Supporting Children with Sensory Food Aversions

For some children, food refusal isn’t about being fussy — it’s about how food feels, smells, looks, or even sounds.
If your child gags at certain textures, refuses whole food groups, or becomes distressed at mealtimes, they may be experiencing sensory food aversions.

This can be worrying for parents, but with the right understanding and support, progress is possible.

🧠 What Are Sensory Food Aversions?

Sensory food aversions occur when a child is highly sensitive to the sensory properties of food, such as:

• Texture (e.g. crunchy, mushy, mixed foods)

• Smell

• Temperature

• Appearance or colour

• Sounds (e.g. crunching)

These sensitivities are particularly common in children with:

• Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC)

• ADHD

• Sensory Processing Differences

• ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

However, sensory aversions can also occur in neurotypical children.

🍽️ Common Signs of Sensory-Based Eating Difficulties

You may notice that your child:

• Eats a very limited range of foods (often beige or single-texture foods)

• Refuses foods that touch on the plate

• Gags, retches, or vomits when trying new foods

• Becomes anxious or distressed at mealtimes

• Accepts foods only prepared in a very specific way

Importantly, these behaviours are not behavioural or “bad habits” — they are real sensory responses.

🚫 What Not to Do

Although it’s tempting to push for progress, certain approaches can make things worse:

• Forcing bites or “just one mouthful”

• Bribing with desserts or rewards

• Withholding preferred foods

• Drawing attention to what the child isn’t eating

These strategies often increase anxiety and reinforce food avoidance.

🌱 What Does Help?

1. Reduce Pressure

Children eat best when they feel safe.
Remove expectations around tasting — exposure alone is progress.

2. Separate Exposure from Eating

Let children interact with food without needing to eat it:

• Touching

• Smelling

• Playing

• Helping prepare meals

This builds tolerance gradually.

3. Keep Safe Foods on the Plate

Always include at least one accepted food at meals so your child feels secure.

4. Use Food Chaining

Introduce new foods that are similar to accepted ones:

• Same colour

• Same texture

• Slight variation in brand or shape

For example, moving from plain crackers → seeded crackers → toast fingers.

5. Model Calm Eating

Children learn from watching.
Eat a variety of foods yourself without comment or pressure.

📈 When to Seek Professional Support

A specialist children’s dietitian can help if:

• Your child eats fewer than 10–15 foods

• Nutritional intake is limited

• Weight gain or growth is affected

• Mealtimes are consistently stressful

• You suspect ARFID or sensory processing difficulties

Support focuses on nutritional adequacy, gradual exposure, and reducing anxiety — never force-feeding.

💬 Final Thought

Sensory food aversions can be challenging, but with patience, understanding, and the right professional support, children can build confidence around food over time.

At Beam Dietitians, we specialise in supporting children with feeding difficulties using evidence-based, compassionate approaches tailored to each family.

📅 Need specialist support for your child?

Our children’s dietitian offers personalised plans for sensory eating difficulties, ARFID, and complex feeding challenges.
👉 Book a Consultation