Diet for type 1 with autism

[CaroMcL1987]

I have been type 1 since I was 3, and very overweight my whole life.

I now have have Multiple Sclerosis, so as my mobility lessens, the weight is piling on faster.

I have always struggled with diet, and the dietician just hands me a pre printed sheet of meal plans to follow.

However, I am also autistic and have very intense sensory aversions. When I score out all the things I cannot eat, the dietician just asks me to leave as I am not engaging - but they have never tried fitting advice to me as an individual.

Does anyone know of any specific sites that have meal ideas focused on texture, or has a way to filter out specific ingredients, for those with additional sensory needs?

 

[Docb]

Hi @CaroMcL1987 and welcome to the forum.

Is it possible for you to tell us a little more about your sensory aversions when it comes to food? It will help our members when it comes to making suggestions that might help you. It would also be helpful if you could say something about your diabetes. For example, do you have a CGM, what insulin regime do you use and how good is your control. I am not being intrusive, but they are the sort of things that will help members to decide whether their experiences might be helpful to you. You can share as much or as little as you like.

 

[CaroMcL1987]

Hi @CaroMcL1987 and welcome to the forum.

Is it possible for you to tell us a little more about your sensory aversions when it comes to food? I will help our members when it comes to making suggestions that might help you. It would also be helpful if you could say something about your diabetes. For example, do you have a CGM, what insulin regime do you use and how good is your control. I am not being intrusive, but they are the sort of things that will help members to decide whether their experiences might be helpful to you. You can share as much or as little as you like.

Thanks didn't think of those! I am on Lyumjev and Toujeo Solostar.

I use the free libre 2 sensor (though ikely going to switch to dexcom).

My HBA1C is around 65, improved from the 80s.

I cannot tolerate any mixed textures (i.e. granola or fruit in yoghurt, crisps in sandwiches, meat in/on pasta, chunky soups, or sauces, especially if sauces touch more than one ingredient).

I struggle with texture and flavour of many healthy ingredients (nuts, seeds, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, oats, and the majority of veg fruit, seafood) though with a few exceptions). I tend to eat a lot of meet, eggs, cheese, peanuts, raw carrot, blended soups, potatoes, pasta, bread, and rice.

So I end up eating very unhealthy meals, or single ingredients. Almost all relativelt healthy recipes I have googled have a texture issue, or ingredients i can't tolerate, so it's really looking for a site that will let me filter out much of what I don't like before it makes suggestions.

 

[Inka]

Welcome @CaroMcL1987 🙂 Some sites let you filter out some ingredients but I don’t know of any that let you filter out textures - I suppose because that’s more subjective.

Looking at your list above, can you eat pasta with a meat sauce in a separate bowl, for example?

 

[Lucyr]

I cannot tolerate any mixed textures (i.e. granola or fruit in yoghurt, crisps in sandwiches, meat in/on pasta, chunky soups, or sauces, especially if sauces touch more than one ingredient).

I struggle with texture and flavour of many healthy ingredients (nuts, seeds, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, oats, and the majority of veg fruit, seafood) though with a few exceptions). I tend to eat a lot of meet, eggs, cheese, peanuts, raw carrot, blended soups, potatoes, pasta, bread, and rice.

Sounds like you might need to adapt things to you. Eg if a meal plan suggests pasta veg meat all mixed up, just put them seperately on your plate. You can get plates with dividers in, ikea sell them but I’m sure other places do too. If raw carrots is the only veg you like then chop some and have in a quarter segment of the plate away from the other foods. If you like meat and eggs those are good, if you like pasta but not touching the sauce then eg instead of mixing the pasta in the meat or sauce just put them in seperate segments of the plate.

You can even go further than that and have your carrot sticks as a snack rather than with the meal, so long as you’re getting some fruit or veg in. If you like smooth soup that’s a good way to get some veg in. Just buy smooth ones or get a blender (those are noisy though!)

I’m autistic too and find that I can try more foods if I don’t have the stress of cooking it on the same day. So today I cooked curry, tried it and didn’t like it, I was tired from the cooking and I am much more restrictive over what mixed up foods I’ll try on the day I’ve cooked it weirdly. But luckily it’s for tomorrow’s tea and I’ll probably enjoy it then. There’s no pressure, I’ll freeze it and have a ready meal if not, and try it again another day.

 

[Lucyr]

What might help here is, can you give some examples of the type of meal you’d want to eat but wouldn’t be able to, and what makes them impossible, or what type of meals you eat instead, and then maybe we can suggest some adaptions to give you an idea?

What might also help is, just eat exactly what you’re comfortable with but smaller quantities or lower calorie versions