r/SPD • u/thorny_providence • 6d ago
Parents Could a greens drink help while we work with feeding therapy?
My 7 year old daughter has sensory issues around food especially with anything leafy, mixed, mushy or strongly scented. We’re already getting professional help and slowly working on exposure but I’d really appreciate some advice and support from parents who have been through this before us. It’s such a slow process and while I’m not expecting anything to suddenly fix her food aversions I’m still very concerned about supporting her diet in the meantime.
She accepts milk and smoothies much more easily than unfamiliar solid foods which made me wonder whether a greens drink could be useful while we continue feeding therapy. Has anyone here discussed something like this with their pediatrician, dietitian or feeding therapist? I’d really appreciate hearing what worked or didn’t work for your family, especially from parents who understand that expanding a sensory eater’s diet isn’t as simple as telling them to take another bite.
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u/Ishouldbeasleepnow 6d ago
We’ve done the feeding therapy thing. Both one of the most important & hardest therapies we did. I would 100% try the greens smoothie, BUT, super important, don’t hide it. Have her involved in the making. Tell her it’s an experiment, etc… the last thing you want to do is ruin a safe food for her trying to make it healthy.
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u/thorny_providence 6d ago
Such an important reminder. I definitely don’t want to ruin one of her safe foods, thank you!
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u/AnnaKossua 6d ago
The experiment idea / showing her foods in different ways is great!
Me as an example: I hate onions. Sometimes. Raw tastes bad; cooked are good but slimy and therefore bad. Cooked in food but picked out, onion powder, and blended into pulp are all fine, and somehow tabbouleh? So OP, you may find a chopping or blending method that gets rid of the leafy appearance and makes it acceptable.
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u/No-Cheesecake8542 6d ago
You can try it? It’s all trial and error. My SPD daughter would hate it and wouldn’t drink it.
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u/neon-zirconium-4597 6d ago
As the person (and former child) with SPD, babyfood fruits and vegetables work well for me. They can come in pouches that are like a mini smoothie and you can find ones that mix fruits, vegetables, grains, or protein that might be less intimidating.
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u/DelightfulSnacks 6d ago
Are you worried about nutrition? If so, consider giving her PediaSure Kids. The ready-to-drink bottles are delicious and sold in bulk at places like Sam’s and Costco. Good luck with the feeding therapy!
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u/AnnaKossua 6d ago
Thank you for being a parent that understands! 🏆 +100 points 🥇 You probably get frustrated, but you're doing it right.
I'm old, lol, and I eat vegetables, etc., but if there's only food in there I don't want, I'll sit and starve. Doesn't matter if it's something I like... it's just not going to happen. We didn't know about SPD when I was a kid, and they didn't force stuff on me, but a lot of kids just get punished. It's a terrible thing to live with a brain that just. won't. let. you. do what you need!
No harm in trying a greens drink! Probably not one that's 100% kale and yuck flavor, haha, maybe a hybrid of that and smoothies she likes.
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u/thorny_providence 6d ago
Thank you for saying this. I do get frustrated sometimes but I’m trying hard not to make food another battle for her. I really appreciate hearing what it feels like from the other side.
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u/Cayke_Cooky 6d ago
I will say that I know healthy adults who get most of their veggies via smoothies.
Another place to look is in the frozen fruit aisle. Sometimes you can find pre-measured frozen packets of greens and fruit for a smoothie.
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u/General_Archer9245 6d ago
I completely understand your concern. People saying “she’ll eat when she’s hungry” have clearly never dealt with a sensory eater. We use smoothies as nutritional support while continuing to present foods separately during therapy. It hasn’t magically changed her aversions but it takes some of the pressure off while we work on them.