An overview of foods and drinks
Overview
Introducing tooth-friendly foods and drinks into your child's diet and reducing sugary ones is beneficial for their teeth and overall health. However, we know can be challenging for some autistic children who may have a limited or selective diet.
One step at a time: Eating and Drinking
We understand that some days can be particularly challenging, and the idea of introducing changes gradually can be more practical for managing your child's overall dental health. To help with this, we’ve created special “One step at a time” boxes. These boxes provide simple, step-by-step tips. Keep in mind, these tips are just a starting point for these challenging days, with a goal to build this up. It’s all about working in small steps and being kind to yourself along the way. Hear from Anne Marie and Shila as they share their experiences of taking it one step at a time to towards eating and drinking.
Why does my Child have a Limited or Restricted Diet?
Over-responsiveness (hypersensitivity) or under-responsiveness (hyposensitivity) to sensory stimuli, such as food textures, colours, and smells can impact eating habits. This sensitivity can lead to a restricted diet, as the child may avoid foods that are associated with discomfort or trigger disgust or fear. Some autistic children also may have difficulties coordinating the mouth movements needed to effectively chew and control food and liquid. This can result in children avoiding textured, chewy or mixed foods, overfilling their mouth, ‘pocketing’ food in their cheeks, or dribbling food and liquid back out. Understanding these issues is important as a background to exploring what adjustments to make so you can gradually reduce sugary foods and drinks and introduce tooth-friendly food and drinks.
We recommend looking at this Autism Central resource which covers sensory sensitivities, safe foods impaired interoception (where children may not feel hungry or thirsty) and neophobia (fear of trying something new) as a good starting point.
Understanding Drink Choices
Autistic children may have specific preferences that influence their choices, making it important to understand the sugar content in various drinks and their effects on teeth. Here are some things to think about when thinking about introducing tooth-friendly drinks.
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Flavoured water: Even if it says “no added sugar,” it might still have some sugar. Fizzy flavored water (or carbonated water) can harm your teeth because it has acids that wear them down.
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Fruit juices: These are nutritious but have a lot of sugar, which can cause holes in your teeth. It’s best to drink them in moderation, and having them with meals can help protect your teeth.
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“No added sugar” drinks: This label means no extra sugar is added, but natural sugars are still there. These are better than sugary drinks, but it's still important to drink them with care to help protect your teeth and gums.
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Sipping slowly vs. drinking it all in one go: Sipping a sugary drink over a long time is worse for your teeth than drinking it all in one go.
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Sugar-free fizzy drinks: Even without sugar, these drinks have acids that can harm your teeth.
Basic Guidelines for Nutrition and Weight
Having a balanced diet may be difficult for autistic children because they often have specific food preferences and sensitivities. Where you can, try to include a variety of foods in their meals, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy or alternatives. Serving portion sizes appropriate for your child's age and activity level can also help with weight management.
One step at a time: Eating and Drinking
For children who are underweight and a concern to health professionals, it can be difficult to balance the need for more calories with the importance of good oral health. One way to manage this is by applying toothpaste to the teeth at an additional time during the day. This extra application can help counteract the effects of sugar by increasing fluoride exposure, which protects the teeth. We advise that you don’t do this too near to meal or snack time as this can change the taste of food and drink (which can lead to foods being dropped from already limited diets). These small steps that make a difference in eating and drinking.
Tooth Care
To help keep your child’s teeth and gums as healthy as possible, it’s recommended to have three meals and two snacks each day. This routine gives saliva the chance to protect the teeth from acid attacks, while still making sure your child gets enough energy. We understand that sticking to this pattern can be difficult for some autistic children, who may prefer to snack more often. However, saliva works best when there are no more than five acid attacks on the teeth each day. More than this can make it harder for saliva to do its job and keep teeth protected.
During these break times, it’s best to avoid sugary snacks and choose tooth-friendly drinks like plain milk or water. Having regular, structured eating times can also support children who find it difficult to recognise when they are hungry, thirsty, or full, by giving them consistent and helpful external cues.
We understand that this can be challenging for some families, especially for autistic children who may have particular food preferences or face difficulties around eating. To support you, we’ve included more information below. You can also read how to reduce sugary foods and drinks here.
Watch Again
Jump straight to what parents and early years professionals have said about eating and drinking.
