Dietary recommendations to customize canteen menus according to the nutritional and sensory needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder
Abstract
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.
Read the paper
Related studies
- eggNOG 5.0: a hierarchical, functionally and phylogenetically annotated orthology resource based on 5090 organisms and 2502 viruses
- Online Survival Analysis Software to Assess the Prognostic Value of Biomarkers Using Transcriptomic Data in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- OptiType: precision HLA typing from next-generation sequencing data
- Nicotinic Cholinergic System and COVID-19: In Silico Identification of an Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and Nicotinic Receptors with Potential Therapeutic Targeting Implications
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells have three Omega class glutathione S-transferases acting as 1-Cys thiol transferases
- Hemolysis at low blood flow rates: in-vitro and in-silico evaluation of a centrifugal blood pump
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.