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Safe Food Management

NAS77771

Ok so,

I know safe foods are super common with autists like myself and I know a lot of people will share the experience of having a safe food, buying it in bulk and then suddenly finding it completely repulsive - like the thought of eating it makes my stomach turn.

This has become a major challenge for me over the past few months as my safe foods no longer overlap and I have found myself either unable to stomach anything or only eating old safe foods and never feeling satiated, feeling like something is wrong and it makes me restless. This has resulted in panic attacks when going food shopping because all of it seems repulsive or overspending on takeout (my natural habit when i have no normal safe foods, I wish I could stop but if I don’t I get extremely restless and it usually results in a meltdown).

Does anyone have any advice on how to... stabilise this? I cannot go on like this as it is affecting my health and it’s driving me nuts, affects my mood and causes lots of other problems because I’m finding myself distracted trying to problem solve what I’m going to eat almost 24/7 :(   

  • It helps to get a technical understanding of the digestive process, and it's timings as they relate to you.

    This knowledge applied carefully will soon allow you to experiment with what you can eat and what you cannot, especially if you can bring yourself to keep track of the quality of what comes out as well as what goes in... 

    Headache is often a sign of some sort of poisoning, be it CO or you've been smoking too much or eating too may sweeties with their hidden ingredients, as I found in my own case.

    I get an urge to eat fish every once in a while and various aspects of my functioning seem to improve markedly, then I forget, or eat enough fish without thinking about it.

    Try to expand your list of safe foods, which can only be done by experimentation. Eat out with a trusted friend who knows you and take their advice, if you need to broaden your scope.

  • When it comes to nutrition everything is so individual. Here are a few suggestions that may help:

    1. Consult with a dietitian or nutritionist: They can help you develop a meal plan that is balanced and meets your nutritional needs, while also taking into account any food aversions or sensitivities.

    2. Try new foods: Even if it feels daunting, try experimenting with new foods, even if it's just a small amount at first. It may help to have a support system, such as a friend or family member, to try new foods with you. For instance, try almond chicken Chinese, corn salad recipes or beef gravy.

    3. Gradual exposure: Try to expose yourself gradually to the food you used to like, and try to understand what might have changed to make it unappealing.

    4. Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing or meditation before and during meals to help reduce anxiety and focus on the present moment.

    5. Therapy: It may be helpful to work with a therapist who specializes in treating anxiety and food-related issues. They can help you develop strategies to cope with your anxiety and work through any underlying issues that may be contributing to your food aversions.

    It's important to remember that it is normal to have aversions to certain foods and everyone's taste preferences change over time. With time, patience and persistence it is possible to overcome this challenge and find a way to nourish yourself.

  • I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with this and I can certainly relate. I want the same few things over and over again, until I don't. Then can't eat it and food need turns to something else. I can't count the times I've forced myself through the cooking chore only to look at the outcome and put it in the bin.

    I go through phases of eating nothing but fruit and veg and cheese and bread...then nothing but junk before I crave only fruit again.

    I find online shopping to avoid supermarket stress and buying only for 10 to 14 days at a time helps. That way whatever is the safe food for this year to 18 months is never so hoarded I can't get through it. 

    Funnily enough I always do way better when stuff is cooked for me. I think because the cooking process hasn't stressed me out before it's on my plate.

    Is there anyone who could cook you a range of healthy meals you could freeze and then bung in a microwave. Say, do a deal with them. If you bought the ingredients and they made up a batch, of which they also took some home?

  • Food safety management system (FSMS) – Is a set of written procedures which define the range of actions taken by the food business operator to ensure that the food produce is safe to eat, of the required quality, and legally compliant.

    [link removed by mod]

  • Yes I can relate . I once went to supermarket and bought a who shopping trolley Shopping cart full of grapefruits. Had to use the trolley to get them home all of my kitchen cupboards were full of grapefruits. Someone came round to visit me they opened a kitchen cupboard to get the coffee and grapefruits fell onto my kitchen floor. She said she was very surprised to see that all I had to eat was grapefruits, it felt right to buy them for me. I still enjoy grapefruits.

  • in reply to NAS80987


    That’s why now I try to eat much less but more often. I prefer vegetables and gluten free granola. Of course, sometimes I eat food with a lot of calories, but then I try to balance it with physical activity or fasting. Thanks to this strategy, I feel much better now and much healthier.

  • It might be a good idea to talk to a nutritionist about this. Something like this happened to me, too, and then I decided to take a closer look at what I was eating all this time. It was chaotic, and I did not pay attention to how many calories I consumed or how much fat I consumed every day.

  • Have you got other stressful things going on in your life at the moment? I often find things like food become more of a sensory thing for me when I have other stressful stuff going on

  • Better ask a doctor about these issues because the cause may be internal, and you need to get some treatment before

  • Hi NAS77771,

    Sorry to hear that you've been difficulty eating - you might want to have a look at some of the advice here on the NAS site - https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/eating/all-audiences. Although some of this advice is tailored more to parents of autistic children, there are resources towards the bottom of the page like the links to relevant services, personal accounts and articles on autism and eating issues, that might help you to manage this issue.

    Hope this is of some help,
    Ross - mod