8 year old sister refuses to eat fruit any help??

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We as a family think this is due to her teeth coming in late as a baby and it's the texture of foods since she'll eat Applesauce or drink apple juice but not eat an apple. She also doesn't chew her food. Mom saw a nutritionist today and mention the child needed to try a new fruit a week (me and my older sister are like UH NO!) After dinner mom took a bowl of peaches into another room and she cried until mom/dad told her she could spit it out (but no desert) So any tips to deal with this fruit eating issue? (I don't think making her eat it is good but that's just my opinion if I was the parent)

As usual, the issue is not the issue. It's just a power game.
They could just give the kid a break, but they probably won't.
There's nothing wrong with apple sauce.
And you can try different ways of mashing or mixing other fruit.
gad, I hate power games.

Yeah, that's a pretty typical parent maneuver. They do it because their parents did it and their parent's parents did it and nobody stops to ask themselves if the issue at hand is so critically important to be worth all the drama. As a single parent, I have to pick my battles and I refuse to create havoc over a non issue just to remind my son I have power over him.

Yeah I fail to see much of a problem. Most fruit is too sugary for me to eat, I don't like sugar. Yet I will eat baby food, yellow (they aren't as sweet to me) apples, peaches...

I would say to puree the fruit that they want her to try (with a little honey in it if it is a mildly bitter fruit). Bananas mashed and eaten with toast and chocolate spread may also interest her a little. Different fruit juices like cranberry or grape juice may be good for her to try.

I think apple sauce can be very sweet compared to natural fruit (especially the bought apple sauce) but to puree the fruit you want her to try may work (with honey), make sure one of you actually know what it tastes like. If it's too acidic it may sting (if she has sore spots inside her mouth or accidentally bit/bites the inside of her cheeks), also if it tastes sour to her, of course she might have problems with it. Smoothies may also help introduce her to other fruits, they're good and you only need a liquidiser.

Personally, I think she can survive just fine not eating fruit. It doesn't seem worth the trauma, and I'm surprised that your parents are taking the route they are. Does your sister eat vegetables? If she does, she can get most of the vitamins that way. What about dried fruits or fruit leather? Will she eat any of those?

Otherwise, I would go the disguised route. Fruit can be baked into all sorts of things, and that could help your sister get used to the flavors without having to deal with the textures.

When I saw people talking about power in a thread about parenting, I just had to respond. It's an issue I feel very strongly about, and while I realize that power comes with responsibility, I still feel that being in charge is one of the best parts of parenting. Disagree with me if you must; that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Anyhow, with that said, there's nothing wrong with using smoothies to make sure your child eats enough fruit. Fruit juices, on the other hand, are a bad idea. Most commercial products, in America at least, have too much corn syrup and additives, and not enough vitamins. What's the best way? Make smoothies in a blender from fresh fruit at home, and give them to your child within less than an hour after making them; otherwise the vitamins get destroyed, although not as much as by cooking. Add honey for sweetness, bananas for texture, apples for fiber, and berries for antioxidants.

Also, perhaps your sister will be interested in trying some of the more exotic fruits, rather than the well-known ones. This includes things like prickly cactus pear, rhubarb (cooked), plantain, goji berry, apricot, and sour cherry. Exotic fruits have as many, if not more, vitamins than the ones every American knows about.

Fruit can be a strong taste to an aspie child. Their tastebuds get less sensitive as they get older so I wouldn't push too hard. I like the idea of introducing the flavor with jam or pureed fruit,esp. if she'll eat applesauce. If she'll take strawberry jam, then a little strawberries with lots of sugar, then less sugar, etc. We also used the '3 bites rule' - if you have 3 bites, you can have dessert. Don't sweat the size of the bite. We also put banana with breakfast EVERY single morning with the 3 bites rule. Be really consistent in whatever you do. The good news is this gets better w/ puberty. He now eats almost everything. Wahoo!

My concern over the lack of fruit in her diet would be that she'll get constipated, and that's a miserable experience. Make sure she gets enough fibre.

The good news is that kids tastes change often. One month they hate a certain food, the next they love it. If she doesn't like fruit just give it a rest for awhile and try again later. Maybe she will like it in February.

A multivitamin will cover missing nutrients in the meantime.