Is it ok for an autistic person to live on fish fingers, alphabites and spaghetti hoops

[flowerpot13]

If anyone reading this happens to be a nutritionist, is it ok for an autistic person to mainly live off birdseye fishfingers, alphabites and spaghetti hoops - Even if they are capable of eating other things but don't like it.

Is this breakfast, dinner and tea?

Will they take a multivitamin and mineral supplement or liquid? They probably need some iron and vitamin c.

Its not a great diet but if thats all they will eat its better then starving

DS is now a strapping and healthy 23yo and a similar diet has done him no harm.

As a child he ate brown bread for lunch and dinner was fish fingers or chicken dippers with potato smiles. That’s it. Every single day. Occasionally he ate a banana or a fromage frais and most days he had some fruit juice or a smoothie.

By the time he was 19 he added in about 5-6 other foods but it’s still fundamentally no fruit or veg and only plain beige food.

Bassetts chewy multivitamins are non negotiable but otherwise we just tried to be relaxed about it, nothing we could do. He is fine.

My dad is 57 and lives on fish finger sandwiches and eggs. I love it when my mum says he’s not autistic. 🤣

Nutritionally poor diet, but if there are texture/sensory issues, it can be very difficult to overcome.

However, it is important to note that people with ASDs are significantly more likely to have gut health issues, beginning with IBS, and ranging up to things like bowel cancer. The abovementioned diet is very low in plant based foods, which contain fibre essential for bowel health.

Sometimes it is easier for autistic people with sensory issues to manage things like stewed fruit, which can be relatively bland and smooth, but still increase nutrient density in the diet. Or home made tomato sauces for pasta, padded with pureed vegetables.

Is it helping them to learn to spell?

Amongst other potential deficiencies if the don't take multi vitamins, I imagine they'd be terribly constipated from the lack of fibre.

It's not the worst I've heard of, but I'd be seeing if there was any wriggle room for small swaps if possible.

Birds Eye fish fingers are at least UPF free and don't actually contain any dodgy ingredients.

Alphabites if you mean the potato snacks.... would they try McCains smiley faces? They are again (surprisingly) UPF free and made out of potatoes, oil, salt and pepper. Or McCain Naked oven chips are a decent alternative.

Would they swap spaghetti hoops for baked beans? Could that be something to work towards? That would be a more nutritious option.

It is a diet very much lacking in fibre and certain nutrients so I'd be doing whatever I could to get some fruit and vegetables in there. Raspberries, apples and pears are some of the highest fibre fruits. Broccoli, peas and sweet potato are good options for vegetables. Would they tolerate some bread and butter alongside meals?

If this is all they’re having then it isn’t ideal. Is it you OP or a family member/friend?

I have autistic children and one who lost wait due anxiety/sensory issues so I know a fair bit about it.

Can they take multivitamins to get get what they’re missing? Gummies, liquid or tasteless powder ones you can mix into food. I would be especially concerned about iron, calicum, b12 and magnesium being contained in the supplements.

Are they drinking enough at the moment? Is their weight OK?

Is this their usual diet or have things changed recently? If it’s a recent change then it suggests their window of tolerance is lower and other things in life need to be adjusted.

No it’s not ok. Autistic people have the same nutritional requirements as everyone else and processed foods are bad for everyone. Fine occasionally but not every day.

Well, I mean, it will keep them alive. It has a small amount of protein and carbs. It's not going to kill them or anything.

However, if they can eat other things, they really should try to include some fruit and veg in their diet at the very least, and probably some dairy for calcium.

They're certainly going to need a multivitamin and mineral supplement, I think.

FWIW a relative of mine has ARFID and ate a similarly narrow range of very specific food for a very long time. She ended up very anaemic.

Autism isn't the only thing that could lead to someone eating like that, though.

I'm not saying your dad isn't autistic but plenty of people who only eat a small range of foods aren't autistic at all. Eating disorders and food-related OCD / phobias aren't unique to autistic people.

My ex is almost 60, has never eaten any fruit or veg in his life and survives pretty much solely on cereal, toast, chicken breast wraps, pizza and bacon sandwiches. He’s surprisingly healthy, over 6ft, not overweight and does plenty of exercise, so it’s clearly not done him a huge amount of obvious damage so far. Not ideal though, obviously!

Swap the alpha bites for oven chips and it’s not far off what a lot of us ate in the 80s several nights a week. Rotating the spaghetti with bean and frozen peas.

Would they have a piece of fruit for afters?
It’s not great but it’s a good amount of calories and there’s some protein.

Do they eat this same meal 3 x a day? Will they eat Cereal even dry as that is often fortified with iron and vitamins.

@flowerpot13 are you still around?

Can I suggest you speak to your child’s paediatric care team as they will be able to help talk you through this far than posters here , many have very poor ideas of what actual sensible nutrition advice is.

If the person is capable of eating more variety then try and encourage that as much as possible.

In cases of ARFID there comes a point where getting calories in becomes more important than nutritional value.