Comparison of nutritional status between children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children in the Mediterranean Region (Valencia, Spain).
Mediterranean autistic kids eat more fiber and veggies yet still fall short on calcium and vitamins—screen growth and diet individually.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Marí-Bauset et al. (2017) compared what kids eat in Valencia, Spain. One group had autism. The other group was typically developing. Both groups lived in the same Mediterranean city.
Researchers weighed and measured each child. They asked parents to write down every food and drink for three days. Then they checked whose diets met age-based nutrient goals.
What they found
Autistic children ate more fiber, beans, and vegetables than peers. Yet they drank less milk and got too little calcium and iodine. More of them were underweight.
In short: better produce, weaker bones, and lower body weight.
How this fits with other research
Hümmeyra et al. (2025) extends these findings. They gave the same kind of kids an ARFID screen. Most autistic children scored high for food fussiness and bloating. Salvador’s low-calcium pattern may stem from this avoidant eating.
Martins et al. (2008) seems to disagree. Their survey found only tiny picky-eating differences between groups. The gap closed when they looked at each child one by one. Salvador saw clearer nutrient gaps, but both teams end with the same advice: assess the child, not the label.
Hamama et al. (2021) adds another layer. They linked emotional over-eating to fewer vegetables in autistic girls. Salvador also found low veggie intake in some kids. Together the papers show produce can dip for opposite reasons—avoidance or comfort eating.
Why it matters
You can’t guess a child’s diet from their diagnosis. Pull a three-day food log before you write a feeding goal. Check weight, calcium, and iodine yearly. If intake is low, add fortified milk alternatives or a supplement, but only after the doctor signs off. Pair this with an ARFID or sensory screen if meals are battles.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open the last three-day food log for each autistic client and circle calcium-rich items—if you see fewer than two per day, flag for physician review.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
This case-control study investigated nutrient intake, healthy eating index with 10 items on foods and nutrients, on 3-day food diaries and anthropometric measurements in 105 children with autism spectrum disorder and 495 typically developing children (6-9 years) in Valencia (Spain). Children with autism spectrum disorder were at a higher risk for underweight, eating more legumes, vegetables, fiber, and some micronutrients (traditional Mediterranean diet) but fewer dairy and cereal products, and less iodine, sodium, and calcium than their typically developing peers. Differences existed in total energy intake but healthy eating index and food variety score differences were not significant. Autism spectrum disorder group failed to meet dietary recommendations for thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C, or calcium. Risk of inadequate intake of fiber, vitamin E, and sodium was lower in children with autism spectrum disorder than typically developing children. Results suggest that (1) risk of inadequate intake of some micronutrients in children with autism spectrum disorder and (2) cultural patterns and environment may influence food intake and anthropometric characteristics in autism spectrum disorder. Primary care should include anthropometric and nutritional surveillance in this population to identify intervention on a case-by-case basis. Future research should explore dietary patterns and anthropometric characteristics in different autism spectrum disorder populations in other countries, enhancing our understanding of the disorder's impact.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2017 · doi:10.1177/1362361316636976