Sensory foods refer to foods that are categorized or experienced based on their texture, taste, smell, temperature, color, or appearance, not just their nutritional value. For many people, especially children with autism, these sensory qualities can strongly influence food acceptance or rejection.
Autistic children often experience what’s called Sensory Processing Differences, meaning their brains may interpret sensory input (like taste, texture, smell) more intensely or less intensely than their neurotypical peers. What feels like a mild flavor to one child might taste overwhelming to another and a food that feels soft and comforting to some may feel unbearable to others. Same with certain food smells that might either be extremely appealing or completely intolerable.
Why Do Sensory Foods Matter for Autistic Children?
Because they affect how a child responds to food. If your autistic child is a picky eater, there’s a good chance it’s not just about flavor. Food aversions often start with how a meal feels in the mouth, how it smells, or what it looks like. Here are some ways that sensory aspects of food can shape eating behaviors in autistic kids:
Texture sensitivity
A child may gag or feel distressed when eating something mushy like amala or ogi but show no problem crunching chin chin or dry toast. Crunchy textures can feel more predictable, while squishy ones may feel too wet or inconsistent.
Temperature sensitivity
Some autistic kids reject cold meals, even if it’s their favorite food. Others might avoid anything hot. Temperature is another layer of sensory input that can trigger discomfort or refusal.
Smell sensitivity
For a child with a heightened sense of smell, some meals can be overwhelming. The strong aromas from some soups, especially those cooked with fermented foods like ogiri, okpei or ugba, or even spices like iru can smell unappealing to them. What smells appetizing to others can be intolerable to their noses.
Visual and color cues
Children may refuse foods with mixed textures, unexpected colors, or unfamiliar visual patterns. For example, a dish with floating vegetable bits might be rejected not for taste but because of how it looks.
Comfort with consistency
When a child likes a particular food texture, they tend to stick with it. That is why some children always insist on the same brand of cereal or the same preparation style of rice every day. Even though it can be annoying, introducing a new texture abruptly may cause anxiety.
Connecting the Nigerian Food Texture List to Sensory Needs
Here’s how the grouped Nigerian meals from earlier relate directly to the sensory profiles common in autistic children:
Crunchy Foods – For Sensory Seekers
These have a firm, crisp texture that makes an audible crunch when chewed. They are Ideal for children who enjoy high sensory input. Crunchy foods provide auditory and tactile feedback which some autistic children find calming or satisfying.
Examples:
Chin chin, Kulikuli (groundnut cake), Boli (roasted plantain edges, especially when charred), Roasted groundnuts, Plantain chips, Coconut chips, Puff puff (when over-fried or stale), Akara (bean cakes) – outer part, Fried yam, Suya (well-roasted), Kilishi (spicy dried meat jerky), Toasted bread, Chin chin.
Use cautiously with kids who are oral-averse or dislike noise from biting.
Squishy/Spongy Foods – Mixed Reactions
These foods are soft with a bit of bounce when pressed. They retain a bit of structure. Children may enjoy them if they prefer foods that don’t “fall apart” in the mouth, but others may find the springy feel disturbing.
Examples:
Moi moi (steamed bean pudding),Okpa, Akara (inside texture), Agidi (eko – especially when warm), Boiled yam (when hot and not dry), Boiled unripe plantain, Soft amala, Steamed ukwa (breadfruit), Boiled sweet potatoes, Okpa (Bambara nut pudding), Steamed eggs
Test acceptance slowly. May work for those who dislike hard/crunchy textures but want more structure than mashed foods.
Runny or Slimy Foods – Often Rejected
These foods are primarily fluid or sauce-heavy and may require spoons or be scooped up with swallows. Some slippery or gooey food like okro or ogbono can feel “slimy” and trigger gag reflexes or aversions. However, even though they are commonly rejected, it's best to keep an open mind and encourage your child to explore them. You can also pair with a familiar swallow like amala or rice to reduce rejection, cook in such a way as to reduce the sliminess or introduce other non-slimy sauces.
Examples of other runny or liquid based foods include;
Pap (ogi/akamu),Okro soup (due to its slimy texture), Ogbono soup, Pepper soup, Ewedu, Stews (tomato-based or vegetable), White soup (Ofe nsala), Groundnut soup, Egusi soup (when thinned out), Banga soup, Fura da nono
Soft or Mashable Foods – Safe & Soothing
These foods are tender and easy to mash or swallow, cause less oral discomfort and are less overwhelming. Usually accepted by children with oral sensitivity. Can be introduced early and customized in flavor or portion size.
Examples:
Fluffy Rice (especially jollof or white rice with sauce), Yam porridge (asaro), Plantain porridge, Boiled ripe plantain, Beans porridge (ewa riro), Semo, wheat, amala, fufu, pounded yam (swallows), Soft boiled egg, Mashed yam, Mashed Irish or sweet potatoes, Mashed plantain, Mashed avocado
Chewy or Sticky Foods – Can Be Challenging
Requires more oral motor effort. Some kids love chewy stimulation (like chewing gum), while others reject anything sticky or stretchy like fufu.
Examples:
Fufu (especially when fresh and stretchy), Draw soups (okro/ogbono), Stockfish (panla or okporoko), Meat parts like cow skin (ponmo), Snails, Tuwo shinkafa, Oha soup with thick leaves, Rice when slightly overcooked and sticky, Beans and corn pudding (adalu)
Monitor chewing fatigue and oral tolerance. Cut into small pieces or offer dips to reduce stickiness.
Dry or Powdery Foods – Risk of Choking or Rejection
Often grainy, dry, or needing liquid accompaniment.
Some children avoid dry textures like garri or roasted corn due to difficulty swallowing.
Examples:
Garri (eaten dry with groundnut or sugar), Masa (when overcooked or reheated), Koko (when cold), Roasted corn, Dry moi moi (over-steamed or old), Dried yam flour, Yam flakes (instant poundo, if left too long)
Always provide it with liquid or sauce and avoid it as standalone food if you can.
Understanding sensory foods through the lens of texture and consistency helps caregivers support autistic children in exploring food safely and comfortably. Nigerian meals can be adjusted or grouped to match a child’s unique sensory profile, creating opportunities for gradual food exposure, diet diversity, and better nutrition.
If your child is a picky eater and you would like them to explore other textures and tastes, read on how to transition Picky eaters to healthy food.