Food
“I don't want that cookie. It has
raisins in it.”
“But you love raisins.”
“I like to eat them by themselves,
not in anything.”
OR
“That has chunks in it. I can't eat
it.”
“Those are tomatoes. You love tomato
sauce.”
“Not with chunks in it.”
When the people of Planet NT think
about problems with food, they may think about allergies or perhaps
gluten sensitivities, or even vegetarianism. Lord knows we may have
to cope with all of those, with loved ones on the autism spectrum. And
we may throw in casein (milk protein) with the gluten as a no no. I
have a cookbook to help with GFCF if you need it.
Actually I have two. One, originally distributed by the Autism Research Institute, is
out of print, but copies come up occasionally on Amazon. The other is
free or cheap on Kindle and is also available as a cheap little paperback. But
I wanted to talk about the quirkier stuff. A lot of that has to do
with texture.
There are many things that may be
unacceptable, or just evoke extreme anxiety. I remember watching my
older son going over a fish filet for an hour, with a pair of
tweezers, before creating a fish taco. He was making sure there
weren't actually any bones in it. Nuts and seeds may be unacceptable.
Lumps, chunks, or even bits of herb may refused. A hamburger patty
and a bun may be eaten separately but refused when together.
Vegetables may be anathema.
You can try insisting that what is put
before your loved one must be eaten, which is very unlikely to be
successful, or you can adapt. Honestly, would you eat something that
made you uncomfortable? Would you want to be forced?
Adaptations are not that tough, once
you understand what preferences are. There are many smooth sauces out
there. If you can't find one, things can be pureed. It you leave nuts
out of a cookie or cake, you may find that mini chocolate chips or
butterscotch pieces are not only acceptable, but make a better
cookie. If you are caretaker to someone who wants to cook for
themselves, you might want to let them do so, just hang close enough
for safety. You may find the amount of food they shovel into their
mouths when they've cooked their own meal, astonishing. In addition,
you will be teaching living skills in a non-threatening way.
The most important thing about food is
reading labels. That's not always the easiest thing to do, especially
if you're like me and left forty in the rear view mirror a long time
ago. A magnifying app on your phone can be helpful. So can a plain
old magnifying glass.
In our family, the biggest hazard has always
been MSG, which makes my younger son violent. I have met food buying
caretakers who did not know that it stands for monosodium glutamate.
Bad things ensued, especially from chili beans.
Due to a quirk in the
law, non-dairy does not mean casein free. If you're worried about
casein, you do have to check the fine print. Forget the word natural.
It doesn't mean something is good for you. The cyanide in peach pits
is perfectly natural. That doesn't make eating it a good idea. The
USDA organic label refers to the avoidance of artificial fertilizers
and pesticides. That doesn't necessarily make the food good for you
either. You still have to check on what is in it.
Eternal vigilance
can be the price of a quiet dinner and healthy son or daughter. As
I've said before, the buck stops here.
