Increasing Flexible Thinking about trying new foods without even trying new foods!

Today in one of my 1-on-1 direct feeding therapy sessions, the kiddo was presented with a familiar and preferred food: toast with butter. Her mom had cut the piece of toast into 3 long strips rather than into bite-sized squares like she usually does. I recommended her mom do this for two reasons: 1) this kiddo struggles with some oral motor weakness and taking bites off a larger piece will work on strengthening those bite muscles and 2) this kiddo also struggles with COGNITIVE RIGIDITY, or lack of flexible thinking. She always gets her toast presented in the same way and likes it that way. She is not open to trying new foods or even new presentations of her favorite foods.

At first she picked up a slice of the toast and took an effortful bite from it, but then realized she got some crumbs on her fingers. She received a rag to wipe her hands on, however when she went to take another bite, she started to pick up the toast but then looked up at us and yelled, 'These are not squares! I eat my toast in squares! I'm not eating anything!' and she pushed her entire plate away from her. Her mom became slightly panicked that she wouldn’t eat anything, so she immediately offered to cut her toast into squares. I offered an alternative solution:

“Can you tear your toast into the squares you want to eat?”

“No!”

“Can Mom bring you a fork/knife so you can cut your own squares?”

“No!”

“Okay, well how about we eat the other delicious foods Mom put on your plate while we think of a solution for the toast.”

“I’m done! I wanna get down!”

“Let’s set a visual timer and when it’s done, lunch will be over and we can all leave the table together.”

Mom set a timer with her phone, set it out of reach but visible on the table and gradually during “boring grown up talk” this kiddo started eating her strawberries and hummus and even took a bite of the green bell pepper, the new food item on her plate. Her mom at that point again offered to cut her toast into squares and she nodded. She then ate her toast as well.

After lunch was done, her mom and I sat and processed what happened. Developmentally, she’s entered into a new phase where she is throwing more tantrums for not getting her way (she is 3 years old), she is seeking more and more control and independence, she is beginning to experience bigger feelings that she doesn’t know how to express, I have been rocking her world for the past few months now by coming and changing up her food routine…ultimately this seemingly small change felt like the straw that broke the camel’s back to this sweet little one!

This is not an uncommon scenario at all for many Extremely Picky Eaters (EPEs). In fact, starting this small is often where I tell parents to start! Don’t even introduce a new food until your kiddo can tolerate eating their preferred foods in newly presented ways!

So cut their sandwich into triangles instead of squares, roll up their quesadilla, bust out those cookie cutters and cut their cheese or bread or apples into fun shapes! Put their spaghetti sauce on the bottom and have them mix it together! There are so many ways to present kiddos’ already preferred foods in new ways that will increase their flexible thinking, preparing them for being more open to trying NEW foods!

Happy Eating, Mighty Tasters!