May is coming to an end and we wanted to share with you our top 5 new foods from this month. We introduce a wide variety of foods to our learners based on family preference, nutritional needs and social/cultural preferences. Here’s a look at the foods we’ve loved exploring this month and why we chose them:
1. Pumpkin
Why pumpkin?
Pumpkin was a family preference for this learner. We wanted a new veggie to introduce to them and this was one their household eats regularly. It was also a great choice for this learner because of the shared features (e.g. colour and texture) that were similar to some foods he already ate.
How we served it
We decided to go with roast pumpkin, as this was how it's most commonly eaten in the household. One of our aims in feeding therapy is to introduce foods that the family already eats to reduce the amount of cooking needed by caregivers.
2. Frozen peas/corns/carrots
Why frozen/peas/corn/carrots?
Frozen veggies are a great way to get variety into a child’s diet without a lot of cooking. They are great as a side dish or added into pasta or rice. This also reduces the amount of food preparation required for therapy, which is great when you’re a busy parent.
How we served It
Initially this food was introduced one vegetable at a time (i.e. first peas, then corn and then carrots). Once our learner was comfortable with these by themselves, we showed them how they can be mixed and eaten together.
3. Banana
Why banana?
Bananas are an excellent on the go snack. They are simple to pack in a lunch box and easy to find if you’re out and about. These factors were all important to the family.
How we served it
We are starting off with small pieces on a plate as a beginning step. The aim is to eventually see our learner eating straight from the peel to align with the family’s goals listed above. Eating straight from the peel also means our learner won’t need an adult to cut it up for them in the long-term which increases independence.
4. Lasagna
Why lasagna?
In this instance, we explored lasagna after our learner picked it from the school’s lunch order menu. One of our goals is to explore new foods off the school’s menu so that the child can participate in this social activity with his peers, and it creates a lunch option for their busy parents. As a lover of lasagna, I was excited to help my learner try this!
How we served it
The lasagna comes served hot in individual packaging as part of the school’s lunch order program.
5. Chicken
Why chicken?
Chicken is one of the most versatile proteins. It can be served in so many different ways to suit a range of preferences. We actually introduced chicken twice this month, in two different ways. For both these learners, chicken was already somewhat part of their diet, but only in the form of chicken nuggets.
How we served it
Roast chicken:
Our first learner was introduced to roasted chicken, which is a household staple at dinner times. We varied whether this was homemade or store bought and it ended up being one of his new favourites!
Deli chicken
This was served in the form of a sandwich for our second learner. Sandwiches are a great lunch option and are often available to buy out in the community. Our learner asked to try chicken as his first filling for sandwiches.

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