut butter!
+ TACOS: Whether hard or soft tacos, these Mexican treats are easy to fix and can be loaded with good veggies. Traditional tacos use corn tortillas, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and ground meat with taco seasoning, cheese, and salsa. Dietary restrictions may not allow all of these ingredients, but just stuff the shell or soft taco with anything that fits and top with a yummy salsa that has some “stealth veggies” stirred in.
+ GOLD COINS: Some kids love the crunch of raw carrots cut into very thin slices for snacks or with a meal. If they prefer soft veggies, cook the gold coins until tender. Drain and stir in some melted butter mixed with a bit of orange juice concentrate.

Although the transition to eating more veggies may need to be a very gradual, slow process, the effort will certainly pay off in the lives of our friends with autism over the long run. We welcome your ideas and experiences with picky eating issues. Just click on the comments button or send a message to talk@FAQautism.com

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. Send email to talk@FAQautism.com And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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