January 2025 in The Twelve Months of Fruit by Fran Joyce
When I decided to make fruit the next featured item in “The Twelve Months of…” I envisioned twelve separate fruits. What a surprise when I looked down at the fruit salad I made for Christmas dinner and thought, “This is it. This has to be the first feature for the series.
I make this particular fruit salad for a young family member who has some food allergies/sensitivities and food aversion issues.
Some of the issues are textural, scent-related, or taste-related. Other issues include presentation. Is the food too close together on the plate? Sometimes separate plates and bowls work best. Casseroles are definitely not welcome on their plate, yet.
If a certain food has made you feel sick in the past, you won’t be receptive to having a food that resembles it on your plate or even next to the food you know is safe to eat. If you don’t know what’s in the food on your plate, you don’t know if it’s safe.
For this particular fruit salad I don’t use a recipe. I use fruits they like and know are safe to eat, and I don’t add anything else – no sugar, spices, or lemon juice. From the list of safe fruits (fruits previously introduced separately with no adverse reactions) I selected raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, purple and green grapes. I make sure the grapes and strawberries are cut into small pieces. I vary the shapes of the cuts to make them look different. I gently stir the pieces together.
Why bother?
It’s a baby step in the long process of combining foods. It’s not an instant fix, and it might not help everyone.
Fruits are visually appealing, and their natural sweetness appeals to most palates. They look beautiful together. Sometimes I add melon, bananas, mango, or mandarin orange slices. It shows them foods can touch each other and still taste good. Different foods can be combined and it’s okay. It’s about helping them enjoy something different that isn’t scary. It also shows them you understand and respect their challenges with food.
These “baby steps” the members of their family (it’s not just me – the entire family is on board) are making have paid off. Happier mealtimes, less food anxiety, greater willingness to try new foods, and best of all, foods touching on the plate are no longer a deal breaker.
Next month I will be featuring a single fruit, cooking will be involved, and there will be a link to a recipe.
On a final note, Punishing someone for something beyond their control such as food issues can be damaging to their self esteem and make the situation worse.
A consultation and sessions with a caring occupational therapist can help you and your family understand and navigate food issues before they’re blown out of proportion and cause unnecessary family drama.