top of page

Autism and Food: Texture

Writer's picture: Annie KrollAnnie Kroll
Empty Kitchen

As stated in my Valentine's Day post, I do not like eating or cooking food that has a texture that I find gross. This includes textures that are too stringy, mirror raw meat, mirror jello and pudding, and are too runny like over easy eggs. I also despise milk because in my mind, the texture does not match the color. My milk aversion is so bad, that if I see someone drink milk I try to look away or leave the room. Here are some ways to make cooking easier, so that you can work with any texture aversions to find food that is nutritious without eating out.


 

1: I highly recommend going to the grocery store and finding some frozen meals you know you like. On days where cooking is hard, this is a cheaper option to eating out and allows for limited food preparation. I like frozen spaghetti, garlic noodles from Trader Joe's, and Swedish meatballs.


2: Wear gloves! I don't like cooking with raw meat because touching it freaks me out with the slimy texture, and my slight fear of germs. My goal for this year is to try to find some chicken recipes that are easy, yummy, and tasty. Wearing gloves will allow me to cook without actually touching the meat directly. If you have any chicken recipes you like, please send them my way either through the questions section of this blog or at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram!


3: Use a crock pot! Crock pots limit how much you are interacting with food, so the amount of time you are interacting with the possibly bad texture is greatly diminished. I have had some great crock pot soups, stews, and meat dinners that are awesome because all the meal prep is in the morning, and then you can leave the crock pot to cook.


4: On days where I am struggling with textures, I have what my family calls yummy dinners. These consist of cheese, crackers, fruit like grapes and apples, and some veggies like carrots and celery. Here you get protein, carbs, fruits, and veggies without having to cook anything! You can also buy pre cut apples and baby carrots to limit contact with mushy foods.


5: Lastly, and in my opinion the most fun, cook with someone else! I love baking or cooking with other people so that we can divide labor and connect while doing a task. On days where you want a home cooked meal but really don't want to touch certain ingredients, working with someone else is great because it is likely that the other person has their own things they don't like doing that you don't mind helping with. This is ideal if you live with someone else, but it can turn into a friend hangout to all cook food together. When I do this, my boyfriend will often cook the meat or boil pasta while I work with the vegetables. We mainly make pesto together and it's a great way for us to connect while I can avoid the tasks that are hard for me.


 

Thank you for reading about texture with food for autistic people. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next week!

1 view0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page