Therapy and Learning Services, Incorporated
  • Welcome!
    • About
  • Work with me
  • Blog
  • Contact

​​

Opening a "side door" with a picky eater...

8/9/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
First of all...sorry that I've been M.I.A for (GASP!) almost 4 months.  I've been busier than I intended to be. I am hoping to be back on a regular schedule with blogging VERY soon. I have so much to tell you all.

Today, I had an AMAZING "picky" eater session.  I've been working with this friend for almost 3 months. We have steadily been progressing and learning about foods as well as how to make better choices. Well today, we had some major FUN and we took some excellent steps forward.

While our recipe was baking in the oven (cereal coated chicken tenders) I had my friend select foods for his plate. He needed to select something he enjoyed (hopefully that included a protein/carb), something that he's eaten and he thinks is "ok" but that he doesn't eat often and finally something that he isn't wild about at all but that he would tolerate on his plate to "explore" or just to have there. Here are my friends choices: p.b.j uncrustable (mom helped select this one), banana and string cheese. I was surprised at the string cheese selection and we had a little discussion about it because he has eaten string cheese with me and liked it!  Here is the thing though...picky eaters don't think about food like we do. For him he thinks "I tried that, it was ok and then proceeds to go back to his core foods.  I'm working on this VERY thing with many of my pickys...how to get them to stop thinking about their new foods as "new foods" and more like food that is a "core food."  

While I begin eating my yogurt, I remind my friend that he doesn't have to do anything with the string cheese if he chooses not to. Surprisingly, he opens it and takes a bite...yucky face. I ask "why the yucky face?"  He replies "tastes stinky cheesy." LOL.  I remind him, he doesn't have to eat it.  We sit for a bit and he then asks me to open it more for him (he has a broken arm and is in a cast) and he proceeds to then pull pieces off (YES! We want them to explore the food even IF it doesn't go in the mouth). Next thing I know, he asks if he can "try a recipe he thought of."  By this time, I can hardly contain myself!! So, we get out the pizza sauce and he tells me what to do (remember he has one good arm).  I spread the sauce on a thicker piece of string cheese and , as instructed, place another thicker piece of string cheese on the top. Off to the microwave we go for 10 seconds and out pops  somewhat gooey, cheesy pizza like creation.  He digs in and proclaims "it tastes just like Barnaby's pizza (a local pizza place)!  SCORE! We now have an idea for a more nutritious, easy to make snack. Something MUCH better than the sugary, processed items he prefers. We also have, what I like to call, a blank canvas food to which we can add different flavors (think pizza toppings added to this recipe he has created).  

Before we know it, our chicken is done.  He tries it, but doesn't like it. LOL. Oh well, we explore/learn that we aren't meant to like everything and that is ok. WAIT though..there is more.  Mom made some chicken tenders with an Italian bread crumb mixture while we made our cereal coated chicken.  i encourage (gently) my friend to try his recipe ON TOP of the lightly breaded and baked chicken tender(we nuke it slightly to melt the cheese a bit).  He does, he tried a bite and HE LIKES IT!  This my friends is flavor masking at it's best.  We take a flavor they already like and try to combine it with something we would like them to eat. We now, also, have something mom can make for dinner for the entire family (Chicken Parmigiana) WITH my friend so he can remember that he likes each and every item in the dish. :)  

Flavor masking is more detailed than I've explained here and you don't want to just jump in without guidance or you risk having foods "drop out" if you don't do it correctly BUT this example illustrates how to, gently, take a picky eater who is beginning to TRUST food...to the next level but still in a "safe" environment.

Awesome session.  I'm sure I have typos up there and I'm sure this is a bit "rambly" but I wanted to get this out to you as soon as I could. 

Happy eating, friends!


Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Grammarly Writing Support
    Find this blog in the education blogs directory
    b=939922&u=989373&m=40173&urllink=&afftrack=">Shop Mabel's Labels Online
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    November 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

Two Locations to serve you:
2005 Valparaiso Street; Ste 108; Valparaiso, IN 46383
​3555 Park Place West; Ste 200; Mishawaka IN 46545

574. 654. 8540
Info@therapylearningservices.com
®Therapy and Learning Services, Inc 2016-2019

  • Welcome!
    • About
  • Work with me
  • Blog
  • Contact