"Formula" baby food for ARFID age regressors 🍼🥤
I'll make a better post with progress pics next time I make some, but I wanted to post about it quickly, since it was such a success.
My small (@bunnnybcy ) has ARFID, which makes it very difficult for him to get much nutrition, and I'm always trying things to make health accessible to him. One way to make "scary" foods accessible is to make them cute or baby-like. This recipe is sort of a "base model," a warm and sweet treat that can be altered later to increase their fruit & whole grain consumption.
Sippy cup or reusable pouches (Link to reusable pouch example)
Sweet Cinnamon Formula Recipe 😋
1 cup + 1 cup milk or plant milk of choice (we used vanilla soy milk) 🥛
1/2 cup plain rolled oats 🥣
1 tsp dark brown sugar, or to taste*
1 tsp honey, or to taste 🍯
Vanilla extract, to taste
🥛 Heat the first cup of milk in your saucepan on the stove. Turn the heat up to medium, or medium-high if you're impatient.
🍯 Stir in the brown sugar and honey, and continue to stir frequently until the milk starts to lightly boil.
🥣 Stir in the 1/2 cup of rolled oats, and turn down the heat to medium, if it isn't already there.
🥄 Stir frequently until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 5-8 minutes. (The longer you cook it, the smoother your end product will be, which is important for ARFID smalls.)
🆒️ Take off the heat, and let cool for a bit, until you're confident that it won't melt your blender lol.
Pour the oatmeal into your blender, add 1/4 cup milk🥛, and blend until smooth. Check the consistency, and continue adding milk in 1/4 cup amounts until your small approves of the texture. This would also be a convenient time to add more cinnamon, vanilla, honey🍯, or sugar, if they feel the taste is lacking.
Pour into pouches or sippy cups.
You can store leftover formula in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Other formula flavor ideas:
Notes for other carers of little ones with ARFID:
If your small one will tolerate it, adding nuts or seeds during step 1 will yield a more nutritious result, but some may not blend down. Chia seeds, for example, will remain visible and will feel like poppyseeds, which may be off-putting to someone with ARFID, even though they don't taste like anything.
Always remember to introduce new tastes and textures slowly, and allow them to try a new thing multiple times on different days if they're unsure about it. Unsure may just mean unfamiliar, and it'll take them a number of attempts to acquire a taste for it. Uncertainty is a good sign of a future "yes", but don't push them to finish a serving of something they're on the fence about; the pressure may turn it into a "no". Instead, give them the option of putting the rest away for later, and after some time, when they're ready, encourage them to try it again.
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