These Are the Best Lunches for Sensory Seekers and Sensory …...

Though autistic and neurodivergent individuals experience sensory sensitivities most often, many kids have sensory preferences that need special care—especially at lunch time.

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Packing lunch for your child can be a trying experience even in the best circumstances. Between navigating a variety of school restrictions and brainstorming ideas for a meal that won’t return home uneaten, it can feel like a thankless task—and it can feel even trickier when your child also experiences sensory sensitivities.If you’re parenting a child who is sensory seeking or sensory avoidant, here are some tips from a registered dietician, an occupational therapist, and a child feeding specialist to make packing lunch easier than ever.Understanding Sensory SensitivitiesNavigating mealtimes while parenting a child with sensory sensitivities can easily feel overwhelming, especially when those restrictions get squeezed into a lunch box, but these frustrations are shared by more families than you might imagine. In fact, sensory sensitivities may be more common than we realize both among children and adults, and though these traits are often experienced by individuals with autism and neurodivergence, a child without autism can also exhibit strong sensory preferences. Jenny Friedman, RDN, MS, is a pediatric registered dietician and has worked with families to navigate their children’s feeding challenges for the past seven years. While she began her practice working with children with autism, she says that sensory preferences can be experienced by all children. “To some extent, we all have certain needs and thresholds,” she says. “Your child might be more sensitive if they have trouble with big sounds, textures, tastes, touches, etc., food-related and otherwise. Sensory-seeking kids might gravitate towards big sounds, movements, flavors, and textures.” Friedman says that some children can even be calmed by certain inputs. In the same way, other children who are sensory avoidant might be triggered by them. Amy Palanjian of Yummy Toddler Foods says that parents can often see what their child gravitates toward just by being extra attentive during meal times. “Pay attention to the foods your child likes and see if there's a common thread between textures,” she says. “Some kids really do like having more texture, so more crunch, more crispness, more interest in their mouths (as opposed to everything being soft).”As always, Palanjian cautions that even for sensory-seeking children parents be mindful of choking hazards like nuts, hard candies, and round foods under the age of four. Working With Your Child's Sensory NeedsWhile keeping your child’s sensory needs in mind while packing a lunch can often feel like another checkbox to tick during an already complicated task, Friedman says there are many benefits to catering to these preferences. “Incorporating a child's sensory needs into their diet can help them feel more regulated and safe and can increase the likelihood of them eating,” she says.“[This] of course has so many benefits: improved nutrition, peace of mind for parents, [and] stable blood sugar which can positively impact behavior.”While there can be a lot of pressure for parents to “accomplish” something with lunch (whether that’s packing something that’s aesthetically creative, pushing their child to try new foods, or fulfilling some other feeding goal), Palanjian encourages parents to take a step back from those external influences and focus on what matters most: providing your children with food they’ll eat and enjoy. “Remember that the goal of lunch can simply be to pack foods that are easy to eat, nourishing, and filling, so you do not need to hyperfocus on new foods or exposure at that meal,” she says. “Especially at the start of the school year or at a new preschool when there is likely to be so much else happening.”Tips for Finding Foods to PackIf you feel like you reach for the same foods again and again when it comes time to pack your child’s lunchbox, Friedman says there are a variety of ways that parents can keep lunchtime interesting without going overboard with food selections. She even shares a sample meal plan for sensory seekers on her website that features crunchy and chewy foods for each meal. “I recommend looking at the textures and flavors of foods they love the most to get ideas for new foods,” she says. “They gravitate towards chewy, crisp, and crunchy foods? Find others that share those same qualities.”If you still feel stuck, keep these four approaches in mind as you work with your child’s sensory preferences. Get Creative and AdaptFriedman says thinking outside the box and getting a little creative can be especially helpful for a repetitive task like packing lunch—and can even allow them to include non-preferred foods with the right preparation. “Parents can adapt foods to better meet their child's preferences and needs,” she says. “For example, thin slices of chewy salami could be baked to make crispy salami chips. You could bread thin chicken cutlets to provide more sensory feedback or add lots of granola or nuts to yogurt.” Consider a 'Stretch' Food“It doesn't have to be anything special!” Friedman says of picking favorite foods to include, or new foods to try. “Try to hit on all the major food groups and always include something you know they're likely to eat. That being said, I love putting a ‘stretch food’ in a lunchbox – something that they might not normally eat at home, but potentially could when with friends and in a new environment.” If your child struggles with trying new things even at home, Friedman says she wouldn’t necessarily try this at lunchtime, but if exploring new foods is a common occurrence in your family, it could give you one more trick up your sleeve to branch out at lunchtime.Be a MinimalistIf you’re packing a lunch for a sensory-avoidant child, Friedman says that taking a minimalist approach could be best. In other words, this is permission to ditch the bento box.“For a sensory avoider, you could think about minimizing the number of colors or even total number of foods you're including to avoid overwhelming them,” she says. Include One ThingAs you pack your child’s lunch, Friedman encourages parents to think about what might feel familiar and comfortable for them, and make sure to include just one small thing that falls into that category.“Even if your child isn't that extreme with their sensory needs, you can include a small something that you know will regulate them (a crunchy apple, chewy dried fruit) for extra security.” Other Considerations for LunchtimeWhile food choices certainly play a role in how children navigate lunchtime sensory issues, if parents feel like their children are still experiencing sensory stress around mealtime, there are other elements that might contribute to the stimuli being processed at school.Rachel Becker, MS OTR/L is an occupational therapist who works in northwest Pennsylvania with children experiencing feeding challenges, and she notes that food choice is often just one part of the puzzle. “A child who is physically sensory seeking may have difficulty sitting down and tending to a task, like eating a meal, which may make mealtime difficult (defiance, picky eating, etc),” she says, noting that children who are sensory seekers may need to get those energy needs met before lunchtime in order to enjoy the meal.Friedman agrees that school lunch environments can be a sensory challenge for children.“The sensory system is on big time when it comes to eating,” she says. “You're taking in tastes, textures, and flavors of foods. Beyond that, there's also the noises, smells, and movements of the environment and others who are eating. You could easily feel overwhelmed!”Beyond the food that’s being offered, Friedman says that other sensory input can include anything from new surroundings and unfamiliar ambient noises, to the type of utensils being used at the meal (whether it’s plastic or metal, what kinds of sounds it makes, etc.)You Know Your Child BestWhile increased awareness around sensory processing needs and neurodivergence has meant that many children receive much-needed accommodations in care centers and at schools in recent decades, parents will often still find other adults in their child’s life who might not support their chosen feeding approach. As parents continue to work to advocate for their children and their sensory needs with other caretakers and family members, Becker says that she often advises parents to remember they know what works best for their family’s needs. “Getting family and caregivers to do what you want can be very hard because there’s so many opinions,” she says. “Especially older generations [saying], ‘Back in my day this wasn’t an issue.’ My biggest piece of advice is to take the comments and opinions with a grain of salt. In the end, Becker says that parents can be their children’s best advocates when it comes to navigating pushback from individuals who are unsupportive of their child’s sensory or feeding plan.“Educate them the best you can,” she says. “As a parent you know what’s best for your children.” For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Parents.

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These Are the Best Lunches for Sensory Seekers and Sensory Avoiders

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