Autism and food tips

[Gardener1234]

Hi, fellow autistic people, there's a lot of us on here. Let's share tips about how to manage cooking/ food.


Here is a good article that explains some of the common problems https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/autism_food_relationship

I think there's a few themes around:

- managing cooking and food planning
- sensory sensitivities and needing familiar/ restricted food
- we're also more likely to have digestive issues like IBS

 

[Gardener1234]

Here are some things that help me:

- I can eat a wider variety of food in a good sensory environment ( it's much harder for me to eat in a noisy space)

- eating something small like a handful of nuts before trying to work out what to have for dinner so I'm not overloaded with hunger etc

- ignoring all the stuff about mindful eating and using distractions like tv and phone to help me eat when I'm feeling anxious

- not trying to cook immediately before eating so I'm not coming to the food already overwhelmed from cooking

- using a lot of pre-prepared ingredients. Like those microwave veg bags, cooked chicken, grated cheese etc.

- when I'm very food anxious not forcing myself to eat less familiar food as it tends to be a sign I'm too stressed in general, and pressuring myself just makes the stress levels go up and worsens the anxiety. Coming back to anxiety foods at a less stressful time.

- having safe foods that are pre-packaged I know I can eat. I'm working on finding more diabetes friendly options as mine was flapjack bars, but I think small bags of nuts might work.


What are your tips?

 

[Leadinglights]

Here are some things that help me:

- I can eat a wider variety of food in a good sensory environment ( it's much harder for me to eat in a noisy space)

- eating something small like a handful of nuts before trying to work out what to have for dinner so I'm not overloaded with hunger etc

- ignoring all the stuff about mindful eating and using distractions like tv and phone to help me eat when I'm feeling anxious

- not trying to cook immediately before eating so I'm not coming to the food already overwhelmed from cooking

- using a lot of pre-prepared ingredients. Like those microwave veg bags, cooked chicken, grated cheese etc.

- when I'm very food anxious not forcing myself to eat less familiar food as it tends to be a sign I'm too stressed in general, and pressuring myself just makes the stress levels go up and worsens the anxiety. Coming back to anxiety foods at a less stressful time.

- having safe foods that are pre-packaged I know I can eat. I'm working on finding more diabetes friendly options as mine was flapjack bars, but I think small bags of nuts might work.


What are your tips?

Alternatives to flapjacks may be the Nature Valley Protein Bars or Graze which are similar to flapjacks but much lower in carbs.
If you do like cooking things then there are low carb recipes for cakes, biscuits etc on the website sugarfreelondoner.
You are in a good position to make some modest changes which will make a difference but be within what you can cope with, it may just be reducing your portion size of the higher carb foods.

 

[Lucyr]

I have ME as well as autism and so I eat a mixture of ready meals, simple cooked meals, and quite a bit of toast. There are plenty of good ready meals out there if you look for them.

 

[Lucyr]

This will sound strange to all the non autistics as I’ve probably not explained it here before but…

Batch cooking can be good, but I find the process of learning to make a new recipe and cooking it (these are usually a slow cooker thing but still involves prep) and portioning it up and all the extra washing up just very overwhelming

So when I cook a new recipe if I then can’t face eating it (pretty much every time), I just have something safe like toast. Then I eat the batch cooked meal the next day and freeze extra portions. I’m fine eating a new food when I’m not tired and overwhelmed from cooking it so I do make use of the batch slow cooked ones.

 

[Leadinglights]

This will sound strange to all the non autistics as I’ve probably not explained it here before but…

Batch cooking can be good, but I find the process of learning to make a new recipe and cooking it (these are usually a slow cooker thing but still involves prep) and portioning it up and all the extra washing up just very overwhelming

So when I cook a new recipe if I then can’t face eating it (pretty much every time), I just have something safe like toast. Then I eat the batch cooked meal the next day and freeze extra portions. I’m fine eating a new food when I’m not tired and overwhelmed from cooking it so I do make use of the batch slow cooked ones.

I think everybody has to develop their own strategy to make life easier when they have other challenges.

 

[rebrascora]

I find that I enjoy leftovers far more the next day or next week from the freezer, than I do straight after I have cooked a meal, so I can totally understand how that would be magnified if you are autistic and unsure of the new food as well.

 

[debs248]

- not trying to cook immediately before eating so I'm not coming to the food already overwhelmed from cooking

Thank you for this insight - it explains why my husband often feels too tired to eat food he's just cooked, even if it wasn't a particularly physically difficult job.

Understanding why means we can do things differently eg cook food which can be reheated the next day instead.

 

[Lucyr]

Thank you for this insight - it explains why my husband often feels too tired to eat food he's just cooked, even if it wasn't a particularly physically difficult job.

Understanding why means we can do things differently eg cook food which can be reheated the next day instead.

Getting into batch cooking or slow cooking might be helpful? The slow cooking means you do the prep / cooking in the morning hours before you actually eat it, and batch cooking just leaves the reheating.

 

[debs248]

Both good ideas which I shall suggest he do more of. He's flaked out on the sofa after making today's dinner, fortunately half of it is in the fridge for tomorrow so he can have a break.