Use these easy recipes for autistic picky eaters.
Cooking for autistic picky eaters is a difficult task for even autistic adults at times! Here are some easy, autistic-approved recipes to get started.
Sensory-friendly recipes for autistic picky eaters
If your autistic child is a picky eater, you’re not alone. Because of being sensory-sensitive, many autistic people start with a limited diet and slowly expand it.
These recipes are verified favorites by autistic children and adults. Click on the title of each one to go to the recipe.
1. Apple-Dapple Crunch Wrap Supremes
These wraps will be known to you by their less echolalia-worthy name: Granola Crunch Apple-Peanut Butter Sandwich Wraps. (Check the notes for allergy-friendly options.) They’re loaded with fruit and granola, which make these perfect for snacks or meals when your autistic kid refuses to eat spaghetti because it feels like worms.
2. Oil-Free Vegan Potato Soup
This dairy-free, gluten-free soup is hearty and versatile. The food blogger’s own neurodivergent kid requests this chunky soup be blended, which is something I never considered doing with soup before.
Since blending doesn’t require too much extra prep, this recipe would be great for those nights when you’re too tired to fight with your autistic kid at the dinner table because they won’t eat what you’ve made.
Additionally, the potatoes don’t need to be peeled, which makes this recipe wonderful for disabled adults as well.
3. Instant Pot Banana Chips
Instant Pot makes cooking quicker — and they’re easier on people with low-energy who want to eat healthy. Autistic picky eaters often despise bananas because they’re gooey, sticky and squishy.
Banana chips are similar to freeze-dried bananas, but with more flavors and less expensive since you can make them at home. If your autistic child won’t eat bananas, these might become their new favorite snack.
4. Pasta e Fagioli aka Pasta and Beans
One of my favorite meals is pasta a fagioli, so finding a recipe that doesn’t require me to dice tomatoes (poor motor skills) is comforting. This hearty soup uses 5 ingredients and can be made with canned items.
Picky autistic eaters may find comfort in the sensory input of the soup. I personally love noodles “with holes” for any dish that isn’t spaghetti or chicken Alfredo. When the sensory input is satisfying, I’m motivated to eat more.
5. Mini Keto Corn Dog Muffins
Does your autistic child love their beige foods? It’s probably because it’s easier on the eyes, less distracting, and predictable in taste. Mini corn dog muffins are freezer-friendly, which means you can make them ahead of time and reheat them when you or your kid want them.
The ketogenic diet is known to decrease epilepsy symptoms, an occasionally co-occurring diagnosis in autistic people.
6. Turkish Fig Pudding
This recipe is included because it has “pumpest plums”, and that’s music to my echolalia. More than that: sometimes, chewing is hard. It’s easier to drink a smoothie, a shake, flavored gelatin, or applesauce than it is to chew food.
I’m a picky autistic eater and consider eating a conscious act. Instead of “just eating”, I have to remind myself to chew until the pieces are small enough that I won’t choke, and I will sometimes still choke.
7. Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Making macaroni and cheese in a skillet changed my life. Macaroni and cheese is a samefood/safefood for many autistic people and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients or time to make.
If you’re trying to work veggies into your autistic picky eater’s diet, offer something green — like green beans or asparagus. Let them spit it out if they don’t like it — putting it in their mouth for a few seconds is success enough!
Autistic people who struggle with sensory inputs of foods will be traumatized if you make them swallow those foods, which will cause them to avoid them in the future. One bad experience with a food is enough to turn us off for good.
8. Pizza Bun Recipe
No list of recipes for picky autistic eaters is complete without a pizza recipe. Despite its association with junk food, pizza is a great meal because it contains several food groups (dairy, grains, meat, veggies/fruit).
Tomato sauce kind of counts as both a vegetable and a fruit, since it’s botanically a fruit but sold as a vegetable. Loopholes are your friend when it comes to feeding your picky autistic kids.
Tips for finding autistic-friendly recipes
I often google “quick easy toddler recipes” when I’m meal planning. Toddler recipes are typically freezer-friendly finger foods. Every now and then, I’ll happen across a gourmet toddler recipe — I skip those.
Learning how to cook a few basic, versatile recipes helps me plan semi-nutritional meals on a budget. I like to choose one or two versatile meals that share ingredients, plus one big batch comfort meal that doesn’t. I fill the rest of my grocery budget with premade meals for the days when I can’t cook or need something quick.
Go for recipes that meet your autistic child’s sensory needs. If they’re craving crunch, take advantage by offering crunchy nutritional foods.
When introducing new foods, your maximum goal should be that they put the food in their mouth and spit it out. As an autistic adult, I have the agency to do this. As an autistic child, I did not have this agency and thus do not like a lot of nutritional foods today.
Forcing your autistic child to eat food they don’t like is about more than your child refusing to eat. Non-autistic people feel and intuit. Autistic people think and explore, which means that sensory input has a great influence on how autistic children experience the world.
Not sure what your autistic child might eat? Comment below with what your picky autistic eater will eat, and I’ll match you with some recipes to try.
More Easy Recipes for Autism, Picky Eaters and Sensory Issues
10 Easy Recipes for Autistic Adults (Your child will like these recipes, too.)
8 Easy Dinner Recipes for Autistic Children (and adults)
10 Simple Breakfast Recipes for Autistic Children (and adults)
8 Easy Recipes for Autistic Picky Eaters
10 Simple Lunch Recipes for Autistic Children
5 Healthy Snack Recipes for Autistic Kids
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Autism Nutrition Library – Want more help with recipes for the autistic person in your life? Check out this library of resources by a Registered Dietician (RD) and autism expert.
my kiddo will eat plain butter noodles, mcdonalds French fries, Super Pretzels (frozen pretzels with salt on top), ravioli filled with cheese, top ramen, Kraft Macoroni and cheese, and alot of different sweets. I’m so concerned with her nutrition. my anxiety is at an all time high worrying about it
Kayla, im right there with you and it can get really rough. There is a program for eating issues…im on a waiting list but they are supposed to look at the factors involved and try to help kids with autism eat better.
Hi! My nephew is 3 yrs old and likes rice, hamburger, any kind of meats, pasta, French fries, chicken and pork, cheese and hot dogs.
Glad I found your site! Thank you!
My grandson only eat sweet potato and broccoli and farina and oatmeal and that have to be purée in a blender and he will only take it out of a bottle I really do not know what to do know more need help
I have twins who are both autistic and each one of them eat completely different but both are extremely picky. so any recipes would be amazing . first one eats fettuccine Alfredo (only the Knorr Pasta Sides) spaghetti, turkey sandwich, chicken patty sandwich, chicken nuggets , mcdonalds cheeseburger, yogurts , apple, oranges , strawberries bananas. she loves cream cheese . second one LOVES cereal . could eat cereal all day everyday. loves cheeseburger hamburger helper, Mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, icecream , strawberries, grapes and oranges, yogurt and he hates chocolate…
help! lol
Shannon,
Thanks for being so detailed in what they’ll eat! I just want to let you know that I saw this and will get back to you soon!
A treat if you want to try it that I can think of off the top of my head: broiled oranges. I’m bad at describing the recipe, but it’s basically oranges + sugar (brown, white, coconut, honey or syrup), broiled. They’re sweet and candy-like, and it works with oranges, grapefruit, similar fruits. Cut them in half (or round slices), oil the skin, and sprinkle or drizzle sugar on top. Broil for 5-10 minutes. The sugar crystallizes and it’s 🤌
If you get them to help you cook, it might encourage them to try more foods. When I make something, I’m more keen to try it — but not necessarily. I was making shrimp stir fry before I ever started eating shrimp. 😅 But I did try more “safe” foods, like rice + cilantro (too grassy/citrus for my liking).
I’ll get you more recipes in a few days. 😊 I’m currently having to do low FODMAP, so I won’t be able to test them myself, but I’ve worked with those ingredients plenty to know what might taste good or not. I know Knorr sides for sure can be used in a foil pan dish 🤌
Anyway, I’ll get back to you. Just wanted to make sure your comment doesn’t go unanswered. 💖
My son is 3 and autistic. He eats chicken nuggets, pizza, cereal bars, chips, ritz crackers, cookies and Vienna. I have tried so many things and he will take the imposter nugget and put it on his chin to see if the texture is the same as the nuggets he usually eat. All this processed food is bad on him. He is already 50 pounds. I give him baby food pouches to get fruit and vegetables in him and he eats that by squeezing it into his mouth and licking it. These pouches and any 100% juice messes his stomach up. These appetite choices are not healthy. Is there anything else I can get him to try and help increase his food preferences?
My grandson is 6, he will eat only junk food. Cereal, breakfast bars, donuts, chips, cookies, yogurt. I have had to dehydrate veggies and mix them in his yogurt or pudding. He refuses to eat meat. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you for posting this!! I’ve been at my wits end recently. My son is almost four and has autism. He has started to venture out a little, but he mostly just eats the same thing over and over again and I don’t know what to do. I wish there were more resources or recipes out there.
What he will eat consistently (and does eat basically daily since he’s so picky):
Waffles w/ Syrup (I’ve added waffles with peanut butter which he tolerates)
Peanut butter and jelly Sandwhich (he’s not picky about what flavor jelly or what type of bread which is nice)
Chef Boyardee Beefaroni
Chips (spicy chips, bbq chips, etc) and popcorn
Quesadillas (this is a food that comes and goes. He will eat it for like a week or two and then he’s completely over it. Only recently have I been able to sneak some shaved deli meat in there)
Spaghetti w/ meat and tomato sauce (most of the time he won’t eat this, and when he does he eats around the veggies and meat)
Dan Dan Noodles (the frozen of Chang one—again, he eats around the meat and vegetables)
Bananas (ONLY while we are grocery shopping. No idea why)
Rice cakes, some granola bars, pretzels, pouches (it’s the only way we get veggies and fruit into him)
Pediasure
Frozen pizza (also super hit or miss)
Some dried fruit chips
He’s basically missing dairy (he drinks milk), meats, veg and fruit). He only likes carbs. Pls help!
I am a (very late diagnosed) autistic adult (25, F) that grew up with a professional culinary mother and still to this day hate cooking and love processed foods. I do enjoy a home cooked meal, but the flavors will get too much after just a few bites and can cause a meltdown, nausea, etc. I have gained some weight via bad depression meds, living out on my own and EDs. I am trying my hardest to lose weight whilst also having easy snacks and safe food options. Since I hate cooking and have a PDA profile, cooking (or assembling food at all) is seen as a task and I cannot make myself put together any food, so I survive off of microwaveable food.
I am hoping to take some of these recipes and make some of these meals once and prepare them for me for the week (I work at home)! If you know of other websites, forums, etc. with more ideas for autistic adult (even toddler snacks work too, the cuter the better right?) meals / snacks that would be great! Thanks for the great start!
I eat:
– fruits (apples, banana, pears, peaches, strawberries and raspberries – sometimes grapes but the skins give me an ick)
– veggies (celery, green beans, peppers, cucumbers, cooked broccoli and carrots)
– meats (pork, chicken, fish and turkey)
My safe foods as of right now are:
Chef Boyardee Beefaroni, Mini Ravioli and ABC’s, Chicken and Cheese Taquitos w/ sour cream, Lunchables, Ramen, and sometimes if I am able, a tuna sandwich. For snacking, I will eat up fruit chew candy and spray-cheese w/ crackers really fast and am hoping to kick these habits because it’s super unhealthy but I love the flavors and feeling!
I can eat whole grain pasta, bread, etc. but it can be hard for me! I do have pretty bad sensory issues when it comes to food, but I am willing to try new things always! I prefer smoother soups, love broths, I usually eat really small meals and love snacking (stimming mostly). Munching / chewing feels really good for snacking!
(Thanks again for any help)
Hello, my son is considered a high functioning child on the autism spectrum. He likes mostly crunchy foods and totally against anything that feels “squishy” in his mouth like pizza (because he doesn’t like how the sauce makes the bread soft), noodles, etc. He wants to try new foods, but I’m at a complete loss for where to even look to find new foods ideas that are crunchy enough.
His fav foods are chili, breadsticks, hot Cheetos, and baked potatoes. Thank you in advance for any suggestions, I greatly appreciate it.
I relate to a lot of what you wrote. My son is eight also high functioning and he recently started to love crunching on Popcorn corners chips, and these popped rice discs found in Wegmans. If you have one near you with chocolate drizzled on top, they’re very low calorie but they’re healthy.
Thanks for the ideas!
My high functioning 5 year old autistic child refuses most meat except for occasionally chicken nuggets. He refuses most beans unless they are in a small burrito. He’ll eat tofu, & most vegan meat substitutes, waffles with pb & maple syrup (I try to buy Kashi whole grain ones), pb & honey sandwiches are iffy (if the bread is too soft ots a no-go). He’ll eat pizza, mac & cheese, & loves dairy, but I think it constipated him (although the pediatric gut doctor doesn’t believe dairy does that unless you consume a lot).
Thanks for any help you can give 🙂
i am an autistic teenage and toaster waffles are a staple for me – i get some by the brand “kodiak” because they make them with added protein (12 grams i believe)!!! highly recommend as a way to get more nutrition in a pre existing safe food
I use that brand and i havent had issues gaging or rejecting the pancake mix whatsoever
so my daughter is 12, she doesn’t want food “like a 5 yr old” she doesn’t eat meat accept Mc Donald’s chicken nuggets, sour cream and chives noodles by knor,pizza only cheese and sauce,spaghetti plain noodles and sauce and a sub grilled with only cheese and lettuce. macaroni and cheese made in the red box by Stouffer’s which they don’t sell here anywhere anymore. I want to make more home cooked healthy meals and running out of ideas to have for dinner as well as school lunches as she is so picky and all we get for advice is “if she is hungry enough she will eat it” I’m a single mom on a fixed income and it’s really hard to come up with ideas.
ohhhh, I completely get it. my son is 5 and going to kindergarten and I’m stressing so bad about lunches for him. he won’t eat Lunchables, sandwiches, crackers, bread, peanut butter and jelly and so much more. and all I hear is, if he’s hungry enough he’ll eat…… no be won’t!
My son does not eat meat or veggies
He only eats cherrios,toddler puffs,oreos,cheetos,and fruit and cheese
Not sure the age, so I don’t know if he’s a wee toddler, but what about jerky or Slim Jims? Also, freeze-dried veggies have a totally different texture and taste! If he loves toddler puffs, he might like freeze-dried veggies. I know these aren’t super accessible since they run expensive, unfortunately. Before inflation a few years back, I’d eat mixed freeze-dried veggies because they just hit different. Freeze-dried corn hit different the most — sweeter than I’d expect. (Like, eating them freeze-dried; not hydrating them or anything.)
I got Nutristore and Augason Farms. Mother Earth looks promising. Some companies will send you (a) sample(s) if you mention autism, especially shortly before and during April; however, it doesn’t hurt to ask during other months, even if they publicly put that they don’t give out samples. Harvest Snaps (usually sold in produce section) are a more accessible option. Might he eat those? They’re basically chips. There are also some “Veggie Puffs” in the chips section, which are also pretty good. I used to like the straws because they were like colorful potato chips.
Often, meat and veggies have way more variety in regard to sensory input. Fruit is similar re: varying sensory input. Freeze-dried veggies the veggie straws/veggie puffs offer more texture and flavor reliability.
My child will only eat a few select things some more than others and others she will only eat once every so many months.
Things she will eat every day, all day:
Cheez-its
Things she will eat at least once a day:
Waffles
Chicken nuggets (used to have to be dinosaur shaped, now she wants circle shaped)
Dry cereal
Things she will eat sometimes:
Cereal with milk
Ramen noodles
Pretzels
Toast
Things she used to eat:
Pureed fruits
pureed vegetables
Things she will not even consider:
fruits and vegetables ( Occasionally she will take a small bite or two of banana which she loved as a baby )
Things she will eat without even thinking about it:
Chocolate
Also, she is 3 years old but closer to 4.
i have autism (26 year old dude) and i would always be picky about texture and would want my food to be the same texture. I’m still getting used to it.
Omg, my 15 yo daughter wouldn’t eat any of these recipes. If she did, I wouldnt think of her as picky. Foods can’t be mixed together and the texture of some of these would be a huge no! I’m googling trying to get ideas of “safe” things she MIGHT be willing to try but these aren’t going to help us at this time. I love the idea and love that people recognize the challenge and are talking about it but the recipes suggested for kids and in the adult article are so not within reach for us. Be well and good luck to everyone!
Julie,
I wrote this article from my perspective.
Honestly…people complicate feeding autistic kids more than it needs to be.
Does your daughter eat? That’s what matters most. Focusing on whether your autistic kid is eating the pyramid is soooo ugh. I don’t even do that. I actually do the plate-by-plate approach. Sometimes, my ONE serving of veggies for the DAY is a baby food pouch of pureed fruit & veggies. Sometimes, it’s three fruit snacks — the Mott’s kind with fruits & veggies.
When I worked with a registered dietician, she convinced me to pair a vanilla yogurt cup with at least 2 packages of fruit snacks. 💁♀️ I’m a recovering atypical anorexic + ARFID.
At the end of the day, the bare minimum AND the standard autistic adults hold ourselves to is “Did we feed ourselves today?”
I recommend joined the Facebook Group, Executive Dysfunction Meals. You can see realistic meals. “Healthy” is such a buzzword. Sustainable meals are honestly sometimes SunButter on banana halves with sprinkles if we want, a warm roll, mashed potatoes…it’s breaking up with the idea that meals need to look or be a certain way, contain certain foods.
It’s about thinking creatively. Sometimes, breakfast = chocolate-dipped vanilla ice cream cone. That’s dairy, protein and sweets all in one. 💁♀️ Or cake, which is dairy and eggs. 💁♀️
We say ish like, “Eating something is healthier than eating nothing at all,” and, “Fed is best,” because that’s what matters at the end of the day.
I have a 5 yr old autistic son who eats something one day then won’t eat it for a long time and he has very limited choice of food he likes to eat because the fact that I pretty much ruined a lot of food he used to like because I could not get any kind of medicine in him that was prescribed by his pedatricine for his constant hyperactivity so now he always has to taste his food extra good to make sure he doesn’t taste any medicine in it. Still today he will not take any medicine even when he would get sick