Autism and FOOD issues: my experience

Autism and food issues often go hand in hand, and for me personally, my childhood was full of anxiety and stress about the food that I ate (or didn’t). As an undiagnosed autistic child, I thought of myself back then as “fussy”, whereas now I can appreciate the sensory sensitivities and aversions to food texture that are common in autistic people, and reframe my past self as an autistic child with food aversions.
In this video, I’m discussing my food habits as a child (and an adult) and what I think the people around me could have done to help me eat a better diet at the time.
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[@MattAndImprov]

Even worse than "ooh, she's actually trying a potato" is "oh, so now you're suddenly okay with eating a potato, huh?" As if you've been lying or just being a baby for no reason, and almost angry at you and sarcastic.

[@shadowfox933]

My parents still do this to me, and I haven't had any of my old food issues (except one still) in almost 5 years. Yet they still act surprised when I eat something we've had DOZENS of times

[@TheCloverAffiliate12]

My mom tried really hard with my twin sister and me with "Try Something New Day" every Sunday. I enjoy trying some new things now* (and I even did back then some of the time), but Mom seems to take it personally that I would have a hard time trying new things growing up. Wait until she hears that it's probably due to an ADHD-ASD-SPD wombo combo trifecta... *I do have issues trying some new things still. It's just less so, especially since it's usually under my control. Bonus when I can get something I know I like, and someone else offers me a bit of their thing that's new to me to try so I don't have to commit to the whole thing.

[@FandomSparks]

I know I've told my parents I hate certain foods so much that now when I try them or have changed my mind after trying them again a few yrs later they think I was lieing?

[@LudmilaT.]

Being made anxious around food by other people makes it so much worse. Parenting like that just ensures more struggles with food if not forever than at least long into adulthood

[@coal.sparks]

This. Shamed for being "picky" and then called out for widening your palate a bit. Honestly, just focus on your own damn plate and leave mine alone. There are a lot of foods that, as a 40-year-old I could probably learn to like but I've been shamed into thinking that I can't change my mind about them.

[@annamarie4101]

Textures of food has always been a huge sensory issue for me.

[@thomasdalby3567]

...yea.... but back then fruit and veggys was disgusting (it would turn into fucking goo and many kids meals was crap i remember getting given ox liver by my dad not mixed with anything now id eat it no matter what like golum in LOTR raw uughh ARRGG *rips it apart* ....now there pretty good food its curries with great textures a desent number of tastes ...i once ate a leamon tart that was 3months out of date it had gone from its nice yellow to a dirty cream ... with black mould around the edgys ...still ate it it gave me a slitting headach but i was hungry .....

[@midknight1968]

Same

[@erumoicemaxie]

Yes! Whn I'm eating something I like the taste of but I hate the texture, I really cannot eat a lot of it. Like, I start feeling sick after a while.

[@callmedeno]

@@erumoicemaxie This is my thing, is it common in autistic people?

[@randomstuffs3060]

@@erumoicemaxie same!

[@KingDoug]

I recently started looking into autism properly when someone suggested I could have autism, and finding out that food textures issues is a big autistic trait has felt like a huge weight off my shoulders. 30-odd years of people belittling my food choices, making out I was just being awkward, and now I realise there's a genuine explanation for it. I totally cannot eat food with too much fat or marbling, I hate sauces, I can only eat eggs if they're cooked a certain way, I can only eat potato if it's in chip form or something with a similar crispiness-to-fluffiness ratio. So many things. Now instead of trying to come up with reasonable excuses, I can just go "I'm autistic, fuck off."

[@christinayates894]

Oh man I have so many sensory issues with foods. Especially due to textures and smells. All my life I've been called a picky eater, but I honestly hate that term because it's not like I'm choosing to only be able to eat certain foods, I just physically cannot eat them. My parents used to think I would eat if I was hungry, as usual, but I literally would starve instead of eating those foods.

[@sonicmcpatriotic333]

I feel the exact same way. I have been hungry with a sandwich in front of me that I normally can eat but it will start setting off my gag reflex. I will then have to drink a glass of milk so I at least have something on my stomach.

[@electricwolfy6567]

Same My parents still act as if I choose to only like around 5 foods when I just physically can’t eat stuff

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

@@electricwolfy6567 I get that you get gag reflexes. But most gag reflexes and high stressing on foods are not straight "physical." They're psychological and gags are physiological --i.e, bad experiences and tensions with food, studies of people show, produce a gag reflex subsequently as soon as the food is presented. E.g., one of the 1st hard liquours I drank too much of as an 'experimenting' 16 year old was Southern Comfort. Thereafter even a whiff of that would make me retch and gag.

[@christinayates894]

@@carlcushmanhybels8159 Yeah, no that's not the same thing we are talking about. There are so many foods that I physically, yes physically, cannot eat. It was said like that for a reason

[@MsPandaV]

I can relate so much to you, I have always really enjoyed food but some sensory things for me are temperatures of the foods and textures has always been a big deal for me. Eating sugary sweet things has never been a problem but salty things I always loved to snack on too like chips. But I've had Eating Disorders on and off ever since I was in my teenage years and now I am 21 and I still struggle with on and off again Binge eating mixed with bulimia and anorexia

[@katesvensen2261]

When I was a girl, my dad used to yell at me for dissecting my meat. The only times I was forced to eat something I didn't like, I ended up vomiting as soon as I managed to choke it down. As an adult, I go through food phases. Stir-fry phase. Pasta bake phase. etc and I make up my own recipes.

[@pudgethefish5180]

I just had a physical reaction. that's literally exactly how I am and not 10 minutes ago I was telling my friend about it

[@amberb.6395]

Omg me too with the dissecting. My family joked about that about me to this day. It’s just a normal thing now obviously, but there’s still jokes. I don’t mind them though lol. I can’t eat a single piece of meat with fat on it. The taste and texture are the worst. Which sucks because I LOVE steak, pork, and chicken. Especially chicken though. I do the same thing with oranges too though. It takes me like 20-30 minutes to peel a cutie orange then I eat them in like 5 minutes lol

[@katesvensen2261]

@@amberb.6395 YES! I have to get all of that white stuff off. lol And I hate if the membrane between the sections breaks while I'm separating them.

[@rylsahawneh3662]

Food phases, yes! And if I’m in a good phase, even thinking about eating whatever foods aren’t part of that phase make me feel like I’m about to gag. I’ve have the food phases intermittently since I was a preteen.

[@BlackBackLioness]

It's so nice to read this comment, even though obviously I'm sorry your father yelled at you, I had exactly the same thing - knowing that it happened to others too is comforting in a weird way. I would be left sitting at the table after everyone else had eaten because I couldn't manage the mashed potato or anything with a similar texture - or my two food items had touched each-other and now I couldn't eat them. I remember my mother sneering at me, telling me I'll sit there until I eat it, that I was pathetic and being stupid. I remember bawling my eyes out at the thought of eating this food. I was constantly, and still am criticised, for my food phases. I don't eat out with family now, I hide whatever food I do have to avoid their comments. Ah memories.

[@milenachaves1918]

I am literally crying, I have never heard of someone else express my issues with food in a way that feels so close to what I feel.

[@Clairveux11]

There is NOTHING GOOD about a cafeteria setting 😳 Sensory torture😣

[@Maieveryday2]

I ate the same thing from the cafeteria for a year, My mom noticed I was getting chubby, it was because I would only eat the Pizza in the cafeteria lol, we started packing after that.

[@Catlily5]

Luckily from age 12 up a bunch of us ate outside or in a hallway instead of in the cafeteria.

[@GJeo8]

True! I spent my entire growing years skipping lunch at school because the cafeteria was so gross. Awful smells, too crowded & noisy.

[@YesBruv105]

Still to this day, being around kids eating puts me way off food. Cannot share food with kids (they can have it all) or eat what they cooked. Gross. I'd eat my lunch on the way home from skool.

[@00muinamir]

I haaaated the cafeteria. I hated it on rainy days especially because you didn't even have the option of being out in the schoolyard and everyone was crammed inside, the noise was through the roof, it smelled even worse than usual, and the noise of hundreds of galoshes and things squeaking against wet surfaces ate away at my sanity. High school was such a relief because having my own class schedule meant that I had options for avoiding the lunch crowd entirely.

[@jquirk]

When I was a kid, my parents would tell me I could always spit it out if I didn’t like it, but I had to try it. it really helped, looking back. I hated the spitting but it eliminated a lot of food stress. Thank you for these videos.

[@shadowfox933]

I wish my parents had done that...they always made it a spectacle if I couldn't eat it, and it always made me feel worse

[@fedoramcclaren4294]

As a parent of a child on the spectrum, as well as myself, I do this with him...our diets are extremely limited, but I do my best to try newer foods...

[@Elora445]

My parents did the same. If I truly disliked something, I didn't have to eat it (and was given other things to eat). Really helped me as a child. Mom also made some special versions of the food the rest were eating, so I could eat that. For a so called picky eater, I eat quite a lot of stuff today because of it, I think.

[@yvonne3903]

I would dispose in paper hanky, take it to the loo and flush because my mum checked the bin.

[@bradxwx]

"there's starving children in Africa". the show Letterkenny had a great rebuttal to that "yeah? name ten"

[@carmensavu5122]

I heard a better one, from the comedian Ismo (I think that's what his name is). I'm gonna go there, find a starving child, stuff some food in my face, and say to him "I am doing this for you".

[@LordWaterBottle]

"Mohamed"

[@junipajen]

I am 40 and I have just discovered your videos. It's like that 'penny drop' moment where everything now makes complete sense! I have only ever thought about autism, like you describe, the way that society portrays a typical non-verbal autistic child. So I never, in a million years, thought I would have it. I am completely bowled over by everything you are saying... I am answering yes to everything on your checklist, everything in this video about being an extremely fussy eater, especially as a child. So many of the traits brushed off as shyness, weirdness, me making light of my quirks with friends. So many issues like the sensory overload and struggle with easy tasks and managing day to day life, even though I put on a front like I am managing just fine to the outside world is something I have just lived with not realising that there is an explanation and even diagnosis for all these things. So many more traits than I could list on here, but I have made notes of. The more I watch of your videos, the more I am 100% certain that I am autistic. I would like to get a diagnosis so that I have 'evidence' for when I explain it to my family. If I just told them I was autistic, I could imagine getting eye rolls or weird looks. I think if they watched your videos they would understand. Maybe as a suggestion you could do one video that sums up the autism traits - one especially to show friends or family as I don't think they would have the patience to watch every single video like I am doing. Or point me to the video you think is best suited. Even some of the things you say in your videos that I thought were normal and I am finding out at age 40, this is not how everyone else thinks/feels/ does things. But equally I always knew there was something different about me and how my brain worked, but I never ever thought it would be autism. But also thankful (to you Sam for creating these videos) for giving me that 'penny drop' moment of realisation.

[@seemag9095]

I could’ve written exactly that message !

[@jocelyn4873]

Everything you said explains me and my entire childhood and now my adulthood. These videos helped me realize a lot about myself and now my 18 year old daughter, who struggles much more with life than I did. (neither of us are diagnosed autistic, but I believe we are)

[@coal.sparks]

I'm 48 and the penny dropped for me a couple of days ago, when I stumbled into the autism community on youtube. But yeah, my mom used to talk about how fussy I was, and all of my aunts and uncles recount how I had to have my samefood breakfast or I just wouldn't eat breakfast. (I learned the word samefood today and it's my new fave thing.) I'm sure my mom got grief for "indulging" me, but I'm glad she did. I didn't (and don't) like pizza. I have widened my palate over the years and could probably convince myself to try pizza again today, but I don't particularly want to, since there's no longer any societal pressure on me to eat it.

[@rebeccamay6420]

Both Sam and "junipajen" are describing ME! The more I learn from people all over the spectrum, the more I find so many of these traits in me throughout my entire life. After watching a video about the Top Twenty Most Irritating Things for People with Autism, I was startled, amazed, excited, relieved, and ... and ... ecstatic! "Forty-several" years old, and I finally KNEW why I was such a weirdo! (And I mean that in the most complimentary way possible, as in: I'm a Delightfully Witty Musical Weirdo, And I Like It That Way!) When my husband asked what I was watching, I burst into So-Full-of-Happy-That-It-s-Leaking Tears (as I'm doing right now while retelling it, again), and exclaimed that "I had always known I was different and always felt out of place and Now I Know Why -- I have Autism!" I cried so much Happy that I needed several tissues to catch the blubbering mess. Lol! I know that I, too, must be selective about how and to whom I tell. Of course, my doctor is at the top of the list. We spoke about it at my recent exam. Those who've known me the longest (and feel I can trust, and would relate well) would be among the first too. After much contemplation and rehearsal, I chose to began enthusiastically with "I recently made a fascinating discovery about myself!" And they appear to get excited about this news I'm about to tell. "I was scrolling through some KZbin suggestions and I saw this title (top 20....). And you know how much I love learning stuff, so sure, I'll watch that. And as I'm listening to this man describing these irritating things (insert a few changes of facial expression as i continue, interest, concern, worry, discovery, excitement) I'm thoroughly agreeing and check-marking everything he's describing! /You mean these don't bother normal people as much as they irritate me!?/ And so I watch more videos by Autistic people about their traits and experiences, and they're describing my entire life! This explains so much more than A.D.D. by itself" Yes, as our brains do, I carefully selected how I'd introduce and describe it, and rehearsed it in my head a few times before telling it to others. And yes, this is an overly long comment, called Over-Sharing, which is related to this other video, "Why Aspies Write Such Long Emails." I'm surprised I haven't been cut off at the character limit by now!

[@FindingYourSerenity]

Yes I a low pressure environment would be a great idea. My parents would make me sit at the dinner table when I refused to finish my food and I'd just sit there crying. Yet no one knew I was autistic. My mum has photos of me crying over my food. I started hiding the food around the room and they obviously found it. They still tell the story to people and it still hurts my feelings.

[@brienascimento6882]

Eu também escondia dos meus pais a comida! Minha mãe até hoje não entende porque sou tão seletiva

[@brienascimento6882]

my answer is in brazilian portuguese, I don't know write in English so well

[@eye_of_pluto]

I remember my mum saying I wasn't allowed to leave the table until I ate everything. I chewed it up and spat it under the table when she wasn't looking. I got in a lot of trouble for that one

[@MJBowie]

I had the hardest time eating steamed vegetables (they were rarely cooked any other way in my house), meat (unless processed/ground), and drinking the glass of cows milk my old fashioned mom demanded we all drink with dinner. I wasn't allowed to leave the table until I at least finished the milk, which meant I'd still be trying to sip down the gross milk when it was no longer even cold. I have a bunch of siblings and they'd just laugh at me for crying while trying to finish it. My family would not ever consider autism or anything for religious reasons.

[@AngstyRat]

Yeah... I can relate, one time my aunt came round and she made this meal (I cant remember the name of it) and I just could not stomach it, my parents thought I was just being rude but the texture of it made me get goosebumps and almost throw up. The only reason I kept trying to eat it is because my dad made me stay in the dining room long after everyone else was gone, plus there was icecream as pudding and we *never* bought icecream so it was a real treat. I forced myself to eat half the bowl and in the end I got one spoonful of icecream -_-

[@kreativuntermdach7351]

With our kids 3 things helped: 1. You try it. If you dont like an ingredient, put it to the side. If you dont like the food as a whole, you can have something quick and easy from the kitchen. 2. Foods, where everyone can mix and Match their own ingredients. Like Pizza, Omelett, Ramen, bread ....they can then choose themselves and maybe try a little something before putting more of it in.

[@kateapple1]

You only listed two! 😂❤❤

[@kreativuntermdach7351]

@@kateapple1 Oops...but i cant remember a third, now 🤭

[@Slastukin67]

Oh yes. I can tolerate almost any flavour, but textures do me in. No wet food like stew or soup. No touching textures. Nothing mealy. No greasy with dry. Everyone thought I was just a difficult brat. They didn't understand that it was incredibly stressful. I was actually frightened of certain foods.

[@Amara262]

I grew up in a household where you ate what you were given or you starved (or when we were older we'd have to cook our own food). And so I developed this survival mechanism where "You just need to eat it until you like it, " and I did this with a lot of foods... And my husband thought that mentality was so weird, and not how people typically function, but wow does it ever make a lot of sense now...

[@sianrevs]

You have almost perfectly described my childhood, even down to Granny Smith apples!

[@heavenleamossable]

Same

[@Welsh_Veteran_420_Z]

Lol me too it's uncanny

[@ovenbakedtwink]

Granny Smith supremacy 😌

[@mindlessperson2982]

"We got a green apple, just like you wanted" "How dare you say that any green apple is good?! Granny Smith supremacy"

[@dan-gy4vu]

Wait we are all agreeing on granny smith?! Oh my god. It's the only acceptable apple for me next to fuji apples. That is so strange what.

[@evag-s5177]

My biggest nemesis has always been white creamy things - sour cream, alfredo sauce, etc. I just recently started eating bagels with cream cheese (never plain cream cheese, it has to be flavored, or have stuff in it, like vegetable or chive). It's such a small addition to my diet but it feels like such a big win.

[@genericyoutubechannel6180]

Omg... yessss!

[@izzybitsyspider03]

OMG me too. I don't have autism but I hate white, creamy things and gelatinous foods and foods soaked in liquids (tres leches, tiramisu, etc)

[@babyface3396]

Yes!!!! The sauce! Especially the white creamy sauce. I hate that stuff. Just the feeling of having your mouth full of mush is so yuck-inducing to me. I hate having something that isn't quite a liquid, but can't be chewed. If I have sauce on something it's always a minimal amount. I will NEVER eat mayo. Nobody can make me. Even donuts filled with creme are a no-go for me. And jello pudding I'll eat in very very small bites so I don't get overwhelmed by the texture.

[@sincerecinnamon]

I don't really care as much about white creamy stuff in specific, but last year in my school, I refused to eat the school nachos if they had white queso as opposed to orange queso, and if the meat was pinker than I thought was normal, I would rather not eat than eat it

[@darkangelprincess101]

When I was younger Granny Smith was the only apple I would eat. Now the only apple I eat is fuji. It's the only one that taste good to me.

[@fnjesusfreak]

I used to only like Granny Smith...my thing these days is Crispin.

[@mariethedove3909]

Oh wow, I’m still at the granny smith..

[@SullenAngel]

Pink Lady is my jam, Delicious + cute name!

[@amberb.6395]

I used to eat red delicious but they were normally super sour. Then one day I found Fuji and I never went back. Those are the best!

[@m.l3483]

Same! And gala. I’d hate it when they get mushy though ugh

[@nsa7637]

I'm the weirdest fussy eater ever - became a vegetarian at age 5 since I hated the taste of all meat and fish. I also stopped eating milk and eggs since I hated their flavor. Eventually I became vegan since I hate all non vegan food and strangely I love fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. I just find it easier to say that I'm vegan for the animals (partially true) than to say that I hate the taste of all animal products since these food issues tend to anger people.

[@reginawinter6095]

That's really funny because for me it's just the other way round. People accept that I hate the texture and taste of meat. Saying "I'm vegan because of the environment and the animals" way too often triggers discussions.

[@nikandjb1]

Me too, I'm vegan now and, apart from potatoes, I like most things. Fruits, veg, legumes, pulses are amazing. Also I don't want to participate in the suffering of other animals.

[@katielynneyoung4738]

Me too!

[@heatherh4100]

This is my story too. Went vegetarian as a teen, vegan in the last couple of years. People look at you like you are crazy when you find cheese disgusting. I did find I had less migraines after so that was an awesome bonus.

[@classicatheart5594]

Noy Soffer Aranov same here!

[@lissyyy5500]

I think I drove my mom crazy as a child and I also prefered to stay hungry instead of eating annythink I find disgusting 😂

[@janetmichel3009]

I'm neurotypical, but was also a very fussy eater. I could totally relate to the texture thing! Tomatoes were my arch enemy. I was also very similar in the timing of when my fussy eating got better, but for different reasons. In my case a more social and "happening"/busy eating environment seemed to actually help me eat as it distracted me from the pressure of having to finish my plate. What I 100% agree with is staying away from bargaining tactics, shaming tactics etc. Basically anything that treats fussy eaters as if they are just being difficult by choice. Fussy easters, especially as kids, KNOW they are being "difficult" and are "different" and feel like a burden even and it's already a source of anxiety. If they could, they would LOVE to be more "normal". So these tactics don't work and often just compound the issue. Now, all that talk just made me hungry. haha

[@justuslightworkers]

Tomatoes are terrible! How in the world does everyone love such slime???

[@kaleeshsynth9994]

Food texture is important

[@heatherofthemountains]

Thank you. I have a very "picky" eater. My son is 12 and has always been anxious about new food. Which means anything outside of his chosen foods. I have always fought for him and his right to enjoy his eating experiences. We've recently begun homeschooling and we've implemented a bit of food experimentation. He enjoys it immensely. He has picked up a few more foods and added them to his chosen foods. We love to cook together and he loves learning about new foods and he knows that trying the food is not required. Sometimes he wants to and will ask and other times he is absolutely not interested in trying it. He knows I'm proud of him either way and that my only goal is to introduce him to food history, food science, new ingredients, interesting methods of cooking, different food cultures and etc. You have really helped me with this video. I do worry sometimes that I'm not doing right by him with allowing him total control of what goes into his mouth. That's not to say we have an abundance of snack foods for him, but we keep his familiar foods that he is comfortable with available for him at all times. Thank you for validating my choice to allow him this control and freedom from any food anxiety. I really appreciate it.

[@ale6684]

My chidhood diet was pretty much the same. I hated the texture of onions, for example. I would eat so pourly that my mother used to cry because she thought i was gonna die. She took me to the doctor several times but she always told her that it was ok for my body to eat just what i wanted to eat! It's a miracle I'm alive, like you said about yourself. Sorry about my english, i'm from Uruguay in South America and here we speak spanish. Thank you for these videos. I'm 39 and starting to recognize myself as an autistic person because of yours and other autistic women videos. It's a really important thing you're doing

[@lyaneris]

I have the same problem with onions. I used to always pick them out of food. My body also has problems digesting them, do luckily I have an excuse. Also, everything warm vegetable is awefully slimey. Can't stand spinach, either. I'm kinda scared, since my "approved" foods seem to shrink in recent years.

[@jenniferbutler1545]

My mother always made spaghetti sauce. She had to put it through the food processor because of the texture of the cooked onions. I was incapable of eating cooked onions without gagging and vomiting. I'm 55 and still can't eat cooked onions or garlic.

[@davidrubenstein3489]

I was, and still am, an extremely picky eater. Years ago I found out there’s a real name for this. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, or ARFID. A huge portion of people diagnosed with it are also on the spectrum. From my understanding, it most often occurs in neurotypical people as a result of some kind of traumatic event in addition to a familial predisposition. I have several other family members who have - or as a child had - ARFID.

[@alisonmurphy2138]

I like to say I'm not picky--I'm particular. The freedom to cook for myself and try things on my own schedule has helped so much, but texture remains my biggest nemesis to getting enough to eat. My mom used to make chicken with sauce several nights a week, and growing up I would run each bite around my plate until I got off as much sauce as possible.

[@brewaffles3102]

for some reason, i do that with ravioli XD

[@xANNE1991x]

Omg it’s like I hear myself talking about food! I always struggled so much with eating and food and feel so stressed about even thinking about eating! I hate eating out at new restaurants! three months ago I was diagnosed with autism and suddenly everything made sense.. although my parents act like nothings wrong with me and act like I’m not autistic or they ignore it.. how did your parents deal with it when you just got the diagnosis?

[@YoSamdySam]

I talked to my parents before the diagnosis process so we all learned a lot together so when I got my diagnosis it wasn't a surprise. Remember there's nothing "wrong" with you, you just struggle in some areas - for people who grew up in a different generation it's a different idea of what autism really means. Just keep trying to have conversations about the subject.

[@MsPandaV]

I have never been professionally diagnosed with having an ASD (Austism Spectrum Disorder) but for the last four years my parents and my sister and I have come to the conclusion that I have Asperger's or a type of "high functioning" autism but at the same time of all of us becoming more aware of the symptoms and researching and getting more informed about the subject of Austism and Asperger's syndrome my parents still have times when they don't believe me when I say that the behaviors I have been exhibiting ever since I was a little girl and even now that I am 21 are related to my ASD/Aspergers even when I try to explain to them why I am exhibiting OCD or Anxiety or when I am having an eating disorder or an Autistic Meltdown

[@josefschiltz2192]

@@YoSamdySam Those Nutella jars. Yep; got . . quite . . a . . few! I use them in my studio. Eating: cannot tolerate slimy, unless it is with something crunchy, so it is disguised. I will not, unless entirely desperate, eat bananas. On their own, revolting. Sardines, again, have to be with something else, though I did find out that black pepper is enough to just tolerate them. I can have other fish without that reaction, thank goodness, as Omega 3 is incredibly useful. My mother also had problems with fish. I have repeatedly dropped wheat, I tried sourdough for a while but, this time, I may have dropped it for good. The only bread I have is an Omega enriched rye bread. I've not chased any white rabbits recently, so I might be OK with that. I NEVER smoke or drink or any other 'indulgence' in anutrients. Some people have 'thought' that I do and ingest substances. My brain's wiring is naturally Surrealist and I have no need nor wish to. Those with thin slice mentalities may say I'm weird or strange. I say/think, "I am so glad to see such professionalism in your assessment of my mental state" and "good luck in your next job".

[@guhrizzlybaire]

Sharon Jensen I wish I had a shirt that said, “neurotypicals, even when they’re good, they’re terrible” 😂😂😂❤️❤️😔

[@shawnhartmann4581]

Food, I can't handle raw tomatoes or pickled things, taste is too thick. Not rich, just thick. Restaurants, I avoid ordering the same thing. If possible, I order something I've never heard of. If I'm going to have an awful time anyway, I might as well broaden my horizons. Helps to self-medicate beforehand, so no one calls the cops.

[@kendalchen]

A friend sent me here. I could write a novella about my food issues as a child. This is one of the things that makes me most suspicious I have AS issues (next to specific niche interests and iffy social skills). There are entire categories of food I’ve never tried and refuse to try because of smell and temperature. Potato salad, ham salad, egg salad, tuna salad: they all smell bad , they smell “cold”, and I used to tell people “they sound like brains when you stir them”. Now , I’m sure I eat hot foods with the same sounds when you stir them, but I could *smell* when meat was cold and I would kind of clench up. There was zero awareness of autism back then in the American Midwest (I was born in the 70’s). So many family lunches at relatives’ houses meant I had to go hungry AND get attitude from people who just zombie-ishly accepted Wonder bread and lunch meat and mayonnaise. (In hindsight, I’m angry that we didn’t pack me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I could live on those back then.) Even now, when I go home to visit, I dread a food scenario I still can’t handle , even when I eat so much more than before. I went to my aunt’s funeral recently and brought my own peanut butter , crackers, and a Kind bar. When I stepped into that church basement the smell of my most hated foods hit me all at once (and writing about it is actually upsetting) , so I’m glad I could sit down and eat my own food. My cousin seemed very surprised when she asked about the food I brought and I told her how upsetting the smells of that food were. I was aware after talking to her that I basically implied that what she was eating was too repulsive for consumption, but whatever. I am very hard to embarrass. :) When I like a food, I tend to overeat it, and as an adult I notice that I make significant effort to get crispy stuff as crispy as possible, but I don’t recall if I was like that as a child. It was alllllll about smells and temperature. I had to be reasoned into trying salad as an adult, which led to me interrogating wait staff about whether the grilled chicken ok the salad was warm. Because if it gets cold I can smell that and it’s still upsetting. My threshold for what’s “warm enough” has lowered a little, but the revulsion over genuinely cold meat and attending odors is still there, and I’m approaching my late forties. Oh, and there was a whole separate thing about me getting upset about white milk and being absolutely obsessed with chocolate milk; the kind you make with a powdered mix. Kids at my school almost neeeeeeeever got chocolate milk. The parochial school kids did, the rumors said. I resented that. That was no fair. Anyway, thanks for this video. It resonates. :)

[@guhrizzlybaire]

kendalchen the meat smell, the cold smell I know exactly what you’re talking about! Never have I ever had someone put it into words! Ground Turkey (hot or cold, sliced or whatever) has that horrible smell. I have cats and don’t feed them wet food often anymore because when I was pregnant it actually pushed me to throw up instead of just getting me really close to 😂 I feel less alone. That dang brain meat smell 🤢 tomatoes smell that way to me also.

[@cloudrot4955]

please i hate salads they’re so gross and the noise they make.. and they’re all cold foods together with different textures like hard stuff and soft stuff and it’s just all gross noooo

[@Ascension721]

I am VERY particular with foods, but I also have a decent amount of food allergies to go along :(

[@rutheforbandet6157]

I have a similar issue to the cold thing but with ‘freshness’. Basically if it’s been out of it’s packaging for more than an hour, I’ll be unable to eat it. I basically cannot eat school lunches and although I’m sure some of it is psychological, I swear I can taste how stale even food like biscuits are.

[@TJAG4evr]

I relate so much to this! I would share 2 things from my experience. 1) You cannot force me to eat new food. I had to be ready to try things on my own and I needed to do it when people I knew weren't around so there wasn't any pressure. 2) DO NOT make a big deal when I eat something new. It feels so patronizing and humiliating.

[@andrewcullum7097]

Yes, Granny Smith's too for me! Any crumbly textured Apple would be gag reflex time again! Braeburns for me these days, again, provided they are NOT crumbly in texture!!

[@Slastukin67]

Mealy apples are horrible. For that reason I cannot eat potatoes, because you can't tell by looking if they are going to have that awful mealy grainy texture.

[@TheTeapotte]

Pink ladies or gala but they have to be crunchy gala. No oranges, don't like the white pith bits but like the orange taste

[@Krista2882]

yeah, I can't eat Macintosh apples because 80% of the time they have a mealy texture.

[@amberb.6395]

@@Slastukin67 oh I love potatoes in almost every form. Fries, only shaped hash browns, mashed, raw, etc. the only way I won’t eat them is the cut up, stringy way. I’ve tried many times. It tastes the same. Gross and awful texture

[@wallaaby5907]

who the f likes grainy, sandy textured apples? no one

[@coloneljo]

This just unearthed all of these memories I’d tried to repress. Crazy how much this describes me

[@colleenbarrick1457]

I TOTALLY RELATE TO WHAT U WERE SAYING ABOUT THE SMELLS OF FOOD & SYNESTHESIA! i have never thought of that contributing to my selective diet but it absolutely makes sense. im going to pay more attention to what comes up. thank you!

[@neon-kitty]

This resonates so much. I'm in my late 20s now and I still can't eat fruit or vegetables because their texture (and in some cases their appearance) just repulses me. Though unlike yours, my mum has often tried to sneak stuff into my food that she knows I don't like and yeah, it's definitely made me distrust her cooking. Even to this day when I eat something she's cooked, I'm always suspicious. And generally speaking, processed food definitely tends to be a lot easier for me than unprocessed food.

[@iamshooketh9345]

My son has just been diagnosed, hes 4. Thank you so much for your videos, it helps me better understand my baby. X

[@beatrizalbano5533]

So, my mom tried the whole "you'll sit there until you finish your plate" approach a little. Very stressful for everyone involved. Also, we had almost the exact food aversions... I'm 29 and now feel I'm approaching the "normal" level of food dislikes.

[@spoiled1950]

You really hit the nail on the head with this video. I am traumatized by food. As a child I was forced to eat meat at dinner time. Even though I would cry my little eyes out. And every time I would get physically ill. My parents thought I was just faking it. I despise milk and was forced to eat cereal for breakfast. To this day I will not eat breakfast and you will not find milk in my fridge. I never ate school lunch either it was disguising to me the smell the presentation people talking over my tray I was afraid of spit and germs. And as an adult I am vegan and have been as soon as I could eat on my own. I love your videos.

[@troydonaldson]

To this day I still gag at the smell of cooking mushrooms, even though I can eat them now, I still can't stand the smell. What you said about it being about the texture is so true!

[@AnimeRayanne]

I hate everything about mushrooms. Idk why but their like my least favorite food. Just thinking about them grosses me out lol. I can't even remember if I've properly tried one. 😅

[@kimbertree]

Who recorded this video of me talking about my food habits 😂 holy moly we're the same (ok, some differences but you get the point.)

[@Celestial_Kumiho]

Everything you say in your videos reminds me of myself. I’m 33 and a female. I have been misdiagnosed with bpd and bipolar disorder and now my doctor has said that I’m not those things but we have yet to speak about autism but I believe I may have her test me for it...if such a test exists. All of these food preferences are how I eat. I won’t eat meat off the bone the meat I do eat can’t have fat or gristle in it. My mother has forced me to sit at the table many nights until I ate things I didn’t like but i would sit there until bed time. Texture is everything for me. I’m realizing that I am very particular about everything. I have noticed that work and social gatherings exhaust me because I have to keep up my mask and my defenses.

[@pandogamer-relievedpandasr7935]

I dont usually comment on videos but this made me tear up. I was always told I was a weirdo, a fussy eater, not normal. And now I've found this video (not diagnosed as autistic...yet) and realising that this food thing is such a big thing with this. That lots of other people are going through, have gone through, this. This is an eye opener, I'm so glad I've found his video, thank you. I genuinely thought I was alone on every single thing in this video. Now I know I'm not I'm more hopeful it will get better, I am in the area of only eating one type of meal every single day and I don't know if I ever will get out of it, but you make me so hopeful that one day I will.

[@davidarndt4699]

All my life I've been a picky eater. I really liked this video, because, I can understand everything you are talking about. I have always had a serious problem with Vinegar. I am 45 years old now and I still can't stand it! Just the smell of vinegar drives me crazy. I feel a little nauseous. It's never made me physically vomit. But, I have the urge to throw up. That is just from the smell! When I was younger, someone brought a bag of potato chips over and set them on the table. I saw the bag and thinking nothing of it, I grabbed a few chips and put one or two in my mouth. Right away, I knew something was wrong with the chips. It tasted so bad that I couldn't stand it! I felt a little sick and even more, psychologically bothered. It drove me insane! I quickly ran to the sink and spit it out! Then drank some water to get rid of the aftertaste. Then, I looked at the bag and found out they were: Salt and Vinegar chips! I don't understand why anyone would even have the desire to invent that flavor of chips! Now, I will have nothing to do with Vinegar! I will not cook with it or use it for cleaning or anything at all. I will never buy it. I don't have any in my apartment. I won't allow anybody to bring a bottle of it into my place! A little known fact about vinegar: Almost anything that calls for vinegar as an ingredient, you can use "Lemon Juice" as a substitute for vinegar! You might have to use a little more lemon juice than vinegar, but, most of the time, lemon juice will work just fine. I have lemon juice to use instead of vinegar. Lemon does not have a repulsive smell or taste. I have never liked sauces on things like hamburgers and salads. I hate ketchup, mustard, pickles, mayonnaise, salad dressing, etc. Even now, when I go to a restaurant, I order hamburgers plain or with only: Lettuce, tomato and onion, nothing else. I can't stand sauces like ketchup and mustard. Partially because they taste bad. Also, they smell bad, they contain a lot of vinegar, and the texture and other things. Most sauces I really can't stand. But, I do like gravy on potatoes and jelly or jam and butter on bread. Other than those, most sauces like ketchup are simply intolerable and they make me feel sick. I can't stand them! It's been a long time since I've actually tried ketchup, for example. I remember that night pretty well. It was 25 years ago, on my 21st birthday. I was in a bar, drinking my first "LEGAL" beers. I drank so much that I had to get some food to soak up some of the alcohol. I got some fries. They brought some ketchup with them. I was so drunk that I thought, "It's been more than 10 years since I've tried ketchup. I should try it now. What's the worst that could happen? It'll taste bad and I'll throw up. If it makes me puke, the bathroom is only 20 feet away, all I have to do is run to it! Even if I do get sick and throw up, I've had so much alcohol tonight that the beer, whiskey and other things I've drank tonight will probably be what made me sick, not the ketchup. Although that may trigger me and cause me to get sick." Still nervous, I dipped One French fry in ketchup and tried it. It didn't taste good at all! I felt a little sick, but, I didn't vomit. Without drinking a ton of alcohol, I'd of never tried it. I have refused to eat things because they have ketchup, vinegar or other things I hate on them. When I was growing up with my mom and dad, if they made something I didn't like, I'd just make myself something else. From this video, I can see I am not alone and this is kind of normal for people who are Autistic. I didn't know I had Asperger's until I was 40 years old! That's when a Psychologist first told me I had it. Until then, I didn't even know what Asperger's was.

[@evag-s5177]

I can't do sauces and condiments either. I cannot understand why people put ketchup and mustard on burgers. I, on the other hand, love vinegar things. Pickles are one of my favorite foods. I always say it feels like I'm being punched in my mouth, in a good way.

[@ultimate_gamer3]

Stevie is like that with a lot of foods but I don't make him eat want he doesn't like

[@tracik1277]

If you have a gas mask handy, vinegar is excellent for cleaning the limes ale and watermarks off your bathroom surfaces! 😝

[@the-ma-an]

I used to hate having sauce touch anything I eat. Especially ketchup, which is funny considering the only sauce I ate was tomato sauce in pasta with cheese or pizza

[@vrinkee]

Interesting. When I was little, up till I was 13, I hated ketchup, mayonnaise, and vinegar in chips or dressings. The smell was repulsive to ke, and still is, but the way they were slimy was also an issue. Since I've gotten older though I've slowly gotten over it and even like some of those things. First I started liking pickles, then it was ketchup, and then it was the chips. It took me a lot longer to like mayo, but now I'll even mix the ketchup and mayo and put it on my sandwiches. Overall, all the things I originally hated about those foods are still there and I still dislike them (smell and texture), but I was never really adverse to the flavor. So I guess that's why I'm able to eat them now since I feel like the flavor is worth more than everything else.

[@amymclellan583]

I have anorexia nervosa and aspergers... it's all very complicated! 😂

[@Slastukin67]

Same. And yes, it is complicated. Stay safe.

[@glendaanderson4969]

Alice Olivia is a great inspiration for recovery. I was undereating for various reasons for many years so I decided to fix it using ED recovery techniques... and go figure, it made me finally realize I had an eating disorder. It's not just you. Almost all women purposely eat less and worry about being skinny for no good reason. You just have an Aspi version of it ( passionate and worrying way to much also coupled with not eating so your brain can't work properly). Your blessing is knowing you have it and having the opportunity to crawl out of that bubble. Kinda like drinking... an addict hits rock bottom, goes through recovery and goes on with their life, while most of civilization will carry on with their low key alcoholism without the chance to hit rock bottom.

[@ellcamp1852]

I have aspergers and anorexia as well, it is confusing and complicated.

[@malinw1910]

A surprisingly common combo. Check out Tony Attwood.

[@glendaanderson4969]

@@malinw1910 agreed, he's a mecca of info👍

[@L-sillybrained]

Ever since I was a baby I’ve had foods that I just can’t eat, it started with baby food, and this is really a eye opener for me, I’m definitely gonna have to look into this more

[@sarahhjenn]

Yes yes yes! I still have issues with gagging and I’m 23! I took honours specialization in nutrition and dietetics and the food labs were a HUGE struggle, being told I had to try food was not great :-( the program really helped me come around to experimenting with food. I totally feel you on the Nutella obsession, and the hatred of tomatoes! Don’t know if anyone else also loved cinnamon toast crunch but I loved that too! I

[@MJ-vspeni]

It took until my 30s to be able to eat things that had a weird texture. Still can't touch fish though (apart from tuna).

[@tracik1277]

M J I do like fish and tuna (only tinned) but if I think about it it sets my teeth on edge.

[@amberb.6395]

Oh I love tuna! In the can. Took me forever to eat fish other than canned tuna. I just needed a certain seasoning on my fish and I love it now

[@eye_of_pluto]

I can eat fish if it's breaded or battered, but just plain fish i won't touch. Tuna I can only enjoy with mayo.

[@99SIGNcoUK]

Thanks, this is so much me, even in my 50th decade I still eat no fruits, never heard of any other person on spectrum with my issues with food textures. Going to share this with my mum so she can finally understand

[@99SIGNcoUK]

Ok my mum has now seen this and this is her response, “I watched this all the way through. Yes its just like you.....I used to think,how did you survive on what you ate.xxx”

[@gradientmapabuser9875]

I relate heavily! My family clowns me for not eating fruit (even though I DO eat vegetables ) and it kinda hurts sometimes. Maybe I should tell them

[@helgarai]

Thank you for this video! It was very wholesome for me to watch. I went through a traumatic childhood, and food was one particularly hard chapter. I couldn't stand the food I was given at home (and packed to take to school), but forced to eat it through physical abuse and psychological torture, daily. It also made me grow fat and very uncomfortable in my body, I had trouble breathing and moving as a result (let's not even get into how it impacted my already troubled social life at school) and I still have issues and ill digestive health from the stress on my organs and the psychological toll two decades later. This video made me own that experience in a whole new way, without raising up dark emotions. My eating needs were and are valid. It's part of who I am, not just part of my trauma, and that's okay. Thank you again 🤗

[@ashleymiller8518]

I relate to this deeply. My parents never understood, they felt I was fighting them for my way. My dad’s a chef, so he would make a huge deal about it all the time. Forcing me to eat things. My mom was more understanding, remember her making me plain buttered noodles a lot.

[@1711mich]

Sam, its like your talking about my own life. I've been watching your videos non stop since last night (sounding so creepy now haha) I was particularly fussy with food and it didnt help that i had it pointed out to me allll the time. I hated when people commented on what i was or wasnt eating and this led me to actually not wanting to eat anything at all. My family have the "thin gene" hehe and so of course there were people who would comment on how thin i was and that i needed to eat more. I am yet to actually peel away and dig into all of the psychological trauma i've just stuffed down in my own subconscious because of food issues. For me it was also the smell, textures (Colour didnt bother me as much) and my food mixing was a big no no. If my peas touched the mashed potatoes, i would lose my shit. If there was meat on my plate, i'd only eat it if it was not slimy, sloppy, saucy, soft or fatty. So basically like you, i liked the processed, thinly sliced ham, i liked dry chicken breast or crispy bacon with no fat. I love crunchy foods, i've always loved nuts, crisps, m&m's, crunchy mint chocolate.... But yea, i completely relate to that physical sensation of actually getting like, goosebumps or shivers when imagining taking a bite out of a marmite and butter sandwhich (as a child) and you cant bloody stand the fact that there's butter on it and you can see the butter and marmite mixing (oh my god help me.) hahaaha The problem that im facing now is that i tell my therapist about these things, but i still feel she doesn't believe that i am in fact on the Autism Spectrum. I'm 28 years old and i live in Brisbane, Australia. Going through the diagnostic assessment here costs around $1620 Australian dollars. Thats not including any other appointments for referrals, therapy or initial consultation appointments. Its completely inaccessable for me as a stay at home mum of two daughters (nearly 2 and nearly 5 year olds) as we rely on one income and unfortunately due to years and years of just sucking at life, i've developed bad shopping habits which causes us to be unable to save any money for this kind of thing. Sorry, i only meant to share a short comment, but here you go haha Thank you so much for expressing your experiences so well in such an understandable, relatable way and making me feel more confidant about my own situation and also giving me the vocabulary to actually be able to say what i need to say at my next therapy appointment. Its also helped me to remember a lot of things that i must have suppressed a bit of these memories. As you might know, when asked questions relating to this subject of "Why do you think your autistic?", i freeze and tend to either go into too much detail about things or get on another subject to avoid feeling stupid. Regards, Michelle

[@liawilson6242]

i'm still a really picky eater, i wish i wasn't like this, cause it's not healthy.. i still have to have a different meal from the rest of my family too , it's kinda sad

[@Moonstone_Wolf]

Totally relate! Sauces were the worst. I would only eat spaghetti with butter and Parmesan cheese. Plain burgers....I would eat bread and butter, but no cheese or anything else on it. Foods couldn’t touch each other. I would cry when ppl tried to force me to try aversive foods. I’ve come a long way, but I’m still picky. Ppl still get frustrated with me bc I don’t want to try certain foods.

[@laurie-annebourdon310]

I'm still eating peanut butter and nutella every morning, after 28 years...

[@katherinejones902]

I just found your videos and they are awesome! I just got diagnosed 10 months ago at age 42 and I’m definitely still processing through how all my “problematic” behaviors fit into this diagnosis and how much I want to share/advocate with others. You and I have many of the same struggles and you verbalize them perfectly. Thank you for putting yourself out there and helping me on my own journey.

[@carlitangel525]

So I just found your channel and I've been devouring your videos! My daughter and I are both autistic but we haven't been tested and given a diagnosis but it's obvious. I related to this video myself and as a mom. Worrying about your child's nutrition is a beast of its own. But texture is such a struggle im grateful that she will try things a very small bite. We now homeschool because it was way too much for her and me tbh! Im so glad I found your channel!!

[@Swiftey-wu2qq]

I felt very similar, I didnt eat loads of food until I hit my teens, i found that my mum and dad actually cooked alot of veg and things incorrectly... or at least incorrect to me lol. Once I started cooking vegetables and sauces my way I ate them fine

[@melaniemills3733]

Thanks Sam!! This explained so much of my childhood for me - I'll eat pretty much anything now, but as a kid I was a painfully picky eater and my parents still give me a hard time over this!

[@sarahehrlich7850]

Thank you so much for making this! I had such issues with textures when i was younger and only started trying new food when my parents allowed me to name how i wanted to try them (for me it was plain white rice with the new food cooked seperately and cut into small pieces so I could mix it into the rice) I even remember going to nutritionists and being made to have full fat milk (i would only have it in hot chocolate NOT cereal) I only started having sauces when i got to about 12 years old as i was so embarrassed about not having them. I am finding it so comforting hearing you did similar things! I am not autistic (I don't think) but i have multiple allergies which bring a whole extra level to my stress levels when trying new foods which i still find today (21 years old)

[@zenmama979]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I totally identify with what you're talking about. You're not alone. Really validating to hear someone else voice when I have silently experienced all these years.

[@lennieblake3444]

Listening to you is like listening to an audio book of my life! Thank you

[@notamistake573]

School lunches were the worst!! 🤢🤢

[@daviniarobbins9298]

I remember my old junior school started introducing different meal options about a week or two before I left for the seniors(that annoyed me). Didn't like the food offered much(remember once getting beef and I couldn't chew it, I would spend 10 minutes trying to chew it but couldn't swallow it). I mostly just brought packed lunches, mostly 6 sandwiches of chopped ham and pork with butter on one side and tomato sauce on the other or it would be corn beef slices(6 sandwiches is 6 slices of bread cut in half). That was my lunch for several years(there may have been the odd packet of crisps and a chocolate bar). For a while it was hot vegetable soup in a thermos flask. 4 slices of bread didn't fill me up. And yes, it was white bread, didn't like wholemeal or brown bread back then. Now these days I only eat wholemeal bread when I do eat it.

[@ThisFineLady]

This resonates with me 100%, down to almost the same sort of food aversions you mentioned. Reframing my "sensitivity" as sensory processing issues, particularly these food aversions, has been illuminating.

[@RickyMaveety]

I am so glad I found you!! It’s like meeting myself … my real self … for the first time!!

[@jamesford2942]

"and there's bread crumbs everywhere" I understand that. For me it wheat, corn, dairy. Sometimes it seems like I can't eat anything and good luck at the store it's in everything

[@kitsirainbowfineart]

This reminded me that from age 4 until 10 all I would eat at school was prunes and custard. I have no idea why. I was very fortunate that the school did cater to my needs.

[@internetkohamster]

this made me very emotional because i honestly thought that no one else felt the same way about food. i'm 19 now and eating has always been something very difficult for me. sensory processing issues combined with environmental pressures really caused me to detest food and eating in general for a variety of reasons, and there have been many occasions where i've left social events or ended up having emotional breakdowns because of how distressing the thought of inconveniencing someone, embarrassing myself, or eating foreign, unfamiliar, or disliked foods makes me. eating new things, or just eating in general, still isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but i'd like to think i'm getting better and hearing someone else talk about their own experiences is so relieving and encouraging. thank you for this video, it wasn't something i knew i needed and it's been extremely validating to see my struggles in someone else 💖

[@lindamorris525]

Your comments about the stress that you experienced at meal times was very helpful. I can tell that my autistic child gets very stressed at meals when the whole family is present. Thank you for being so open about your experiences. It is very helpful.

[@andrewcullum7097]

Hmm I empathize! The ham sandwich thing! I was EXACTLY the same! Still I can't stand Yoghurt, ANY Yoghurt! The drying effect on my tongue, I simply CAN'T stand it!!! Tuna! Uuuurgh!!! Too fishy!! Yes I understand the gag reflex too, when the foods smell/ taste/ texture, is so repulsive!

[@sarahwarnock2707]

Yes this is me too! I can't stand mushy, smelly, or creamy! No sauces/gravy either! Anything that slides down my throat makes me gag! I'm so glad to know I'm not alone. I haven't been tested for autism, but the more I hear her, the more I realise I might need to be...

[@andrewcullum7097]

@@sarahwarnock2707 hi, it's Andrew here, yes sounds like we are so alike! Xx

[@sarahwarnock2707]

@Sharon Jensen yes! When I was a kid and my dad cooked fish, I would spend the night on the vack porch until the smell cleared f the house! My fam always thought I was being a drama queen but I was legit gagging!

[@amberb.6395]

Ooh yeah me too. I can’t eat yogurt plain. I buy it with chunks of fruit in it like strawberries. So much better that way. Still grosses me out when I have it too often, but definitely doable

[@achilleus9918]

this definitely resonated with me. i'm 21 now, have been thinking for a few months that i might be autistic (two autistic friends say i am, mum thinks i probably am, my own research suggests it's likely). i was never as fussy as you, but i've always been fairly fussy. i have maybe three or four vegetables that i like ("like" might be too strong a word), which i make sure i cook with every dinner. i can eat bananas and strawberries (i like the taste usually but strawberries have to be the exact right ripeness for me to /actually/ like them), i can tolerate apples and oranges and cape gooseberries and peaches. i cannot eat most berries, anything too sharp, or anything with certain textures. most of the vegetables i dislike have bad textures, for example the skin of tomatoes (i can eat tomato sauces etc). i cannot abide mushrooms - everything about them is bad: the taste, the texture, the smell alone is enough to make me want to vomit. what's helped with vegetables over the last year or so is mostly cutting them up small and putting them in things. specifically i can eat something like butternut squash or courgette if there's no peel/skin and it's cut up fairly small, mixed into a dahl or covered in garlic or something like that to lessen the intensity of the taste. i think my social anxiety has forced me to eat more things anyway - i'm too embarrassed not to eat in front of people especially if they've cooked for me so i force myself to eat stuff i hate, and it doesn't make me like it but i think i can tolerate it better now.

[@naomiweight123]

This is such a great description and is exactly how I felt in the 60's! I didn't change until I was 18 in 1981 because I wanted to fit in socially. I wish I had known that it wasn't just me. Keep up your brilliant work. 👍

[@shefelilit2921]

this is so helpful to me! i'm very well known as a picky eater and was diagnosed with anorexia as a teen kid and now that i hear you talking about it, everything makes sense to me! the more stressed i was, the less i wanted to eat but the people around me always thought/said things like "dont you like the food i cook for you? wow youre SUCH a slow eater!" and more stuff that only made me associate food with this feeling of shame but i also remember times where i finish my plate before realizing and for example being faster than my bf and I'm like "OK? so i dont have a problem with food anymore or what?" but i now see that those were times where i felt stimulated "in the right way" and ofc those meals included my favorite food textures

[@lilykatmoon4508]

Texture, color, what it looks like, oh and my food can’t touch. Watching people mix their bites 😬

[@time4chai995]

Lots of processed food and Nutella! Sounds like my childhood! Interestingly enough, though, i don’t usually like eating those things anymore and in fact am very keen on whole foods, ESPECIALLY fruits (I still have a sweet tooth so I love anything naturally sweet). But my physicians suspect that I might have food sensitivities (possibly gluten sensitivities) because of my stomach issues and persistent nausea.

[@incomprehensibleunperishab8357]

I, again, have never resonated more with someone or a video in my life. I am 22 and have been misdiagnosed and misheard my entire life and your description of your picky and particular eating is exactly how and why I eat and have always eaten in the way I have. I unfortunately have reached this point and it’s ended up causing stomach issues as well from have sensitivities to things I never ate. I can’t agree more with everything you’ve said and each one of your videos I see make me feel more and more okay in this world. Thank you

[@richelleramella2163]

I cannot tell you how comforting it is to hear you talk about these issues you've had because my daughter is identical. I can't even tell you, right down to the same items of food! I want to send her this video but we've never discussed it before.

[@andrewcullum7097]

Yes!! Sauce slime effect too!!! Again empathy completely!!!

[@katielynneyoung4738]

I've always had an extreme revulsion to fried greasy and salty foods. I smell the salt and feel how abrasive it would be against my skin. It makes me quite anxious to see people eating crisps. I became a whole foods vegan as soon as I began cooking for myself.

[@VioletClematis]

If I didn't know better, I would think you were describing my little almost 5 year old granddaughter - so many things you and she have in common. I know this video is from 2 years ago, but so timely for me, and helps me to understand her better and better. Thank you for your videos! Keep up the good work. ❤️🥰

[@claraann]

thx for your video! you put in words what happened to me with food in my childhood, and still now. thanks a lot! it's so amazing to see people with the same unspoken issues.

[@mariethedove3909]

Just three minutes into the video, and I already relate to everything you've said

[@moncyn1]

3:03 I remember Nutella glasses

[@fabiofabio3191]

Everything feels so relatable. Some of the textures mixed with the smell and flavour would literally make me retching when I was a kid. Some stuff still does after 27 years.

[@tracymerritt2959]

I wasn’t 100% certain I was autistic until watching this video. I relate to EVERYTHING you described. I’m still picky but not nearly as much as I was as a child. I still don’t like most sauces, gravies or dressings. It still embarrasses me and I don’t do group eating situations often. I’ll find any excuse to not participate. I feel so validated right now. Thank you.

[@laureld01]

I like this video. I have some similar issues to food as you do.

[@Wobler2000]

I have watched your video and it reminded me of my son. He's 7...and as you would say, a "fussy" eater. His main thing is bread with chocolate spread. It used to be just white casino slices (Square with no weird crust) and chocolate spread but nowadays he also eats brown bread. White tiger bread he eats, but not the crust because....well, that's weird. Over the last year i've put so much energy into him trying new things, all for the reason of wanting him to be healthy....but after watching your video, things just make sense :/....Thank you for that. I'm going to try and see if i can see a pattern in his eating habits and see if i can adjust the food for him. No more, you need to try this...no more pressure. :) Thank you...and thanks to my girlfriend for finding you. She's autistic as well and found allot of similarities in your stories! :D

[@TheCunningLinguist]

This video made me feel seen and heard in a way I didn't even believe to be possible anymore. Thank you for making such valuable content.

[@melodypond4457]

Thank you so so much, I went through all of that pretty much exactly and had no idea why. This really means a lot to me.

[@eye_of_pluto]

I still can't handle tomatoes. They're so slimey and gooey... I can handle those tinned tomatoes if they're cut small though.

[@KyleJohnson-ms1mu]

I’m similar. I won’t eat tomato but I can eat tomato sauce on pasta and pizza but that’s it.

[@Jimbo386000]

When I was a kid o would only eat like fried chicken, Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets/tenders, and pizza. Haha that’s about it. But something changed after like 7th grade and suddenly I could eat like five more foods! But now I basically love all food, but I’m picky about what I eat and when I want to eat it, but I can eat most anything without getting sick or stressed out.

[@KevinStarkey]

Thanks for your videos! So glad you do them and that I found them. I relate so much to many of the food issues you mention here, and to many of the issues people raised in the comments. I'll be 50 in a couple months and I'm just now deciding to see someone about getting tested to see if I'm on the spectrum, I'm fairly certain that I am. I've always hated the term 'picky eater'. For me, it's the smells and textures (and tastes, if I get past the smells and textures). Asking me to eat many foods that most people find ordinary, is like asking me to eat feces, vomit, or roadkill. No difference.

[@acolebrook5308]

This resonated with me so much! Especially the bit about school and packed lunches- had pretty much the exact same experience. I was diagnosed with autism at college. Food has always been a massive issue for me. I feel guilty and awkward all the time and especially being around a partners family and them trying to cook for you. It really stresses me out because I love my partners family and his mum is an amazing cook but always feel this pressure when they ask me if I like certain foods when they’re trying to think of what to cook. I just feel so bad that they have to edit their meals to accommodate me and I really want to like all foods. My anxiety with food was probably made worse as my dad used to shout at me quite badly for not eating food, I would end up hysterically crying most dinner times. I got the whole starving children in Africa speech as well. He even got so frustrated once that he tied me to the dinner chair so that I couldn’t leave until I’d finished the plate. Because of not wanting to be a burden on others, I cooked for myself from the age of 12. I’m 25 now, a pretty good cook (bonus when it came to making friends at uni as some of them struggled with toast so I would cook my own version of lasagnes for everyone) and I can cook most things even if I don’t like eating it. I eat pretty much all meat and seafood but have the biggest issues with veg fruit and sauces still. I only eat spinach, rocket, tenderstem broccoli(at a push). I now eat peas and managed 2 cherry tomatoes the other day! Sauces I eat: Heinz ketchup, bbq sauce, franks red hot sauce, Colman’s mustard, teriyaki, soy, pesto but that’s it. Mayonnaise is my arch nemesis and something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to cope with- even looking at it makes me cringe. With the height thing, I’m 6ft 1 female so don’t think my poor diet hindered me in any way 😂 it’s good to know that others have experienced the same things. I’d love to hear more about how others cope being invited to dinner parties with partners family?

[@marykyle6611]

When I discovered. KETO it changed my life. I'm a smell weirdo- can't eat anything that smells "wrong".

[@kanniekosplayyes2799]

sounds like me, specially when mom had cooked spinach and the smell was just AWFUL

[@socraticproblem86]

Do you have difficulties with remembering to stop and eat a meal? I have a bad habit of forgetting to eat. When I was young I gained a lot of weight. My parents cared for me, but I had exposure addiction forming foods. I’ve been looking for a solution to an alternative to fizzy sodas. I will eat or drink anything with a sassafras flavour. There are products like Zevia, G.T Dave’s Kombucha, carbonated water, etc.

[@ada2314]

I always forget about eating, as a child my parents would watch when I ate and what I ate, but now I'm 17 they have to care for my two younger brothers so they don't keep a track of what I eat. Sometimes I go all day without food and don't even realise it

[@danieldaniels7571]

I often go days without eating as I forget to

[@FreyaFromAsgard]

I've just found out your channel and I'm surprised that we have so much in common. I've been diagnosed with celiac disease 2 years ago (but still have 163 cm of height) and I've been diagnosed with autism 1,5 month ago 😊 I'm glad there are more people like me in the world. That's very comforting that I'm not alone.

[@marissadyer8857]

This is my childhood exactly! I’m 23 now but still cannot stand the taste of peanut butter. Couldn’t even sit next to friends at lunch who had it. Same with sushi, cried when I was 15 years old out to eat with my family and my siblings were teasing me that they’d give me $50 to try sushi, knowing how picky I am. Never liked pasta until this year, when I started working at an Italian restaurant, which has honestly opened up so many doors for me trying food. Love your channel! So glad I found it!

[@noabinnendijk361]

From as far as I can remember until fourteen years old, I used to starve myself--not intentionally--by not eating anything all day until dinner. I don't recognize hunger until I'm starving, and I would not eat bread because it scraped against the top of my mouth like an open wound. So I just ate dinner every day, if it was something I could eat, and I didn't even recognize how hungry I was most of the time. The days my mom made things for dinner that I couldn't eat, I wouldn't eat for days, and that's when I would really start starving and hunger pains and no energy, and my mom would fight with me because if I wouldn't eat the food that was available, that was on me. I researched for myself and by now I know how to explain that _I cannot eat certain things_ and I'm not starving all the time anymore, but if I ask for a certain food we have at home and my mom says no I go into a panic and sink back into the mindset I was in back then, anf I get sharp hunger pains even though I wasn't even that hungry before.

[@MariaNI-yf1bz]

Hi Noa. Same here. My body doesnt give signals when to.eat. i could easily stay 2 to 3 days without eating. Now i have a strict program when to eat on a day. I hope you doing "better" now

[@Dekunutcase]

I was a fairly fussy eater as a kid (no food sensory issues though, mostly just taste and some minor textures). I was teased and pressured relentlessly as a child about being picky by everyone in the family. As an adult, I like many more foods because I discovered that some of the flavors my parents loved (see Ranch dressing, squash, anything with 'nut' in the name, dried fruit or crab) I absolutely cannot stand the flavor of. I only discovered these things when I moved out of the house though. It's sad that, at least in my culture, we just think kids are being unreasonable when they do have their own reasons. I'm glad that your mom worked with you and didn't just pressure you until you couldn't take it anymore. I've also discovered that I'm a super taster. For me, that means that raw tomatoes are extremely bitter. (Yes, really. No, I'm not lying.). I'm also very sensitive to bitter flavors in general and tend to avoid them, but I've learned ways of cooking that reduce those unpleasant flavors and to simply not cook with ingredients I don't like. Did any adult around me think about those things? No. They weren't discussed back then and you were simply supposed to eat what was put on the table and not pick things out (because that's seen as rude). Oh, and yeah, my whole family loves to talk about how I wouldn't eat certain foods as a kid and it's soooo fun to relive all the traits others perceived as negative that you had when you were 4 years old for the rest of your life. Just my favorite set of topics.

[@raphaelnej8387]

"I m glad it did not turn into a psychological warfare because the thing is, with autistic people, you are not gonna win" You perfectly framed it. My parents are early divorced. My mom was always kind and understanding. My dad would always assume I was only evercomplaining. It did sometimes go into psychological warfares. I obviously never ate what he forced me to eat. But I don’t regret. I m simply proud I held onto my position. And today I won’t fear anyone who doesn’t want me to be myself.

[@iloivar]

This video is very relatable for me. Even though our experience was different in many ways, it feels good to hear someone else talk about food aversions somewhat similar to mine. My list was, I think, not quite as long as yours, but, unfortunately, I have not grown out of most of mine, so it remains a feature in my life.

[@brewaffles3102]

oml, i hate eating potatoes (other than french fries) and at my dad's house, they try to make me eat potatoes sometimes just knowing that i have to eat it makes me get goosebumps. i absolutely hate the texture, and the taste is... iffy but each time i have to eat them i take at least 10-15 minutes, a lot of times more, and im just like dieing each time...

[@seatbelttruck]

I can relate to a lot of this. I had similar tastes as you. Except I loved cheese, and was more open with fruits and vegetables (not cucumbers though, ew. I loved raw carrots, corn and green beans, liked (boiled or steamed) broccoli and could tolerate peas and cauliflower). The pizza thing especially sounds familiar. Since I loved cheese, I liked pizza, but would pick it apart to eat it. I'd eat the cheese and toppings first (only black olives were accepted when I was this young) scrape off the sauce with a butter-knife, and then pick at the soft part of the crust and eat that. I also get your synesthesia thing, but for me it's sounds that remind me of textures. Some words make me wanna puke... Unfortunately, I still have a lot of food anxieties. My sensory issues have decreased, but only slightly, and I got forced to eat things both at school (for a grade, yikes) and at home. I was the oldest, so my parents had a lot of trial and error to figure out how to do things, and some of it was helpful, and some of it was ultimately harmful. When I was in college I was probably borderline anorexic (without body-image issues) due the the anxiety caused by having to eat in a cafeteria where they tried to fancy up the food with weird herbs and sauces. I was already thin when I started, and lost fifteen pounds my Freshman year, enough that my mom and psychologist were concerned. Nowadays, I have trouble feeding myself sometimes, both due to my slightly restrictive diet and the amount of executive functioning it takes to prepare food. I also get very anxious eating in restaurants, at summer-camps, at another person's house, basically anywhere loud, public, where I can't control what I eat, or where the palatable things might run out while I wait in line.

[@jennyl7422]

Ever looked up ARFID? It's having issues with certain foods and not eating enough without the need to lose weight..

[@seatbelttruck]

@@jennyl7422 I have, actually, and have wondered if I might fit the diagnosis. I don't think it's something I need to bring up specifically with my psychologist though. We're working on the food stuff with or without a name for it.

[@jennyl7422]

@@seatbelttruck ah okay, you are right.. not everything has to have a name ;) I wish you the best during therapy.. at least you are not the only one!

[@joyfunnell2780]

I’m pretty sure my daughter who is currently 13 is Autistic, she has been a fussy eater since she was about 3 or 4 and since starting high school has struggled hugely with anxiety and also depression. A lot of what you say in your videos is very informative and helpful and gives me hope that things will work out ok in the end. She currently is against getting a diagnosis which makes things a little tricky as I know the school could offer so much more assistance if she got diagnosed but hopefully in time things will improve.

[@becky7921]

I am impressed. What an insightful broadcast.... well done--you have explained this topic in detail and with reassurance towards the end. Thank you.