Hi! What you really need to do is try to figure out whether your LO is displaying typical "toddler pickyness" or a true sensory/textures issue. A child with typical pickiness is more likely to show the following:
1. "food jags", where they want one food for several weeks then switch to another food
2. inconsistentcy, where they will refuse one food frequently, then suddenly eat alot of it for one or two meals
3. increased acceptance of newer foods when hungrier
4. Refusal to try new foods unless they have been presented many times
A child with a true sensory issue surrounding food might show these signs:
1. Refusal to try new foods with what appears to be a FEAR of trying new foods
2. CONSISTENT refusal of most new foods, rather than on and off acceptance of a food
3. Highly stressful mealtimes, where both child and mommy are emotional and agitated
4. Physical reactions to new foods, such as gagging or vomiting
If you have a typical "picky toddler", then it often helps to keep presenting new foods over and over (can take up to 15 presentations before a typical toddler will try a new food!), make sure your LO isn't drinking too much milk or juice right before or at the beginning of a meal, making sure your LO isn't filling up on snacks and that there is about 3 hours between a snack and the next meal.
If you have a child who truly has sensory issues, then that is a whole different ballgame. It does helpt to make smaller changes where you only change one "aspect" of the food at a time(i.e. if your LO eats spiral pasta with tomato sauce just change the shape of the pasta, not anything else!). Also, with a true more severe sensory issue you might consider seeing a specialist to examine how to better help your LO. In my experience trying to do it "on your own" with a true sensory issue can often fail, because you don't know the tools and you already have a very stressed dynamic with your child around mealtimes (understandably so!!)
If you did go this route you want to find an outpatient center with a therapist who works with feeding disorders (usually a speech pathologist or an occupational therapist). If you find a good outpatient center who deals with this they will have worked with many children with sesnory/texture issues, and can treat your child and give you specific techniques that you can use at home. HTH!!!
