Ok, so technically we don’t “cook” these breakfast bowls, but it’s still preparing food with your child, so we’ll just gloss over that little detail, shall we?
Especially considering this is one of the best ways that I’m able to get some nutrition into Miss 4. With her Sensory Processing Disorder, food has almost always been a challenge. She can tell you that the pasta she is eating is not the right one just based on taste/texture, without seeing the packaging. And God forbid that you break it in half to get it to fit in the saucepan… NOPE, she ain’t havin’ it!!!
One of the ways that we have been able to get her to eat the smoothie/breakfast bowls has been to give her a sense of control and some input into the process.
You can use a variety of different fruit (or vegetables if you’re lucky enough for your child to tolerate them) in these great, nutritious bowls. You can make them dairy free or make them creamy by adding milk and yogurt. The toppings you use are as limitless as your imagination.
Here’s What We Used:
- strawberries (keep some for toppings)
- frozen diced mango
- banana (keep some for toppings)
- tropical juice
- coconut yogurt
- pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- chia seeds
- toasted coconut
These strawberries came fresh from a strawberry farm and were absolutely DELISH! I often freeze strawberries as they are becoming too ripe for use in our breakfast bowls and smoothies
I prefer to use fresh mango when they are in season, but the benefit of using frozen fruit is that you don’t need to add in any ice, and the breakfast bowl turns out smooth and creamy
By chopping the fruit you are using a variety of developmental skills such as bi-lateral coordination, executive function and both gross and fine motor skills
Additionally you are exposing your child to the sensory profile of the food that they are interacting with. They have the opportunity to look at it, touch it, smell it and even taste it. All in a low pressure way that they are able to take control of.
One area that a lot of kids with Sensory Processing issues come up against in a kitchen is sounds. It has taken a long time to get to a point where my daughter will interact at this level with food. We started Fun with Food classes with an OT when she was a little under 2 years old. One of the great ways that we were able to get her to tolerate the disturbing noise of the blender (and the vacuum for that matter) was to start off with a toy version. Then we graduated to watching it happen with ear phones on. We would always let her know that it was happening and offer either for her to cover her ears on use headphones. Then we gave her control and showed her how to turn it on and turn it off.
I’m not going to lie, it took multiple exposures and meltdowns, but these days not only can she tolerate the sound when she has control, but she is also far better able to hold it together when it is operated by someone else in the house.
Look at the sheer joy on her face as she pours her completed masterpiece into her bowl
I’d love to say that this was her bowl, but this is actually mine. She still struggles with texture and especially when there are multiple textures in the one bite.
Twice now she has asked me for chocolate chips as her topping for her breakfast bowl, and I’ve gone ahead and said yes. She didn’t actually eat them in the bowl, but it’s a step forward, and I’ll take it.
If you have a child with sensory issues, particularly around food, it can be incredibly overwhelming. After all, most kids are given at least 5 opportunities every day to eat. When this is stressful, that is 5 times a day where you have to deal with stress. You could always look into working with an Occupational Therapist or Dietician that specialises in helping kids with sensory processing issues.
In the meantime, I suggest taking some of the pressure away, and giving them a sense of control. While it’s not a magic cure or silver bullet, it may be something that reduces some of the stress in your household.
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