Sensory-Safe Thanksgiving Foods for Neurodivergent Kids & Picky Eaters

Sensory-Safe Thanksgiving Foods for Neurodivergent Kids & Picky Eaters

Thanksgiving is coming up in just a few short weeks here in the United States! Which means, for those of us with extremely picky kids, we’re already worrying about what our child is going to eat at the various dinners we attend. I, myself, was an extremely picky eater as a kid and my three-year-old son with autism is the same that I was. So I wanted to share a list of sensory-safe Thanksgiving foods for picky eaters where kids can still enjoy a family meal!

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I am not a dietician, nutritionist, feeding therapist, or any kind of medical or child development professional. I am just a mother of a child with autism and also someone who struggles with sensory sensitivities surrounding food myself.

Sensory-Safe Thanksgiving Foods

Here are what can be some of the safest Thanksgiving foods for picky eaters!

Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls were my favorite part of Thanksgiving as a picky kid. And I know anywhere we go, my autistic son is almost definitely going to be willing to eat some kind of plain bread. Especially if that bread is in the form of King’s Hawaiian rolls. I’ve been to many Thanksgiving dinners in my life (thanks to divorced and remarried parents) and I don’t think I’ve ever attended a Thanksgiving dinner that didn’t have some kind of dinner roll.

Mac & Cheese

This may be more of a toss-up. I know some extremely picky kids, especially autistic kids or kids with sensory processing disorder, have a hard time eating foods that aren’t the right texture, color, or even brand. I am lucky in that my three year old is willing to eat pretty much anything he recognizes as mac & cheese – even if the color or noodle shape is a little off.

If you’re bringing a dish to your dinner and you know your child would be willing to eat mac & cheese – bring it as your dish! That way you know there is something for them to eat.

Mashed Potatoes

I think one of the most universal Thanksgiving foods for picky eaters is mashed potatoes. Like dinner rolls, I don’t believe I’ve ever attended a dinner that didn’t have mashed potatoes. They’re really easy to make too! They have a soft texture and are usually pretty neutral in color.

Turkey

Turkey is probably the most “huh?” food on this list. Mostly because I know a lot of kids with sensory issues have a hard time with meat. My son does. And not to offend any Thanksgiving lovers out there, but Thanksgiving turkey is usually pretty dry and bland. That’s okay! This means that even picky eaters have a chance at eating the main course!

Tips for Surviving Thanksgiving with a Picky Eater

I know the foods on this list probably aren’t anything you haven’t already thought about. I actually mostly wanted to write this blog post to give some tips for parents of picky eaters on Thanksgiving. As someone who had a really hard time with food growing up and the mother of a little boy with autism and some major sensory sensitivities surrounding food, I feel that I have some tips you might find helpful.

1. Bring food from home.

I think most Thanksgiving dinners tend to a pot-luck style where everyone brings a dish. So if this is the case, you can plan to bring a dish that you know your child will eat! If you have to bring other food that you know your child will eat, that’s okay too! Bring them a PB&J or grilled cheese or whatever you know they’ll eat. They don’t have to eat the same thing as everyone else. While enjoying the same meal as a family is nice, it’s not usually worth the stress. My favorite brand of container to transport food for my son is Sistema and they’ve got a nice bento box as well as other great options!

2. Let them eat what they want.

Honestly, if your kid fills up on dinner rolls and mashed potatoes for one night – what’s the big deal? Thanksgiving isn’t really about eating a well-balanced dinner. Don’t push your child or yourself to eat a variety of things. If there is one part of dinner that they like and they fill up on, that’s perfectly okay! One day not worrying about their diet (not including any actual medical issues surrounding food) isn’t going to hurt them.

3. Ignore other people.

If someone has an issue with what your kid is eating on Thanksgiving, do you really want to be around them on a day all about being grateful? I know that I want to spend my holiday surrounded by people who love my son for who he is – and that includes his sensitivities around food! Anyone who isn’t minding their own business isn’t welcome around us, to be perfectly honest.

4. Don't make them feel ashamed.

I don’t think any good parent out there purposely makes their child feel ashamed of their picky eating. But kids can still feel it. The looks at their plate, the sighs, giving them food the parent knows the child isn’t going to eat, the outspoken worry about the child eating. Kids feel it. If you make a big deal out of it, you risk making your child feel ashamed. And picky eating isn’t something kids should be ashamed of! Everyone is different and everyone feels differently about food.

5. Breathe

It’s okay to just breathe. I know that raising a child with sensory sensitivities surrounding food is stressful. I know it’s hard. And that’s okay. But food everyday doesn’t have to be a battle. It’s okay to let your child have one day of eating the one or two things they know are safe so you can have a nice holiday. Don’t let the never-ending battle over food ruin the holiday for both of you. I wish I could share some fool-proof way of making your child eat on Thanksgiving, but I can’t. Truthfully, I can only talk about my own experiences – both as a picky eater and the mother of a child with autism. I can tell you that it’s going to be okay.

Happy Holidays!

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