Is there a connection between food and ADHD?

Brain anatomy, genetics, head injuries and even certain problems during pregnancy can result in a person having ADHD. The child’s diet does not cause ADHD.

Studies have shown that a child eating too much sugar or any specific foods or additives does not cause or significantly contribute to their ADHD. In fact, anyone with ADHD needs a healthy diet like we all do, and eating well will enhance their overall well-being and health. Ensuring that your child is getting the nutrients and minerals they need through their diet is very important for their development and brain health.

Are there certain foods your child should avoid if they have ADHD?

Studies are inconclusive about eliminating a specific food or additive to improve ADHD symptoms such as hyperactivity. However, some studies have shown that eliminating foods that your child is sensitive to from their diet has shown promise for improved behavior and cognitive function as well as decreasing the triggers for ADHD (Curr Nutr Rep. 2023; 12(3): 383–394.)

What foods tend to have the highest sensitivities? Some common ones can include:

• Dairy products, especially milk
• Eggs
• Tomatoes
• Foods containing artificial food dyes
• Chocolate
• Oranges
• Grapes
• Beans
• Foods containing gluten
• Wheat (in addition to it having gluten)
• Corn
• Soy

If your child’s behavior seems worse after eating any of these foods or their gastrointestinal system doesn’t like these foods, try eliminating them from your child’s diet. If your child improves, it may be worth avoiding that food as much as you can.

My son J doesn’t have any food sensitivities, but he is allergic to peanuts and another couple of nuts. That has been difficult to maneuver because so many foods have at least traces of nuts. Thankfully, I’ve learned to navigate the labels on food items and keep them out of our diet. That would be the same though for a food sensitivity because as a parent we have to look at the ingredients carefully when buying food for our kids and families.

Also, when J was younger, I knew he was sensitive to eating too much sugar. His behavior would worsen with the “sugar high,” and then he would really crash when his glucose level would go back down. However, I don’t believe that sugar was one of the foods that affected his ADHD. I think he was more sensitive to the glucose spikes from too much sugar, so I learned to minimize it.

What foods should you encourage your child with ADHD to eat?

Like I mentioned before, those with ADHD need a healthy, balanced diet like we all do. If you are looking for a good guide, I really like MyPlate from the USDA. J’s nutritionist introduced us to this resource, and it has been really helpful for me, both for myself and as a parent with planning family meals and snacks.

MyPlate has a kids page that even includes games and other educational material to teach your child about nutrition.

We all need a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy (unless you or your child has dairy food sensitivities) each day. The thing I like about MyPlate is that you can use their online calculator to put in your or your child’s age, weight, height and activity level to get the suggested number of calories you need daily plus a guide on the amount of food needed in each food group.

What has been your experience with foods and ADHD with your child? What advice would you give other parents? Leave a comment so that we can all share and encourage each other on this journey.

Additional resources

If you are interested in more information about helping your autistic child with ADHD eat well, check out these.

 Smart Foods for ADHD and Brain Health (affiliate link)

The Disconnected Kids Nutrition Plan: Proven Strategies to Enhance Learning and Focus for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Disorders (affiliate link)

Ultimate Kids’ Guide to Being Super Healthy: What You Need To Know About Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Hygiene, Stress, Screen Time, and More (affiliate link)

Broccoli Boot Camp: Basic Training for Parents of Selective Eaters (affiliate link)

Mark Twain Healthy Eating, Exercise, and Sleep Mindfulness Workbook for Teens, Health and Fitness, Mental Health, Growth Mindset & Nutrition Book, Health and Wellness Workbooks for Teens and Pre-Teens (affiliate link)

The post Can certain foods trigger worse symptoms in your child with ADHD? appeared first on Autism & ADHD Connection.

What is gluten and its role in your diet?

First, let’s take a look at what gluten is and what it does in our bodies.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, gluten is “a tenacious elastic protein substance especially of wheat flour that gives cohesiveness to dough.” The Celiac Disease Foundation defines it as “proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. It can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected.”

Gluten is part of grains, which overall provide our bodies with soluble fiber, nutrients and proteins.

How can gluten affect the body?

When we eat food, we have enzymes that break it down as part of our digestion processes. For gluten, our enzymes don’t completely break it down, and it makes its way to our small intestines.

Most people can tolerate the undigested gluten and rid it with their waste. Others though cannot tolerate it, and it can trigger an autoimmune response called Celiac Disease.

According to the Mayo Clinic, for those with Celiac Disease, eating gluten “triggers an immune response in your small intestine. Over time, this reaction damages your small intestine’s lining and prevents it from absorbing some nutrients (malabsorption). The intestinal damage often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating and anemia, and can lead to serious complications. In children, malabsorption can affect growth and development, besides causing the symptoms seen in adults.”

What is a gluten-free diet?

Those who cannot tolerate or are overly sensitive to gluten will usually manage it with a gluten-free diet. That means focusing their overall nutritional needs on foods that do not contain gluten and buying specialized grain products that do not have gluten as an ingredient.

The good news is that most whole foods that pack the most nutritional bang for your child are naturally gluten-free. Those are the best foods for your child to be eating.

Here is a list of some gluten-free foods (please note this list is not comprehensive, but it gives you an idea of what types of food that do not contain gluten):

• Whole grains that are gluten-free: quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, millet, tapioca, oats (that note they don’t have gluten added), arrowroot
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes (e.g., beans, peas, etc.)
• Fresh red meat
• Fresh poultry (avoid any type of meats that have been breaded)
• Fresh seafood
• Unflavored soy products (e.g., tofu, edamame)
• Unflavored milk and yogurt
• Butter
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Cream
• Sour cream
• Olive oil and olives
• Most cooking oils
• Avocados
• 100% fruit juices
• Tea and coffee
• Lemonade
• Sports and soft drinks (but double check labels)

What do scientific studies say about gluten and autistic people?

In the scientific community, studies that have looked at the connection between gluten and autism are mixed. Some have noted a potential link between autism and autoimmune diseases such as Celiac Disease. An extensive review study noted that many studies are too small to make any definitive conclusions. In other words, more research with larger randomized, blinded clinical trials is needed to really understand whether there is a link between the two.

How does picky eating affect your autistic child’s nutrition?

One common problem among autistic children is picky eating. That is something that I’ve dealt with from my son J. Even though he is in his late teens now, he still is very picky, although it has gotten better over time.

Causes of picky eating amongst autistic children can include sensory issues with food, swallowing difficulties, food allergies and intolerances, oral development delays and others. For more information about picky eating related to autism and how to combat it, see this blog post.

Picky eating can lead to some nutritional deficiencies and affect many behaviors and aspects of our autistic children, including:

• Sleep disturbances
• Low body weight
• Compromise of their immune system
• Fatigue

Can working with a registered dietitian help my child?

If you are concerned about your autistic child’s nutrition or worry that your child may have an autoimmune response to certain foods, then talk to your child’s doctor. It is good to have anything medical ruled out regarding food.

If you struggle to help your child eat better, then it may be worth seeking out the help of a registered dietitian. We did this with our son J. Although he hasn’t made a lot of the changes she suggested, he has made a few, and he knows what to do to improve his eating. As with all of us, we often know what to do when it comes to eating – it’s the changing of behavior that is so difficult!

A registered dietitian too can help you determine if a gluten-free diet could help your autistic child. If so, they can advise on specifics and help you make meal plans.

Have you tried a gluten-free diet with your autistic child? What results did you see? Leave a comment below so that we can share and encourage one another on this journey!

Additional resources

Want to dig deeper into this topic? Here are some additional resources to consider.

Autism: Why Food Matters: Connecting the dots for parents (affiliate link)

Behavior Journal for Autism: A Tool for Documenting Behavioral Reactions to Food, Medication, and Stimuli (affiliate link)

Get Your Dragon To Eat Healthy Food: A Story About Nutrition and Healthy Food Choices (affiliate link)

The Children’s Book of Healthy Eating: Improving Lives Through Better Nutrition (affiliate link)

Healthy Eating for Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Health and Nutrition, Grocery Shopping Tips, Learn to Read Nutrition Labels, Establish Healthy Eating Habits (affiliate link)

The post Can a gluten-free diet really help some autistic children? appeared first on Autism & ADHD Connection.

Why are so many autistic and ADHD children picky eaters?

Picky eating is associated with both autism and ADHD. In addition, selective eating – the more scientific name for picky eating – is also a common symptom of depression and anxiety. Many of our children also struggle with these conditions.

There are several factors that contribute to picky eating among those with autism and ADHD:

• Sensory issues – many autistic and ADHD children are challenged by sensory issues. They may not like the textures of certain foods. Some children are turned off by the taste and smell of certain spices. (Well, that goes for adults too!) They also may have difficulty with the temperature of the food, not wanting to eat hot or very cold foods.
• Swallowing difficulties – some autistic/ADHD children have trouble swallowing and need to undergo treatment to learn how to use their muscles to swallow.
• Late introduction of chewy foods – for some, parents introduced chewy foods to their children late due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes, that causes an aversion to chewy foods.
• Disruptive behaviors at the dinner table – some children with autism/ADHD participate in disruptive behaviors while sitting at the table such as throwing utensils or running away from the eating area.
• Oral-motor development delays – other children may have an oral-motor delay in which the muscles in their lips, tongue and jaw do not function properly.
• Lack of interest in food – this is especially prevalent in children with ADHD. Food just doesn’t hold any interest for them, so they would rather not take the time to eat unless they are really hungry. Medication can contribute to this because many ADHD medicines suppress appetite during the day.
• Food sensitivities and allergies – it seems like more children today have food sensitivities and allergies. Our son J is allergic to nuts, so it narrows his options because so many foods contain at least traces of nuts or are made in facilities where nuts are used. Allergies and sensitivities to milk, soy, wheat, eggs and more can also limit the variety of foods for some children.
• Need for routine – some autistic children want to eat only a few foods because they consider it part of their routine.

Any and all of these can contribute to children who are picky eaters. For our son J, sensory issues are the underlying reason why he has been a picky eater throughout his life. He has an aversion to food that is hot – both in temperature and taste. I can remember when he was really little, he mostly subsisted on mini pancakes, applesauce and chicken nuggets.

Over time, he has gotten better and will eat more variety now that he is a teenager. However, his palate is still quite selective. Fortunately, he is more willing to try new foods. I count that as a win. However, a lack of interest in food is probably the biggest factor in his eating habits. Because of his ADHD medicine, he isn’t hungry during the day. That means he doesn’t want to eat unless he eats breakfast before taking his medicine, and we eat dinner later after the effects of his medicine have worn off.

Why do some autistic children have gastrointestinal issues?

Another big reason behind picky eating for autistic children is gastrointestinal (GI) issues. While experts have not figured out exactly what it behind this increase in risk, many studies have shown that autistic people do have a higher tendency for a variety of GI issues. Some are related to higher levels of inflammation in the gut.

Some common GI issues for children with autism include:

• Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Untreated dental issues

Any of these can affect your child’s eating behaviors.

Ways to help your child eat better

As parents, the concern with our children being such picky eaters is that they may not be getting the nutrition their bodies and brains need for development and good health. So how can you encourage your autistic and ADHD child to eat more variety of food and generally eat better?

1. Start small

If you have a new food (or one they claim they don’t like) you want them to eat, then add just a little bit of it to their plates. Whenever my husband or I make a new dish, we give our boys a small amount of it and require them to eat three bites. If they really don’t like it, then they can make something else for themselves. (They are teenagers, so this is a reasonable request. We have cereal, chicken nuggets, canned soups and microwaveable meals they can easily make.) When they were younger, I usually had something easy on hand to microwave that I knew they liked and added that to the meal.

2. Limit snacks in between meals

If your child is grazing throughout the day and filling their stomach with snacks, then they won’t want to eat much for a meal. Especially if it consists of something new or different from what they normally eat.

3. Try new foods when they are hungry

Dinner may not be the best time to ask your child to try something new. Instead, offer it at another time when they are hungry and may be more open to trying a few bites. This may be good to do when you are home on weekends.

4. Pair a new food with a dip your child likes

If you’d like to have your child try a new or different vegetable or another food, pair it with a dip they already enjoy. If they can dip it into something they already like, you may get them to eat more of it.

5. Keep a food journal

With everything going on in our lives, we can forget what we had to eat yesterday! To keep a record of the foods your child has tried, liked and disliked over time, keep a food journal. This can be notebook that you keep in your kitchen and that you jot down information about the new foods your child has tried and their reaction. It can be helpful as you meal plan and go back to see what foods may eventually be accepted.

6. Model good mealtime behavior yourself

Let’s face it, picky eating is not just a child issue. Many of us as adults are picky eaters too. I’m raising my hand! I am certain my own ADHD (mild version, but it’s still there) and some sensory issues I had around food as a child contributed to my own picky eating.

I’m not nearly as selective in foods now as an adult as I was as a child; however, I still have aversions to certain types of foods and textures. For instance, I truly dislike seafood. I just cannot get used to the texture. I can eat breaded fish sandwiches or fish sticks but that is about as far as I can go. Yet, I wished I liked it more because I know it’s so healthy. I stick to the three-bite rule myself when my husband fixes a new dish. I usually don’t go as far as making something else to eat. Instead, I just eat additional sides and fruit.

7. Be patient

Oh, patience is certainly a virtue. I think I’ve been forced to learn more patience as a parent of an autistic and ADHD child. Yet, being patient when it comes to eating is important. You may need to have your child try a new food or dish over and over before they can accept it. It’s worth it in the end, so keep trying.

8.  Offer choices

We all like to feel in control of our eating, so offer your child some choices. If you are serving a new dish or food, ask them about their preferences for the other foods that are cooked with the meal. Or if you want to add a vegetable or other additional ingredient to a dish (like a different meat or vegetable added to pasta recipe), ask your child to choose it.

9. Use social stories about eating and meals

Sometimes, using Social Stories™ (affiliate link) can help with trying new foods and being better prepared for meals.

Know when to get expert help

So when should you reach out to get expert help? If your child seems to be having a GI issue, you should talk to your child’s doctor about any medical issues that may be causing the selective eating. The doctor may refer you to a specialist such as a pediatric gastroenterologist or pediatric urologist, depending on the potential problem.

If your child is already seeing a behavior therapist or has an ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapist, then talk to them about this issue. They too may be able to offer guidance to you as a parent and work with your child on overcoming food issues.

Occupational or speech therapists can help with swallowing and oral-motor development delays.

Does your child with autism and ADHD have difficulty with picky eating? How have you approached it and what has worked? Leave a comment to share with other parents so that we can learn from and encourage one another on this journey!

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