New Same Food Ideas!

find some new foods to try on your own terms :) (asks are open!) (also I’m not a dietitian! Take everything I say with a grain of salt)

[new-same-foods]

Hello!

Welcome to new-same-foods, the blog where you find your next safe food(s)! You can call me Julieta (she/it pronouns pls) and I run this account.

I have autism spectrum disorder and been a picky eater all my life. I know what it feels like to struggle everyday with what to eat, and I've gone through periods of time when I've eaten very little due to constraints :(

But everyone deserves to eat without experiencing sensory issues! Which is why I've made this blog! Here I've compiled lists of foods with similar textures or tastes to each other to help expand the number of foods you feel comfortable with. This may not work for everyone, but if it helps even one person find something that works for them, I consider it worth it :) I am not a dietitian though, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt, since I'm just a person on the internet who's struggled with picky eating.

This was intended originally for people with autism, sensory processing disorder, and/or ARFID, but I have neither of the latter two, so excuse any mistakes I make :P

Note: This blog is NOT a health blog. None of my suggestions are or will ever be given to make you gain or lose weight. This blog is meant to support a positive view on food, and if you interfere with that I will block you (sorry that's just how it goes.)

DNI:

NSFW content/blogs

fatphobia

people promoting under/over eating

people promoting the avoidance of ED recovery

racism, sexism, xenophobia, ableism (in the context of food, but also in general)

Asks are open and encouraged!

[new-same-foods]

hihi!! i'm trying to fix my gut health, and one thing i hear a lot about is yogurt, but im not the biggest fan of it :') do you have any suggestions for foods that provide similar benefits to yogurt?

Hi! Thanks for the question! I don't like yogurt either, so I definitely have some recommendations I'm more partial to than others, but try as many as you'd like :)

Gut-Supportive Yogurt Alternatives

Perfect for: anon :D (and other people who don't like yogurt)

Top tip: most fermented foods have probiotics, which can improve gut health and digestion

(kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, natto, kombucha)

Cottage cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, and some other milk products also have probiotics, but given that you don't like yogurt, you probably don't like those either. There are also probiotic and other digestive health vitamins and supplements if you have a lot of progress to make, but be sure to inform your doctor if you start taking those. Hope this helps and happy eating!

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Sweet Vegetables

Perfect for: people with a sweet tooth

Top tip: cooking vegetables usually brings out their sweetness

(caramelized onions, cooked sweet potato, cooked beets, sweet corn, butternut squash, sugar snap peas)

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Flavorless Foods

Perfect for: people who dislike strong flavors or smells, but don't mind textures

Top tip: try buying ingredients instead of ready-made products, since some recipes will change over time

(tofu, dragonfruit, chia seeds, oatmeal, congee, mashed potatoes)

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Bread-like Proteins

Perfect for: people who mostly eat bread

Top tip: legumes can be blended to make a crepe-like batter

(lentil wraps, flaxseed bread, high-protein bread brands)

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Crunchy Protein Options

Perfect for: people who don't like the soft, fatty texture of most meats

Top tip: request your food "well done" when going out to eat, or cut meat out of your diet in place of roasted seeds

(Japanese peanuts, roasted chickpeas, toasted almonds, sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, lentil snaps)

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as someone who struggles with an eating disorder and autism and often feels very self conscious of the specific things im picky about with food this account makes me feel very seen and it’s also really helpful for suggestions!! thank you for making it and i hope you have a good day or night : )

Thanks so much anon for the message! I’m glad it’s been helpful! Regular posting should come back soon, I’ve been a bit busy with college stuff but new foods should be up in the next week or so :)

[schizodiaries]

**cw for food mention and potential disordered eating habits**

I’m curious if any other neurodivergent people, particularly those with a complicated relationship with food, go through periods of “same-fooding.” I read somewhere that this is common for people with eating disorders, or people on the autism spectrum, but it can happen with anyone too.

It’s pretty self explanatory, but for me it looks like eating the same food for days or weeks in a row, even multiple times a day. For example I’ve been eating the same frozen breakfast sandwiches every morning/afternoon for nearly a month already. I haven’t gotten tired of it, and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.

There are a few reasons why I do this. The main reason is routine. I don’t like having to plan out my meals, so it saves me the stress of having to do that if I just eat the same thing every day. Another reason is comfort. Whenever I find a food I’m comfortable with eating, I like to stay within that comfort zone. Otherwise I risk not enjoying a food and letting it go to waste. And the last main reason I same-food is because of stability. As a kid, I did not grow up with a typical eating schedule. Same-fooding gives me the opportunity to eat more consistently rather than falling back to those old habits.

I never really saw my same-fooding as an issue until I spoke about it with a nutritionist. It can become problematic if the food in question isn’t “balanced” enough. I may be unintentionally depriving myself of certain nutrients in favor of eating foods I deem as “acceptable” to eat. Other than that, I haven’t really experienced any major drawbacks to same-fooding.

This is something I’d like to look into more, and I’m curious if anyone else does this and your reasons for doing it.

[new-same-foods]

A different example of why autistic people may same food than most people are used to, but a real one nonetheless.

[new-same-foods]

No ask I just want to tell you I'm thankful for this acc, I only just found it but I've had arfid since I was a toddler and I was always shamed for it but recently I've been more accepting towards it, thanks for making a safe place for people like me ♥ much love

I'm so glad it's coming off well :D and thanks for sending in an ask!

[new-same-foods]

do you have any ideas for healthy food options that are not vegetables or beans/lentils ? i really struggle with them due to taste and texture . i currently substitute them with fruits , and i do like a few veggies that i eat when i can (edamame , corn , peas , green beans) , but i struggle to get enough greens in my diet because of this . thank you for this blog !!

Thanks for the question!

The term "healthy foods" is a bit vague, so I'm going to assume that what you're looking for is higher amounts of vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin k, calcium, and iron, all of which are found in those leafy greens you said you struggle to eat.

A really good source of a lot of these is actually fish. For example eel, my favorite fish, is an excellent source of vitamin a, as are most fish. They also are often high in iron and have at least a little bit of vitamin k. For the calcium, milk is a very good source of it, but if you don't like/can't drink milk, there are calcium enhanced variations of rice/oat milk out there. For the vitamin c, obviously there are citruses, but if you want another option (since you said you like fruits), try increasing the amount of cantaloupe, black currant, and/or guava you eat, as those are all good sources. Sweet potato (I know it's a vegetable, but it's pretty starchy and doesn't taste like a vegetable to me) is actually an incredible source of vitamin a.

Overall, my top suggestion would be eating more fish, specifically oysters, sardines, and whelk, since they provide good amounts calcium, vitamin a, and iron. I know this is contingent on you liking fish, so if you don't, try some of the other options, supplementing the remaining nutrients with gummy vitamins. Hope that all helps!

(also at your next doctor's visit, be sure to inform them of any diet changes! it really helps them!)

[new-same-foods]

Asks are open!

Hi! For those who don't know this blog, I provide food suggests based on textures/tastes of foods that you enjoy and nutrients you're hoping to get more of! (I'm not a dietitian; this is just based on my personal experience.)

This is mainly for people with ARFID, sensory processing disorder (SPD), or autism, but anyone who wants suggestions can send in an ask!

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Is it 'ED positive' to provide reminders and affirmations for people with ASD sensory issues and ARFID?

Like 'it is okay to eat the same food over and over again' and 'fed is best' kind of things.

I do not want to interact if that may upset you. I don't want people to have ARFID, but I want to make people like me feel less alone in it.

Great question thank you! I’m afraid I’m not well versed on the terminology in use, so please let me know if I need to edit my post, but I’d consider ED positive content people who are promoting eating disorders or under/over eating on purpose.

I’m all in favor of eating the same food over and over again! I myself have a pretty limited diet, but I get my blood work done regularly and I’m within the healthy range for everything, so I don’t plan to change my diet anytime soon.

It really is unfortunate that people have ARFID and feel that they can’t eat, I have some good friends who struggle with it and it really impacts their lives. But I definitely agree with the perspective I’m gathering from you, that to help them we need to provide support and affirmations that there are foods out there they can try, and in more extreme cases, that there are specialists who can help them.

TLDR: please interact with the blog! It seems like you’re exactly the type of person I want here, and I’ll edit my dni to be clearer :)

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hi, thank you for doing this and just providing options and not forcing anyone to try somehing new

Of course! I'm glad it's come off that way so far :D

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Same Food Sunday: Chicken Nuggets

(reminder, these are just suggestions to branch out the foods you're capable of eating, you don't have to try anything you don't want to try)

Top tip: dip alternatives into your sauce of choice to keep at least one flavor exactly the same as you try a new food

Vegetable nuggets - made of vegetables instead of chicken, which provide things like fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamins that aren't found in large quantities in chicken. They can also be bought at some grocery stores, so no need to start cooking if you can't.

2. Fried enoki mushrooms - these have a similar texture to chicken but have to be cooked at home since they aren't produced commercially (to my knowledge). They have less protein than chicken nuggets, but have more vitamins and minerals, making them a good middle ground between vegetables and chicken.

3. Fried falafel - falafel can be bought at some stores, particularly international stores, and is a good source of protein and fiber. It's green on the inside, but don't be alarmed, it doesn't taste like "green" foods usually do.

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Low mess fats

Perfect for: people who don't like touching greasy/fatty foods but want more fats in their diet

Top tip: food can be patted down with a paper towel to reduce oily textures

(dark chocolate, chia seeds, brazil nuts, shelled edamame, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts)

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Top Picky Eater Tip!

Places like mod pizza, chipotle, bibibop, and acai bowl shops can be very accessible to picky eaters, since there is no "standard" menu item!

One of my friends specifically said that acai bowls have been helping her to eat more fruit, since it's all blended together and she has a choice in the contents.

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Smooth Vegetables

Perfect for: people who dislike "stringy" or otherwise inconsistent food textures but want to eat more vegetables

Top tip: peeling, boiling, mashing, then straining a vegetable removes almost all differences in texture

(russet potatoes, peeled zucchini, avocado, eggplant, squashes, yam)