Do you feel like your autistic picky eater with sensory issues eats the same thing every day?

So often parents tell me they feed their child the same few foods every single day. It’s just easier to get through a meal without a meltdown, but also, parents are out of ideas for new foods to feed a kid with food aversions and specific preferences about texture, color, and even temperature.

If this sounds like you and you’re looking for new ideas for a sensory avoider or a child with poor oral motor skills (a kid who prefers soft, smooth, and easy-to-chew foods) this meal plan is for you!

It’s a whole day’s worth of kid-approved smooth, creamy, soft, and easy-to-eat foods to change up the daily diet of pouches and puffs.

Soft and Smooth Meal Plan For Kids with Sensory Food Aversions

Breakfast

• Oatmeal with milk

• Favorite fruit (ripe melon is a good one!)

Snack

• Fruit and yogurt smoothie

Lunch

• Hummus

• Pita

• Sliced turkey roll up

• Zucchini coins (or favorite shape – I love these food cutters for creating food flexibility and practicing fine motor skills; use them also for the turkey, pita, and with dinner’s quesadilla)

Snack

• Banana bread with cream cheese

Dinner

• Quesadilla

• Refried beans

• Mild salsa

• Guacamole

• Favorite soft fruit or veggie

Snack

• Banana “ice cream”

There you have it! A soft and smooth meal plan for autistic kids who like easy-to-eat foods. Do you have any suggestions to add? Share in the comments. Your fellow autism parents will appreciate it!

And if you’re feeding a kid who loves crunchy and chewy foods, this meal plan is for you.

For even more meal and snack ideas for kids with autism and sensory symptoms, see these resources:

• Sensory Snack Guide for picky eaters and kids with SPD or food texture preferences

• Easy gluten and dairy free lunch ideas for kids with autism

• Easy gluten and dairy free breakfast ideas for kids with autism

• Sensory Protein Guide

Recap

With a bit of creativity and thought you can incorporate your child’s sensory food preferences into a healthy meal plan.

Homework

Starting one meal at a time, use this meal plan of soft, smooth, and easy-to-eat foods to remake one of your child’s meals. Once this is comfortable, move on to another meal.