Autism Diet List: Choosing Nourishing Foods for Autism
When it comes to a diet for autism, there is no one perfect choice. Each child has different needs - some children are deficient in certain nutrients, while others may have sensitivities to certain foods. Some may experience feeding challenges that severely limit their food choices. No matter what your child’s needs are, we’ll cover what you can include in your child’s autism diet plan to help support their body’s nutrition and help them to thrive.
Foods to include in an autism diet plan
Here are the top foods and nutrients to focus on including in your child’s diet. The way you include these foods will be different for each child, but overall these foods have been shown to support a healthy gut and benefit the brain. [1]
Fruits and Veggies - There are so many options here, so start with what your child likes and work on expanding gradually to include new types of fruits and vegetables (check out our blog on food chaining for more tips).
Fruits and veggies provide many important vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants and phytochemicals that help to reduce inflammation in the body. Try to incorporate as many different ones as you can each week!
Fruits: Apples, pears, citrus fruits, berries, cherries, peaches, plums, bananas, melons, mango, pineapple, pomegranate
Vegetables: Leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, sweet potato, onion, garlic, tomato, carrot, corn, peas
Omega 3 Fats - Children with ASD have been shown to have lower levels of omega-3’s in their blood, and these fats are essential to optimal brain functioning. [2] If including these foods in your child’s diet feels impossible, supplements can be an option.
Omega 3 top food sources: Salmon, tuna, sardines, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts
Interested in an Omega 3 supplement? This blog is a great guide to omega 3 supplements for autism.
Try this Salmon Nuggets recipe for a kid friendly omega-3 option.
Protein - Protein is important to help promote healthy growth in kids, as well as support the immune system and provide energy for the body. Some children with autism dislike meat and protein, which can make meeting their needs difficult. Here are some great sources of protein to include 2-3 times per day.
Animal proteins like meat, fish, cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs
Plant proteins include beans, nuts and seeds, quinoa, chickpeas
Probiotics can help support a healthy gut when combined with a healthy diet. For more information on the best probiotics for autism, check out this blog.
Foods that are sources of probiotics are fermented dairy, like yogurt and kefir, and other fermented foods, like pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Shelf stable foods are not fermented, so make sure you look for the ones in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
Fiber helps healthy bacteria grow in the gut, promotes healthy bowel movements, and keeps blood sugars stable, so it is a key part of a healthy diet for autism.
Fiber rich foods include beans, lentils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
For kids with limited diets who don’t reach their fiber needs daily, you can consider supplementing with a prebiotic while you work on expanding their diet.
Foods to limit in your autism diet list
Processed foods: This refers to foods that are processed, packaged, and have added ingredients. Although they are convenient, these foods often have added flavors, dyes, and preservatives that can negatively affect our bodies and should be avoided as much as possible.
When you do choose processed foods, try to choose ones that have a short ingredient list, with real food ingredients. These crackers are one example of a “better” processed food.
Excess sugar: Added sugars like those found in sweet foods, drinks, and desserts can cause blood sugar spikes and negatively affect your child’s behavior, weight, and overall health. To limit added sugars, avoid all sugar-sweetened drinks and offer only water (and milk if using) throughout the day. Note that processed foods usually contain added sugars, even if they’re not a sweet food.
Refined carbohydrates: Like sugar, these spike blood sugars and promote tooth decay. Refined carbs are grains that have the fiber and nutrients removed, so they are not the best source of nutrition for your child. Foods like cereal, crackers, breads, and pasta are considered refined if they are not 100% whole grain.
Food sensitivities: If your child struggles with food sensitivities, it's important to avoid foods your child is sensitive to. Some of the most common sensitivities are gluten, dairy, corn, and soy. Not all children have food sensitivities, so sometimes it takes a little investigating to see if your child has them.
How do you know if your child has a food sensitivity? Some signs that your child is struggling with a food sensitivity are skin reactions like eczema or hives, digestive issues including tummy aches, diarrhea, and constipation, and behavior challenges. You can find more information on food sensitivities here.
Autism Diet Plan: Sample Menus
There are endless ways to include the healthy foods listed above into meals your child already eats, so try to think of what might work best for your child. If they don’t eat whole nuts and seeds, try a nut butter. If they struggle with the texture of fruits and veggies, try pureeing veggies in a spaghetti sauce or blending fruits into a smoothie while you work on offering them new textures to expand their diet.
The menus below are just an example of what a couple of days might look like, but they are not one size fits all, so feel free to adapt them to fit your child!
Day 1
Breakfast: Whole grain pancake with sliced bananas and yogurt
Lunch: Bean burger, carrot sticks, and grapes
Dinner: Ground beef stir fry with your favorite veggies, brown rice, and fruit smoothie
Snacks: Chocolate energy balls, Whole grain toast with sunbutter
Day 2
Breakfast: Apple cinnamon oatmeal, with a spoonful of almond butter stirred in
Lunch: Creamy broccoli pasta (use whole grain pasta), orange slices
Dinner: Tacos (ground turkey, beans, salsa, shredded lettuce, cheese, in a whole grain tortilla), fruit salad
Snacks: Chia pudding, Celery with peanut butter and raisins
Looking for Autism Nutrition Support?
Expand your child’s diet, improve their nutrition, and help them feel their best & thrive with an autism & sensory-friendly approach.
MEET BRITTYN, THE AUTISM DIETITIAN
Brittyn Coleman is a Registered Dietitian and autism specialist. She helps parents of kids on the spectrum expand their number of accepted foods and maximize their nutrition to help them feel their best & thrive!
You can find her on Instagram at @autismdietitian or on Facebook!
Blog Written by Kalee Lundmark, MS, RDN, IFNCP
Kalee Lundmark is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who enjoys sharing her passion for nutrition with other moms. She has spent the last 20 years working with children to optimize their nutrition and help them overcome feeding challenges.
References
[1] Gómez-Pinilla F. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008 Jul;9(7):568-78. doi: 10.1038/nrn2421. PMID: 18568016; PMCID: PMC2805706.
[2] Agostoni C, Nobile M, Ciappolino V, Delvecchio G, Tesei A, Turolo S, Crippa A, Mazzocchi A, Altamura CA, Brambilla P. The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Developmental Psychopathology: A Systematic Review on Early Psychosis, Autism, and ADHD. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec 4;18(12):2608. doi: 10.3390/ijms18122608. PMID: 29207548; PMCID: PMC5751211.
