Vitamin D deficiency is not related to eating habits in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder and collective catering service: results of the pilot study FOOD-AUT

Objective

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit a low dietary diversity due to food selectivity that leads them to a marked preference for high-energy-density food, exposing them to risk of malnutrition. Despite these aspects, specific recommendations and targeted menus for this population are missing. The pilot study FOOD-AUT addresses this issue by developing canteen menus meeting the nutritional and sensory needs of adults with ASD, aiming to reduce their food selectivity, and consequently improving their health.

Methods

The project, funded by Gruppo Pellegrini S.p.A, was conducted at the daycare service of Sacra Famiglia Onlus Foundation, between March-2022 to March-2023. The study was divided into two phases. Observational phase: a comparison was made between the enrolled subjects' nutritional needs and the nutrient content of the administered menus during the daycare service. Then mealtime compliance was assessed using standardized meal evaluation forms, both quantitative and qualitative. Intervention phase: canteen menus targeted to the individuals' nutritional and sensory needs were administered and their acceptability was evaluated.

Results

Twenty-two individuals with ASD, aged 19-48, 72.7% males, were enrolled. Overweight and obesity prevalence were 54.5 and 18.2%, respectively. The observational phase showed how the most accepted foods had specific sensorial characteristics in line with the scientific literature. Adapting the menus improved food acceptance and reduced food waste.

Conclusion

The results highlighted the need for adapted menus and greater attention to the way meals are delivered and consumed to improve nutritional status and therefore health of this population at increased risk of malnutrition.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrial.gov, unique identifier: NCT05978895.

Dietary recommendations to customize canteen menus according to the nutritional and sensory needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are often characterized by food-selectivity, food-neophobia and a marked preference for mild flavor, semi-liquid foods with pale colors. Therefore, they adopt a monotonous dietary pattern, and they prefer ultra-processed food, leading to a high risk of developing malnutrition. In Italy, where 75,072 individuals are diagnosed with ASD, center-based services play a crucial role in their daily management. Despite the centrality of nutrition in maintaining a good state of health, even more for vulnerable subjects, no validated protocol at collective catering level has been developed yet. The manuscript presents customized dietary recommendations aimed at managing the meals for individuals with ASD at collective catering service, derived from a non-systematic literature review exploring food behaviors and nutritional needs in individuals with ASD. Simple practical tips for mealtimes, such as eating together, proper seating, lighting, smell control, presenting food in a simple manner and using the same type of tableware at each meal, to meet the needs of individuals with ASD, were described. The proposal could represent a starting point in developing official guidelines aimed at ASD individuals, in collective catering service.Level of Evidence: Level V.