Published on 12, July, 2020
I've had several food related discussions recently with a few autistic friends of mine, both on and off the forum and I can't help but be intrigued by how autism affects our taste in food. I have a couple of friends who are very hypersensitive to a lot of different tastes and textures and can only eat very bland tasting food of certain specific consistencies and yet there are other friends and also myself that seem to like lots of strong tastes; spices, etc. Food seems to be important to autistic people in one way or another! So I wondered where everyone else is with food. Do you prefer strong tastes and flavours or do you have a lot of food sensitivities that limit what you can eat? I'd like to know other people's opinions and thoughts on this?
Oh yes
From existing allergic reactions to some foods/drinks through to finding effects from other food more recently - intolerances and digestive issues. I cannot stand some strong things (perfume especially Lynx, peppermint, ginger) to having a high tolerance to spicy food (Garlic Chilli, Black Pepper Masala, spicy Jalfrezi, Nando's spicy sauces) and loving them.
I hate skin on gravy/custard but have no problem with rice pudding, Creme Brûlée and custard tart.
Oh no! Sorry to hear that you have food allergies/intolerances! What foods do you have issues with?
Yeah I've literally just said to someone else this evening, I hate it when someone is wearing enough perfume to gas a small nation! There's just no need for it!! Peppermint is ok though, in chewing gum! I like ginger and pretty much any spice!
I don't mind Custard/Rice pudding but if I had to eat a desert I prefer something with a bit more flavour, either something super chocolatey or really fruity fruit cake.
For me it is Squash or whatever chemicals they put in it. Further is allergy to pollens (fields of those yellow flowers and Conifer are the big ones now) which compounds with Rape Seed/Canola Oil (cheap substitute for sunflower oil).
Since mid 40's it is anything from Beef (stock and cross contamination of juice - I can eat steak in France without a problem). Also around this time I cannot breakdown fresh fruit and vegetables - Structure of them although Bananas and Strawberries are OK.
Reflux acid with stale salad, milk and cream (Not gone off but stale due to bacteria).
Finally over the past few years I cannot eat chocolate - same petal position as with Beef and Canola Oil.
Also skin on coffee - yeurgh
Can you eat beef if it's been grilled or bbq'd on it's own, not touching other meat?
How annoying that you can't eat the fruit from your own orchard! You could sell the fruit though, I've seen people do that around here, they leave little bags of fruit (or sometimes eggs; I've even seen bags of horse manure sold like this!) on a small plastic table outside of their house with a sign saying something along the lines of '£1.50 per bag please help yourself' and people just put the money in the box which is also on the table and take a bag of fruit.
My Beef problem is any juice whatsoever - from the meat, soup/gravy made from beef stock as well as a barbecue that has beef cooking next to other meat.
With Fruit, yes, even more when I have enough apple/plum/pear trees to be classed as an orchard (5+).
I never would have thought of squash as being something could be allergic to but I guess it depends on which one it is and what has been added to it! Those fields of yellow flowers play havoc with my hayfever but I can eat rapeseed oil without it causing a problem!
Is the problem with the beef or just the beef stock?
That must be annoying not being able to eat most fruit? Or chocolate!!!
I've never had skin on my coffee! How does that happen!