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KatTheStrong
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Jun 05, 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Texas
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 Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:23 am Post subject: Food Obsessions / Restrictions |
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Hello,
My Aspie brother displays dietary restrictions, he refuses to eat anything other than the following: PBJ sandwiches, chocolate bars, french fries, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese.
He's been eating like this since he was four, he's almost eleven now. He has ezcema all over his body and gut issues as a result of eating foods he's allergic to.
I've tried making his favorite foods gluten free - casein free but, he won't try them.
My question is....Why do people on the spectrum restrict themselves to eating only certain foods?
Any insight is appreciated.....I would like to gain a better understanding.
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Roman
Phoenix
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Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 2301
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:35 am Post subject: |
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His body wants to be autistic. So he will make sure to eat whatever has as much gluten/casein as possible so that he can be as autistic as possible.
Gluten and casein are like drugs for autistics so autistics are addicted to them just like druggies are addicted to their drugs. Trying to trick him with gluten free version of what he eats is hopeless. Its like tricking an alcoholic with alcohol free wine. Won't work, would it. An alcoholic likes alcohol for getting drunk, not for taste. So whatever is alcohol free will never work. Neither will gluten free work with your son.
If your son were to magically become tolerant to gluten then he would start using drugs to get himself high. So you just can't win. |
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SilkySifaka
Lemur
Joined: Apr 23, 2012
Age: 27
Posts: 1396
Location: UK
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:52 am Post subject: |
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For me it is like there is an unwritten set of rules in my head about what goes with what. Also, sometimes it is a sensory issue some foods feel uncomfortable to eat, for example some people eat only very bland food and others don't like certain textures.
I also have a real fear of trying new things and become quite distressed - and I'm an adult. Generally I can only eat the foods that I was given as a small child, so most of my meals look like kids meals. Luckily they are mostly healthy. Slowly I've learned to try to eat variants of the meals I'm comfortable with so for example I was OK with cheese and tomato sandwiches so I tried cheese and tomato pizza, and then pasta with tomato and cheese. For me to try something like that usually takes a few attempts and sometimes I panic halfway through and can't go on with it. When I try new things I tend to try them on my own as my family and boyfriend find it hard to watch me getting so anxious and their anxiety makes it worse for me.
I couldn't really manage eating out in a restaurant as a child, but when I was 22 I managed to eat a shop bought sandwich for the first time which was a big step for me. This year I managed to try a dish I had never tried before, this was the first time I'd ever done that.
It is possible that as your brother gets older he will slowly widen his range of foods, but everyone is different so that might not happen. Perhaps a good therapist might be able to make some headway, but I'm not sure how that would work. |
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coolies
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: May 24, 2012
Posts: 197
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| For me it's like something is either right or wrong... To me the things I eat are right but if something is wrong to me I won't eat it. For example I can't stand things mixing... I have two plates sometimes so I can separate things |
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Valkyrie2012
Velociraptor
Joined: Mar 05, 2012
Posts: 426
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:55 am Post subject: |
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For me - it is sensory a lot of it. I actually crave the feeling of the crunchy food. Or the smooth texture of mashed potatoes. I can be totally not hungry and eat just to feel these textures.
I have googled the heck out of oral food stimming but come up blank.
I know restricted diet can be sensory related because some textures are repulsive. Or tastes too strong etc.
Explanations here:
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/sensory-integration.shtml |
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CyborgUprising
Sgt. Sarcasm
Joined: Jun 17, 2012
Posts: 2897
Location: auf der Fahrt durch Niemandsland
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:46 pm Post subject: |
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| I cannot consume potatoes, rice, bread, caffeine-containing beverages or foods, and chocolate. Even products containing rice vinegar or rice flour will cause a severe reaction. I eat a diet that consists of mainly fruit, vegetables/corn products, chicken, fish, and oats. I'm not terribly sure it has anything to do with my diagnosis or if it is an entirely different issue. |
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Wandering_Stranger
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 07, 2012
Posts: 1138
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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| SilkySifaka wrote: | For me it is like there is an unwritten set of rules in my head about what goes with what. Also, sometimes it is a sensory issue some foods feel uncomfortable to eat, for example some people eat only very bland food and others don't like certain textures.
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Same. My parents don't understand this. I have never liked baked beans due to the texture. They asked me on Monday if I wanted some with my dinner. I'm 23 and have never liked them.
I had this discussion with someone last night. He said that his Autistic son (he has another who is NT) can't stand the taste, texture or look or porridge - even if you put something, such as syrup in it. |
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SilkySifaka
Lemur
Joined: Apr 23, 2012
Age: 27
Posts: 1396
Location: UK
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Wandering_Stranger wrote: | | SilkySifaka wrote: | For me it is like there is an unwritten set of rules in my head about what goes with what. Also, sometimes it is a sensory issue some foods feel uncomfortable to eat, for example some people eat only very bland food and others don't like certain textures.
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Same. My parents don't understand this. I have never liked baked beans due to the texture. They asked me on Monday if I wanted some with my dinner. I'm 23 and have never liked them.
I had this discussion with someone last night. He said that his Autistic son (he has another who is NT) can't stand the taste, texture or look or porridge - even if you put something, such as syrup in it. |
That's a shame your parents don't understand it. My Mum is quite good but if I'm ever at my family home with just my Dad he always tries to feed me the wrong things and then my family look at him aghast.
I only like certain plates and cutlery and I sit in a specific seat. I get jumpy if any of those things are changed. I can't eat eggs I can eat them in things, but not boiled or fried. I don't eat omelette. I also don't have alcohol or caffeine. I only eat things either cooked or uncooked, never both. So I eat raw carrot but not cooked and cooked sweetcorn but not cold. Certain things don't go together and sometimes I don't know what the rules are until I am presented with a plate that is somehow wrong. I have bread with one type of soup but not with another etc. I do realise how freakish this all seems to people who don't understand AS but I have spent a huge amount of time and energy trying to fix it and this really is the best I can manage. |
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lostgirl1986
There's a party in my head.
Joined: Feb 29, 2012
Age: 26
Posts: 6284
Location: Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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If my mum wasn't as strict on me as she was when I was younger I'd probably be an extremely picky eater but since she constantly made me try new things and made me eat what was on my plate I've learned to be a bit more open-minded when it comes to food. I still consider myself picky but probably a bit less than the average Canadian or American.
I do have a few food obsessions though. My top would be pickles and pickled onions. Oh and Vanilla Rice Krispies.
Last edited by lostgirl1986 on Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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GiantHockeyFan
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 19, 2012
Age: 30
Posts: 960
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:04 pm Post subject: |
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Until recently when I met someone fussier, I literally thought there was no one in the world who was a fussier eater than me. There are maybe 8 things in the world I will eat no matter how hungry I get. Not only that, there are some things (Chocolate and Vinegar for example) that even the smell makes me physically sick. I honestly would not eat Chocolate even if I was offered a million dollars to do so. Needless to say family dinners were always a monumental struggle growing up.
My parents tried to expand my diet and they did... from 5 things to 7. Most of the time, I would literally starve myself rather than eat a normal diet because the hunger pains were easier to handle than the awful feeling of most foods or the violent vomiting that might ensue in some cases. Most would accuse me of doing it for attention or to selfish but let's be clear: it's downright embarrassing especially in social situations and that's one of the reasons I never go out for supper unless there is something on the menu I can tolerate. I have to restrict myself but it's not a choice that I am proud of in any way.
To make it worse growing up, my favorite things (peanut butter cookies, bananas) had to be eaten outside because my almost NT brother would have an anaphylaxis reaction just to the smell. His throat would literally close over at the smell of about 20 different food items but he otherwise will eat literally anything. I feel bad for my poor mother having to make three different meals many nights!
Bottom line is if he's like me good luck trying to change him. You will literally have an easier time turning him into an NT than changing a picky diet based on my experiences. I will literally die before I'm able to change my diet at this stage of my life. |
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Roman
Phoenix
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Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 2301
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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In my case the list of things I avoid is quite short:
1. I dont like red apples
2. I don't like other people's saliva, so I can get picky when I see someone tasting food in the middle of preparation
3. I don't like fruits/vegetables that are withered. I am fine with the ones that are not (in fact I like salads and so forth)
4. When I was little I didnt like huney, but my mom eventually got me to eat it and now I like it
5, I dont like the texture of burdock leaves. I know it is about touching rather than eating but lets list it anyway for completeness purposes
6. I dont like being tickled or anything that can be construed as ticklish, like someone touching my underarms
Other than that I am fine with everything else that didnt make it into above list. |
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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Rasta is about freedom and the living God
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Joined: Jun 19, 2008
Posts: 7998
Location: Babylon
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:16 pm Post subject: Re: Food Obsessions / Restrictions |
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| KatTheStrong wrote: | Hello,
My Aspie brother displays dietary restrictions, he refuses to eat anything other than the following: PBJ sandwiches, chocolate bars, french fries, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese.
He's been eating like this since he was four, he's almost eleven now. He has ezcema all over his body and gut issues as a result of eating foods he's allergic to.
I've tried making his favorite foods gluten free - casein free but, he won't try them.
My question is....Why do people on the spectrum restrict themselves to eating only certain foods?
Any insight is appreciated.....I would like to gain a better understanding. |
Several family members, including me, have food restriction preferences. I like the texture and taste of some foods. I also go by health benefits. Other family members will eat the same food every single day and that's it. Chicken strips. What is it with chicken strips? When they go out to eat, they order the same exact thing every time and won't go to a eatery that doesn't have the one menu item, chicken strips. |
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NeueZiel
Seņorita Gamera
Joined: Apr 29, 2012
Posts: 1246
Location: Kapustin Yar
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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I'm extremely picky in that I hate really heavy, deep friend or bready stuff. This is mainly because of my mom because she fed us veggies and lots of fresh food when we were little and I was always the opposite of kids that hate anything green. People always tell me "You don't need to eat the way you do, you're skinny!!" but they don't understand that the kind of food they eat makes me literally sick. I hate outings, get togethers and other sh** because its considered rude if you don't eat all the junk everyone has fixed. Worse yet I don't like most starchy pastas and cheeses, I'm not lactose intolerant either. I guess I've just never had a huge appetite and all the stuff I mentioned always hits my stomach like nails. Honestly, I really am considering getting into gardening because the only foods I eat anymore come from the ground. I eat meat occasionally but red meat hits me hard as well, which sucks because I live in a steak loving household. I actually tried a vegan diet once but was a bit disgusted with how unhealthy and shitty it made me feel, I hate tofu substitutes for meat. I would sooner just eat no meat and eat an all green/grown diet and use supplements for my protein, I actually may do the latter when I have money. It makes my life easier.
My only junk food vice is chocolate. I'm not a health food freak either, its just how I am. Use to get lots of sh** for it throughout school and in the 1st grade I had a teacher who would punish me if I didn't at least eat some of my lunch. In kindergarten my mom gave me bag lunches but she had to stop for awhile due to being very busy so I had to eat school food like chicken nuggets etc. One time I got so sick I puked all over the table and got to go home at least.
My sister is my polar opposite and is a junk food connoisseur  and LOVES to cook pastas and just about anything. Somehow she's not obese either, though she's not as skinny as I am. She always talk about how she misses cafeteria chicken nuggets and fries. |
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Mindsigh
Phoenix
Joined: May 30, 2012
Age: 46
Posts: 2555
Location: Ailleurs
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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| SilkySifaka wrote: | | . I can't eat eggs I can eat them in things, but not boiled or fried. I don't eat omelette. |
Glad to know I'm not a freak. Eggs by themselves gag me.
Ever since I was a kid, I've had a super-strong craving for salt. I used to bite the ends off burnt matches for the salty taste, and chew the ends of drawstrings and shoelaces for the same reason. Oh, and eat salty food like chips and stuff, and salt out of the shaker. |
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Atomsk
Bass Fiend
Joined: Apr 10, 2008
Age: 24
Posts: 1539
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Roman wrote: | His body wants to be autistic. So he will make sure to eat whatever has as much gluten/casein as possible so that he can be as autistic as possible.
Gluten and casein are like drugs for autistics so autistics are addicted to them just like druggies are addicted to their drugs. Trying to trick him with gluten free version of what he eats is hopeless. Its like tricking an alcoholic with alcohol free wine. Won't work, would it. An alcoholic likes alcohol for getting drunk, not for taste. So whatever is alcohol free will never work. Neither will gluten free work with your son.
If your son were to magically become tolerant to gluten then he would start using drugs to get himself high. So you just can't win. |
I'm sorry, that just seems totally ridiculous.
I tried being gluten free for a while - it did nothing. I was just as autistic.
| NeueZiel wrote: | | I'm extremely picky in that I hate really heavy, deep friend or bready stuff. This is mainly because of my mom because she fed us veggies and lots of fresh food when we were little and I was always the opposite of kids that hate anything green. People always tell me "You don't need to eat the way you do, you're skinny!!" but they don't understand that the kind of food they eat makes me literally sick. I hate outings, get togethers and other sh** because its considered rude if you don't eat all the junk everyone has fixed. Worse yet I don't like most starchy pastas and cheeses, I'm not lactose intolerant either. I guess I've just never had a huge appetite and all the stuff I mentioned always hits my stomach like nails. |
I feel the same exact way - especially about fried food. When I eat it it just hits my stomach like lead, and I just feel bad and disgusted.
And I hate going to places where people have prepared food and expect you to eat it - because I almost never do - it's ALWAYS something that I can't tolerate for some reason or another, or a combination of reasons - taste, texture, whatever. It just boggles me that it's -always- the case that people prepare things I hate. You figure just with chance, there would just happen to be one occasion where they prepare something I like, just by chance, but nope. |
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