Meal replacement shakes/similar?

[GoGoPowerScooter]

DS is ten, and diagnosed with ASD five years ago. Food has always been difficult for him, but lockdowns and not being able to get hold of some of his safe foods have made it even harder for him. I can usually get him to eat something beige for dinner, but breakfast is awful: he's so hungry but can't eat. He's just gone to school having eaten two crackers; he'll eat a handful of popcorn at lunch; then he'll be exhausted and tearful with hunger after school. I've just bought some Paediasure from Amazon - he says he's happy to try that (he likes drinking hot chocolate usually, but even that got rejected this morning). Just wondered if anyone else has had any success with those? Any tips/recommendations of anything else, please? Now I'm fretting that he'll pronounce the milkshakes "yucky" and then wtf do I try?

Bump 🙂

Hopeful bump. He's been crying with hunger, says he wants to try the milkshakes but he's too scared. My poor boy.

If he’s hungry then feed him anything that he will eat. What foods are on his safe list?

I’m sure the Paediasure is fine and you’ve nothing to lose by letting him try a few different flavours. You could probably make something healthier fresh but I know consistency of texture and taste can be an issue which is why pre-packaged is often preferred.

Does he drink anything else that you could add protein powder to? I used to add milk powder to ds's milk to get extra protein in him.

Ds has a very restrictive diet and to be honest I often let him eat thing a that aren't great for him like ice cream or crisps as some days I'm worried he hasn't actually eaten anything at all.

When he's really hungry he often even rejects his safe foods - nothing is guaranteed. Most safe foods are beige oven food - potato waffles, Richmond thin sausages. He likes them burnt/cooked for at least half an hour - I can't do that in the mornings before school - single parent, and DD also has ASD. I could try him with frankfurters for breakfast I guess, they only take five minutes cooking in a frying pan. So many previously safe foods getting rejected now too - galaxy chocolate, pringles, salted tortilla chips, cucumber.

He drinks blackcurrant squash
Used to eat yogurt which I might've been able to sneak protein powder into, if he hadn't stopped eating those.

I'd let him have a twix for breakfast if he'd still eat them, at least he wouldn't get so hungry at school. Used to have a couple of different cereals he'd eat without milk, but none at the moment. Used to eat toast if it was black, but that's off limits now too.

Would he eat the sausages cold if you cooked them the night before? Or reheated?

I feel your pain, ds goes through phases where he rejects safe foods. So frustrating. We're down to milk and hula hoops at the moment.

Have you seen a dietician? They can help with ARFID and prescribe many different type of drinks. Some taste better than others and some are unflavoured (although I'm told by my DC that you can still taste them). They can also give you high calorie, low volume supplements so there's less to drink for the same calories/fat.

What is his weight like?

At the very extreme end the dietician can help organise enteral feeding.