Food For Thought

 We love to eat in our home and love to experiment with many different foods and recipes. When we learned Johnathan had autism we wondered what that would mean for Johnathan's eating habits. We had people tell us repeatedly that the foods Johnathan would eat, would be greatly limited. I had experienced other autistic students that had a very limited variety of foods they would eat. Other students had to eat a restrictive diet because certain foods could cause stomach irritation.

Michelle:
We were told that we basically needed to invest in hot dogs, peanut butter, and macaroni and cheese because that was the only things that Johnathan would eat. With both Jim and I being 'foodies' this was a great worry for us because there is not a whole lot of quality nutrients contained in those foods. I remember when we started introducing baby foods to Johnathan there wasn't much he wouldn't eat. Reflecting back on it now it was probably an indicator that just because others have a belief  about what will happen with your child you have to let your child develop their own likes and dislikes. We have always been about giving our children opportunities.   

We're happy to say a limited palate is not something that we have to be concerned with for Johnathan (or Charles). Johnathan loves to eat and there are very few foods he avoids. From an early age and even now our boys have always loved their vegetables. When given a choice of what kind of snack they would life they will choose cucumbers and tomatoes just as much as cookies and candy. We've learned that some foods have a positive effect on Johnathan. We keep peanut butter foods on hand because protein is definitely a good 'feel good' food for him. When he seems to be having an off day we have often found a small protein snack can give him a needed boost. 

One thing we have learned with Johnathan is he does things on his schedule and not ours. Therefore we've learned the importance of making sure Johnathan eats regularly. When he was younger Johnathan couldn't usually tell us that he is hungry but there were certainly signs that let us know. When Johnathan got hungry he had a harder time dealing with things. He would be easily frustrated and this often led to one of his meltdowns. He would also speak less when he was hungry and instead use more of his grunts and whines during this time. 

As time has gone on Johnathan has luckily grown out of some of these more erratic behaviors. He uses his words a little more to let us know he is hungry. We often laugh at Johnathan's belly rubbing and his favorite phrase 'I Hungry' when he's ready for lunch or dinner. Johnathan also will tell us what snacks he would like throughout the day. This has been a great help determining when he's hungry and helping him to understand when he is hungry.  

We try to remember to keep snacks on hand for when his hunger sets in unexpectedly. Some times it means stopping in the middle of an activity to get some food for him. On the other hand there are times when Johnathan doesn't want to eat even if it is a meal time. When this happens we try not to push him to eat. Usually we'll just wrap the food up and save it for later. Leftovers never go to waste with him because if he doesn't eat it right away later he will eat it.

I love the fact that Johnathan enjoys foods that some would consider too 'exotic' or different. Johnathan has eaten seafood bisque, gnocchi with mushrooms, and even jalapeno poppers. We know how lucky we are that Johnathan is so open to trying foods and eating a variety of foods. Some weeks he'll have a lot of the same things over and over again. He has a select couple foods that his lunches consist of every week. There's nothing wrong with that as we know the importance is that he is getting meals that satisfy his hunger and will help him through his day.

One of the most pleasant surprises for us was when Johnathan started ordering soup at restaurants. The fine motor skills of eating soup was a challenge for him but he enjoyed sampling our soups at restaurants. When we started ordering soup for him it usually meant one of us helping him to eat it. After a while though Johnathan got tired of waiting for us to serve him and he mastered eating soup on his own. When given the chance to order soup Johnathan usually doesn't pass it up. 

Not only does Johnathan enjoy eating food but he enjoys being able to help make it. When Jim is cooking Johnathan usually watches him intently. He observes every step Jim makes and often knows each step when Jim is making popular meal. Johnathan loves helping mommy bake and usually gets involved in the mixing of the ingredients.

Since we didn't realize that Charles was on the autism spectrum until later we didn't have such a concern about Charles not eating various foods. Charles, like Johnathan, loves a variety of foods and loves to try new things. There are some things that he does not like though. Charles refuses to eat applesauce and given as a baby refused it. When we got out to eat at restaurants that offer a soup or salad with your meal he'll either pass or ask to have cottage cheese instead. Charles is also not a fan of spicy food though as he's gotten older he has started to be a little more willing to do some more spice in foods. We also have found that all food is fair game with Charles. Can't tell you the number of times that he finishes his meal and then scopes out what we still have on our plates for him to eat.

We are constantly reminded that we are parents of two teenage boys that are growing. While we use to always come home with leftovers we have seen a shift in the boys eating habits. Most of our meals include appetizers or soup before the main meal now. If we don't eat right away when these arrive we often don't get much because the boys dig right in. The boys plates of food are often wiped clean and they are usually looking for what else they can eat. There is more of a need to keep extra food on hand at home and when we travel also.   

Jim:

With Charlies, we have told him that we would like him to try something new first. If he doesn't like it, no problem, you don't have to have another bite. We also tell him that if he orders something and ends up not liking it, to let us know and we will either trade meals with him or order him a new meal. 

We found this last part out when we traveled to South Dakota a few years back. The day before he had a bison burger and we could tell he didn't care for it. But he didn't tell us that he didn't like it or what was wrong with it. The next day we were getting lunch and we were getting a bison sausage and we were telling Charlie it was ok to get something else. It was at that point he finally told us that he didn't like the seeds on the bun of the bison burger the day before. We were thinking it was the bison that he didn't like. 

Ever since then, Charlie has been vocal about what he doesn't like. If there is something that we think he may not like, Michelle or I will order something that we can swap with him should he not like something. However, he is one that often asks to try new items and we have had very few where he didn't like it. Or at least didn't dislike it enough that he couldn't finish it. 

With both Charlie and Johnathan, I have been amazed by what they are willing to eat. There have been a lot of dishes we have tried at home, mostly because we are trying to use up items that we have on hand. Some of these things have been winners and are actually in our rotation. While others, were a do once and never again. Both Boys have tastes similar to me. So if I need to make two different dinners, it is usually because Michelle doesn't like what we are having.   

Corned Beef and Cabbage has been the dish that has shocked both Michelle and I the most. She doesn't care for it and first time I made it, I had the thought that it was going to be all for me. I could not have been more wrong, the boys devoured the full meal and asked for seconds, including the cabbage. 

Johnathan at times doesn't seem like that adventurous of an eater. However, just like everything else, he does it on his own time. There have been times that I have offered him a bite and he will say no. Just to then take a bite a little while later. Or, when we bring the leftovers home, he will ask for a bite and then eat over half of it. This has taught us to always offer him a bite, but if he says no, wait a while and then ask again. 

I cannot tell you how much of a joy it is to see both of my boys eating the meals I make and then to ask for additional helpings. I also know how blessed we are that both are willing to try most foods. We will always work to try and expand their food horizons.