Neurodivergence can really make eating / food such a tricky thing. My eldest is on the spectrum – he’s now nearly 17 – and though he definitely has his various struggles, one thing we have never had to deal with is eating / sensory / ARFID issues, and for that I am profoundly grateful. I know it’s quite a bit of luck involved, and I can’t imagine how difficult it must be where eating is a battle.

What does always strike me as curious though is people who are very clear that their kid has sensory eating issues BUT who refuses, point blank, to seek an official diagnosis of any kind, be it for autism or anything else, because ”I won’t drug my child”. I mean, these things rarely exist in a vacuum. There are often other things that go with it, but the dissonance is real.

I find that following one book’s advice on any specific topic is often a dicey idea, particularly one that’s very prescriptive and suggests removing entire categories of food.

Also, I feel like the family weren’t looking for dietary advice as such.

Totally agree!

a small patch of green onions and spinach. That was all. But we got tired of kohl rabi. I avoided it for 15 yrs. until I met my partner who cooked it.

❤️

I love the Tightwad Gazette! Every few years I check it out from the library again to refresh and encourage my frugal mindset.

My mother was from Ireland and she used to make “colcannon” which is an Irish dish made from potatoes and cabbage. You can look up the recipe online.

So I’ve read all the comments with interest as we need to find ways to reduce our spending. I have neurodiverse kids, I am also neurodiverse, so we do take sensory needs into account. However I’ve found that as long as we work with the sensory and diverse needs, not against it, we actually do okay. Both kids have dramatically increased the types of foods they will eat over the years. It has taken time and patience, but my near teen daughter (who has a very severe sensory disorder) will now eat 4 of the different standard dinners I typically cook. That might not sound like many, but it’s a huge increase on none.

We also acknowledge that it is genuinely more difficult for her, and praise that she puts in the effort to increase her dietary range. Every time she tries something new, or tries something she doesn’t like again, I acknowledge the effort as it is genuinely so difficult for her. We are lucky that she will now eat a wide range of fruits, raw veggies, cheese and bread, and so she will never go hungry.