10 year old wont eat anything!

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My son is 10 and has Aspergers. He refuses to eat anything pretty much I make. He eats cereal, crackers, chips (all crunchy things), steak, mcdonalds nuggets, eggs and pancakes. Other than that he wont eat. He also only drinks water and soda. No juices or milk. Any suggestions? Im at my wits end!! !

Have you tried raw vegetables (like carrot sticks)? or par-boiled veg (like broccoli)? When I was young I didn't like eating soft things so much (except bananas) but I'd eat raw or par-boiled veg. Perhaps it would be worth a try?

I wouldn't worry about the juices and you could possibly get a calcium + vitamin tablet, I've heard that there are also multivitamin jelly 'sweets'. I hope some part of this is a help to you.

He will eat broccoli, forgot about that one. Im worried he isn't getting enough protein. HE gets so worn out and tired by the end of the day and I can tell he doesn't have any fuel left because he gets more moody as the day goes on.

Hi I was like this before, when I was younger .A picky eater for sure... You could try other tasty things, like lean hamburger for protein (you can kind of make it crispy through BBQ/grilling at least around the sides where the fat drips off and the top , or perhaps a pizza would be good if he's really seeming to lose out on energy, anything tasty but not so tasty it's unhealthy for him I guess. Maybe he needs some complex carbs for fuel as well? Does he like chocolate milk? Perhaps if he is really not getting enough protein you can buy some flavored protein powder to put in some milk, water works too. I would not recommend making it the bulk of his protein consumption, but it might help who knows? Protein powders come in many different flavors too. I've had success with a few flavors and brands, in case you would like to know any. Just send me a PM if you are interested.

Teach him to cook. Often children who are involved with the process will eat what they have made. Start with like, cookies, spaghetti simple stuff.
When my son was a teen all he wanted was pizza and spaghetti. I told him I was not a restaurant. Showed him how to make those two things and told him to live it up.
Now, he is a master BBQer and makes most of his families dinners, which are all well balanced meals.

This is the best idea.

You gotta explain to him foods he doesn't like are in foods he does like. My sister, for example, would get all mad if I put onions in something, then I'd point out like...potato chips, got onion powder in them. Stuff like that. Basically, if your son is into the whole "logic" thing, just point out how illogical his eating pattern is, how unhealthy it is, basically attack it with logic. Basically, if you got someone with Aspergers, you gotta explain why he should do what you want him to do, in pretty much all cases. So if the whole teaching him to cook stuff doesn't work, which it probably should, and it could even end up turning into an "obsession" like it did for me, just try to logically explain why he needs to eat whatever, using all kinds of big fancy words and stuff.

But seriously, all kids should know how to cook, just be like "well if you like McDonalds nuggets so much, how about you try doing better and making your own?" Oddly, I'm pretty much extremely open to any food, though, I think it's cuz my dad had me try out lots of food when I was younger, and my dad was happy as long as I gave anything he gave me an honest try (ie, a few bites, not just one and spit it out) so while the rest of my family thought he was tyrannical for like, making my sister eat lettuce and sitting down at the table for like an hour trying to make her eat it and yelling at her over it, I didn't see the big deal, as I ate my damned lettuce. Oh well. Cook, though, great idea.

Don't buy soda or junk you don't want him to eat. If you expect your son to eat better, then the whole household needs to adopt those healthier habits. Unless he has a job and makes money, I assume you control what food comes into your house. It will be hard, but it can be done. It's especially a good idea if food affects his behavior negatively. Watered down fruit juices, maybe with some seltzer water? (so it has bubbles, but is healthier)

*Just read the other post about teaching him to cook/prepare his own food.
What a GREAT IDEA! Awesome advice.

i dont eat much maybe once every day or 2. but i have stomach problems and food alergies.
in his case it sounds like a food texture thing

Will he drink milkshakes? If so, maybe you could try partially freezing fruit and yogurt smoothies and trying to disguise them as milkshakes? Shakes are great ways to hide nutritious foods. You can even grind vitamin supplements into them.

Maybe you can get him to eat healthier versions of other things he's already willing to eat, ie. whole wheat pancakes, homemade chicken nuggets that are baked instead of fried, baked kale chips or sweet potato chips, etc. I'd also exploit his willingness to eat broccoli for all it's worth and maybe introduce him to 'white broccoli,' ie. cauliflower.

Does he have any interest in sports? I remember my little brother was a picky eater and the one thing that got him to eat healthy foods was my mother convincing him he could never become a Philadelphia Eagle, if he didn't start eating protein and veggies.

...he eats STEAK, nuggets, and eggs.

And it's virtually-impossible to be protein-deficient without being calorically deficient, since protein is in all foods.

Absolutely!
My health and weight suffered when I lived at home with my parents, because the philosophy was that the whole household shouldn't have to modify their habits to accommodate me.
Naturally, they didn't need to eat unhealthy, highly-processed, high-calorie foods, either, and since I had (have) no self-control, I just ate what they ate, usually.

What about peanut butter for protein on something crunchy like an apple or celery. Does he like cheese? What about putting cheese on his crackers? There are ways to get some protein in there, though I know it can be tough for those who are super picky. Personally, though, I think you should be less worried about protein (from his menu, it looks like he can get lots) and more worried about his lack of nutrition (you listed no vegetables or fruits other than a delayed broccoli addition). Protein is pivotal for cell maintenance; however, fruits and vegetables are extremely important for many nutrients you simply won't be able to find in steak, eggs, and chicken nuggets. Lucky for him, most raw versions are crunchy so if he is a texture kid, it should be easy to eventually win him over. Also, AS or not, kids who are accustomed to a certain menu over and over again can be VERY difficult to switch to a healthier routine. It might take persistence, but it is necessary, and eventually he will become more familiar with different foods (though you may have to remain adjusted to his crunchy preference--for some spectrumites, you can't change textures preferences and textures can be more important that the actual food).

I was like this, it is a habit you want to end quickly. between 8 and 16 i barely ate. due to an irrational fear of diabetes.

you won't really get anywhere unless you find out what is the basis of his food selections, something on tv, a poster in a clinic (this was mine) or peers talking about food.

a trick my mother used which i don''t recommend i sitting there forcing the child to sit at the table until everything is eaten, it doesn't work and with aspergers it can actually enforce the food selection. kids are like cats, they only understand positive re enforcement, try making it a challenge for him. the protein intake looks fine really, along with the carbs, what you need to work on is leafy foods. and maybe attempting to 'ween' away the foods listed into a healthier variety. all except the eggs, steak and cereal are sufficient for a real meal.

i can only give partial advice right now. heads still spinning from new years at the club.

Could you slip a kids multivitamin - I know they have more vitamins that u need in them and it's not a complete solution but if you're worried it might help in the interim. My brother pretty much lived on potato chips, fish fingers and sausage rolls most of his childhood and adolescence and still ended up over six foot and remarkably healthy. Kids are extremely resilient with stuff like that most of the time. So take a breath, and know you're doing the best you can and that's all anyone can ask of you.

I hate to say this, but this is pretty common, And the answer is simple, but hard for most people

In your case, your kid eats a LOT. I kow a kid that wouldnt eat more than Nuggets and french fries.

Full stop.

What did his mom do? Just not serve them . She let him starve himself till he was done with that noise .

Issue was resolved in less than a week.

You just have to decide upon a course of action and stick to it. hes not going to let himself die, not over food choices, believe me. But he IS going to guilt you into FEELING like you're killing him, which you are NOT.