Has anyone ever wondered why many people with autism fuss over food? It is not about being difficult, but about sensory regulation, comfort and predictability.

I am not very good at trying new food. There are a lot of foods I like to eat, but there are foods that make me feel anxious when and if I eat them. For example, the only chicken I feel really happy with is my mum’s chicken that she has cooked her way.

Image by zuzana gazdikova from Pixabay

My son ate peanut butter and bread every day for every meal as a child. He loved it, and rejected most other foods besides chocolate, but now he will eat a variety of food.

Sensory Sensitivities

With heightened sensory processing, texture, taste, smell, temperature or even the sound that is made when eaten can affect what can feel normal or overwhelming.

Routine and Predictability

Foods that are familiar create less stress. In an unpredictable world, ‘safe foods’ can give someone with autism a sense of control and make them feel safe.

Executive Functioning

Cooking a meal can feel very difficult when you are tired. This is something I have difficulty with. Food preparation takes time to plan, get in the right order and make decisions.

Final Thought

‘Safe foods’ are not about being difficult, but about the same texture, predictability to give comfort, not causing stress with sensory issues, and something as simple as it just ‘feels right’.

Sources:

Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and in Typically Developing Peers: Sensory Processing, Parental Practices, and Gastrointestinal Symptoms – PMC

Eating – Humber Sensory Processing Hub – Connect NHS

Eating and drinking information for autistic people | Autism Space | Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust