Food Tolerance

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Back to our regularly scheduled program:

Sage, who is both a dear friend and Leelo's SLP, came over on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. She had agreed to work with Leelo on food tolerance, and had waited weeks for me to fill out formal documentation to set up the program. So, while I suspect she may have also come over to keep me and Leelo company while Seymour and the girls were spending their first night in Las Vegas, she was also there with a purpose.

She sat me down and had me fill out an inventory of what, exactly, it is that Leelo is eating. Which is:

REGULARLY

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches (smooth PB, small bit of jam, most breads are fine)
• Whole wheat croissants from the Campbell Baking Company
• Bananas
• Naan Bread
• Cheerios
• Pretzel sticks
• Bisquick pancakes that Mommy makes, hot off the griddle only, often with grated carrots mixed in
• Burger King french fries
• Rice milk with vitamin, calcium powder, and probiotics mixed in
• Plain crust french bread

OCCASIONAL SWEET TREATS

• Soy yogurt (stolen from sisters, sole food eaten with a utensil)
• Fruit smoothie from Espresso Lane
• Sweet plain lassi (Indian yogurt shake)
• madelines
• cookies
• donuts
• chocolate chips or plain chocolate
• Odwalla Superfood (green) juice

LESS PREFERRED

• Corn/tortilla chips
• "Ritz" crackers

Sage looked over these foods, and said that Leelo tends to like things that are crunchy and sweet or salty. There was nothing in this group that had the texture of the boiled eggs whites or orange slices we'd been trying to feed him for the past months. She suggested we try:

• Finger foods
• Avocado (texture like banana plus he used to eat it)
• Dip apple in yogurt or honey (he may like dips of treat foods like soy yogurt)
• Crunchy dried fruit
• Salted Roasted Nuts, especially the drier almonds

We're still coasting on them apples. He's not a fan, but he will eat them. And, as Abilify has increased his appetite to crazy levels -- he has gained five pounds in three weeks -- I think we'll need to start having him eat more of them apples. And perhaps fold in a new item from Sage's list, after the holidays.

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