Diets and picky eating

Take5 said:

I found that you can change your taste especially if it’s beneficial for your health. 

As some one who had disaplinarian parents who'd insist on forcing me to 'try' the same foods over an over I can gurentee you this does not work.

Hi, I can relate to this a lot- I’ve had phases where I only ate a handful of foods (eg only eggs, rolls apples and carrot) and I also had a takeaway only phase where I only ate pizza and tiramisu which was really awful in long term. I have ibs as well so get really anxious about trying new food as I worry about it making my digestion worse (even though the pizza was so bad for it anyways…). On top of that i am picky ( sensory sensitivities) and I struggle to take time to cook- i did know how to but all the recipes I knew took a while to make and i couldn’t get myself to put so much effort into making something i might not eat/ or which might make me ill. 
It will feel like a massive hurdle but change is possible. It can be hard to get going with trying new foods- there can be this huge fear and resistance and it can be difficult to take that first step but once you do it it gets easier. I can’t really explain what allowed me to break free from eating exactly same food- i think last time part of it was that i was really underweight, probably subconsciously desperate for different nutrients and i had an opportunity coming up which made me want to feel better. 
Step number 1 to expanding diet is to actually buy some different food- seems obvious but i tend to even struggle with this. I would suggest going to supermarket and grabbing some new foods that catch your eye. It doesn’t even have to be something you need to cook - there are a lot of ready options that are healthy and are ideal especially as a transition- maybe try a wrap from supermarket? There are also some healthier ready meals. Or if you feel up to a bit of meal prepping yourself you can make your life easier with things like ready roasted chicken or falafel which you can add to a wrap with some sauce and vegetables or get a stirfry sauce to add to some protein and some microwave rice on side. Eggs and toast are also nice and easy. Or since you like ravioli, why not try some different types of fresh filled pasta to mix things up. You might not like these specific foods but the idea is to make you life as easy as possible when trying new foods. I also liked getting some things from m and s and the occasional takeaway from itsu (because i like rice a lot) . Fruit also doesn’t need much prep.

it can be stressful to buy new food and worry about not eating it and having to throw away. It’s good to give yourself a safety net there- if you don’t try things, there is a lot of food that can go into freezer. 

Also there are some frozen meal delivery services which might be helpful ( i tried allplants - it was quite adventurous but surprisingly good- too expensive though for me- but i had a delivery from them to help me try new meals without having to cook). 

If interested I can also recommend a great dietitian who has helped me a lot. She has several autistic clients. 

I am still struggling with food but my diet is so so much more diverse than it has been in years. I didn’t think this was possible but it is. It takes time though and when i am in stressful situations it will ultimately affect my eating. 
I am sure you will be able to expand your diet- but don’t put yourself under too much pressure and give yourself time and be kind to yourself .

Maybe you should start out by trying to re-make some of the dishes you enjoy at home instead. I think you should learn how to use the oven and stovetop, because then you can cook dishes that will make you feel full, and you can put in whatever you want in it. 

I started clean eating about 5 year ago, I didn’t need to lose weight but have always been a little obsessive about how food can affect us all. 
As a child and teen I was super picky and basically if it didn’t look good made myself believe it wouldn’t taste good. Over time I have tried foods I didn’t like numerous times, I even paired them with different foods. I found that you can change your taste especially if it’s beneficial for your health. 
I started on the Primal diet and for 2 weeks I felt very low with headaches and upset stomach. After that you then start to feel fantastic, lots of energy and clean inside. I do obsess over things though and this keeps me in check but it has been a very positive change. 

what’s the worst that can happen by giving it a try. 

good luck

Brie_wonderful said:

People always say, if you only have good stuff in, eventually you'll eat it when you are hungry enough but I don't. I just pass out and sleep all day if I'm put in that situation. 

can confirm this is my experence when only food I can't tolerate is avalable.

Brie_wonderful said:

My diet is incredibly narrow, ravioli, chicken nuggets, chips, Weetabix, plain burgers, margarita pizza, gravy, and only a specific mince pie.

Here's the thing. There are 2 seperate bariers to eating food. What is tastes like and what you worry it tastes like. The former is hardwired into our neurology and there is nothing to be done about that. But the later is a learned pattern (in my experence). Let me tell you the day my mum sat on my legs and force fed me chocolate icecream. I was cringing, screaming, till I actually tasted it and realised it tasted nothing like I imagined it did. It smelt nothing like coffee, tea or poop. It's texture was nothing like yogert (which is what I thought by the way it dripped). Once I realised the taste in my mouth was nothing like I'd expected I was fine with it. There are probably lots of other things you could eat if you tried them. But you'll have to accept on the way you'll try a lot of foods you don't like as well. You know we're not going to sugest you try to force yourself to eat stuff that tastes bad. But it's important to try stuff even if you think it would taste bad.

Why not make a list of food you've never tasted and pick a few to try.

I have a basic regiment that I sometimes fluxuate around. 

Morning: granola with plain probiotic yogurt, honey (often with propolis), and fresh fruit. Coffee. Sometimes juice.

Afternoon: picking at cold cuts or smoked fish wrapped in lettuce, a little cheese, salad things, nuts/fruits. << small amounts in bursts as I have low blood sugar.

None of this requires cooking except for the occasional boiled egg on the hob.

Evening: something cooked. 

There are so many ways now to cook. A slow cooker has an on/off button and can be incredibly simple. But I would try to find one with an automatic shut off (not all of them have this). 

Brie_wonderful said:

People always say, if you only have good stuff in, eventually you'll eat it when you are hungry enough but I don't.

When I was little my mom would say this too. But I would end up not eating anything for days until I would cry all night from being so hungry. Then she'd make me something I would eat.

Recently Ive been making a list of every food item im okay with eating, then I wrote the # of serving sizes and the price per serving size so I know how much id have to buy and how often for when I live on my own. And im trying to have perfect proportion sizes and fit with the food plate thing (Im fairly good but I have zero vegitables. But hey, I cant do everything)

With the microwave thing you mentioned, you can bung some tomatoes in a microwave for 60 seconds (they're healthier when you cook them), and add them to some toasted rye bread with houmous. There you go, healthy and filling meal. 

I've had eating issues my whole life, including long periods of binge eating crap. The last 2 years I've transformed that and feel much better (lost a tonne of weight, which makes it all worthwhile).

But if you switch to a healthy diet and stick to it for 2 weeks, once all the chemicals, sugar, and preservatives leave your system you shouldn't crave the unhealthy foods anymore.

From your list, Weetabix is actually quite good for you. Everything else is awful (sorry)!

Switch to fresh veg, lean meats, rye bread, houmous, popcorn (minus any chocolate etc.), lots of herbal tea, kombucha, and light soups. Eggs, chicken, fish, and turkey are healthy meats. 

My breakfast for example is all organic: porridge, pumpkin seeds, raisins, turmeric, and yoghurt.