The Best Foods for Growing Autistic Children
Children suffering from autism tend to have more than one problem when it comes to growth and nutrition. And, there’s more than one reason behind the same.
- They tend to be quite picky about what they want to eat. This, in turn, prompts them to stay away from almost every kind of vegetable and fruit.
- People with autism generally have a weak stomach. Hence, unlike us, they’re not able to digest everything. In some cases, they might vomit the food out as well.
Due to this reason, it’s important for you, as a parent, to provide your child with a supplement or two. It can help them get the right nutrition without making too much of a nuisance.
But, what if you want to curate a healthy diet for them? Which foods should you incorporate, then? This article will help you understand more about it. So, let’s get started.
Creating A Diet Plan – What Should You Keep In
Unlike someone struggling with maintaining their weight, the diet plan of an autistic child is going to be entirely different. While you’re working on one, you should focus more on –
- Balancing their blood sugar level.
- Identifying their food allergies, such as dairy or gluten.
- Ensuring an optimal and proper intake of fats, including omega-3.
- Addressing their nutritional deficiencies properly.
In addition to these, you’ll also need to learn how you can improve their digestion properly with spectrum omega-3 fish oil supplements. It might be best for you to talk to someone professional to get more insights in this aspect.
Best Possible Meal Plan For An Autistic Child
In this section, we’ll offer three different meal plans that you can incorporate in your child’s diet plan. Let’s keep reading to know more about it.
Option – 1: Autism MEAL Plan
Unlike what we’ll talk about later, this one isn’t an autism plan at all. Instead, it’s more like a behavioral approach that can be used to change your child’s attitude towards certain foods.
In this aspect, you’ll try to give a food item (which your kid doesn’t) by cooking in a different manner. Now, observe if they’re eating it or not. If it’s unsuccessful, change your strategy.
Also, if your child follows a certain routine for eating, then you can slide the unwanted food within that timeline as well. As they’ll focus more on following their regime, they might end up eating the item subconsciously as well.
Option – 2: Casein- Or Gluten-Free Diet
If you’re parenting an autistic kid for a long time, you probably know that they’re allergic to both gluten and casein. Hence, removing these from their diet plan does make a lot of sense.
But, how are they going to get protein, then?
Well, in this case, you can try offering them one egg daily at their breakfast. It’ll ensure that they’re getting enough protein and improve their bodily strength to some extent.
Option – 3: Customized Ketogenic Diet
This moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet plan can help your child to get a lot of protein they were missing out on previously. Thus, when it comes to developing their muscle and brain, this one’s the best option for them.
Additionally, a ketogenic diet can effectively remove various irritants from your kid’s diet. However, just ensure that they’re not consuming a tremendous amount of fat, that’s all.
Is There An Optimal List Of Foods For Autistic Children?
Oh yes, definitely. When it comes to finding the best food item for an autistic child, you should always focus on something that has a high amount of –
- Vitamin A, C, and K.
- Folic Acid.
- Calcium.
- Zinc.
- Iron.
- Fiber, etc.
And, to get your child such balanced nutrition, you’ll need to provide them with these –
- Peanut butter or peanut.
- Soy milk (instead of any other dairy product).
- Chia seeds.
- Almond milk or almost nuts.
- Edamame and spinach.
- Dark chocolate (it should be an occasional sweet treat, nothing else).
- Oatmeal and chickpeas.
- Mango and tomatoes.
In addition, you can also ask your child to take a piece of carrot or two daily. It’s best for improving their stomach health and preventing mood swings accordingly.
Or, you might also talk to a doctor and let them help you with creating your own diet plan. That’d be much more helpful for you, to be honest.
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The Best Foods for Growing Autistic Children