Shopping and other things that bring home differences

I did grocery shopping today and wondered what other people thought of what I bought.  You see Boy Child doesn’t eat a big variety of food, part of him being an Aspie (he was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder –ASD) when he was 6). Read this to see a unique boy child moment.

His day to day diet consists of Nutella or Promite sandwiches (school is a nut free zone),  cocoa bombs (a Gluten Free chocolate cereal similar to cocoa pops), chicken nuggets, hot chips and some biscuits. Oh and sometimes peanut butter. Yes that is it.

When we have other stuff in the house like chicken schnitzel, BBQ chicken, chips (aka crisps in some countries), pancakes, chocolate or vanilla butter cake, choc chip muffins, plain milk chocolate or caramello chocolate,

vanilla ice cream, he will eat those too.  But we don’t always have those in the house.  And if we are out he may get a strawberry or pineapple iced donut. 

What you say? He doesn’t eat any fruit or vegetables?  Well he is convinced he eats fruit because he has had bites of apples over the last year or two.  In fact in the last month or so he has eaten maybe a whole apple in about 3 sittings. Which is very impressive.  And today he ate a 1 cm piece of mango!  That’s huge for him.  We are talking about a boy who just stopped eating everything at 2.5 to 3 years of age so the fact he is slowly adding foods or even trying them without gagging or vomiting is exciting!

Anyway I was shopping today and I bought chocolate.  Caramello chocolate in fact. Note dear readers: while I love chocolate we actually don’t always have it in the house.  Really!  Trust me on this.

Anyway, the last time I went shopping with Girl Child she wanted to buy Fruit and Nut Chocolate. I told her we couldn’t because it wouldn’t be fair to her brother. So that set me wondering how much stuff she misses out on because of his issues.  Now, the stuff he doesn’t eat we don't force him to eat but that mean he generally has nutella sandwiches for dinner about 4 nights a week.  Now I’m sure that would freak most families out but he eats and that’s all that matters to us.  Plus he is adding things slowly.  Chicken schnitzel has only been food in the last 3 years and he will now eat homemade GF schnitzel. In fact that’s what he asked for for his birthday dinner this year.

But his dietary restrictions do mean that we as a family eat way more junk food than we should.  And that is something we need to work on.  But if he continues the way he is maybe by this time next year he will eat a whole apple and we could try to bring fruit and nut chocolate home for Girl child.

Let’s hope!

Note: anyone who read this post before 9.58 am Australian daylight savings time on 22 Nov 09 and is reading it again will notice some changes.  I thought I should clarify and also add in a few foods I left out.