What is food aversion or restricted diet?

What is food aversion or restricted diet?

People with food aversion or restricted diet can find eating challenging or unenjoyable.

They may not have chewing and swallowing problems, but sometimes we can see many types of eating difficulties in the same person.

What does it look like?

They may:

• avoid many foods or whole food groups
• stick to the same very short list of preferred foods at meal and snack times, often down to the same brands of certain foods
• feel anxious or stressed or disgusted by different foods
• refuse and panic at the idea of trying new foods
• have a limited interest in foods or a lack of appetite
• restrict their diet due to their body image concerns, it is often linked to their general anxiety or their sensory sensitivities

Is it different from picky eating?

Yes, it is much more extreme and has more of an impact on the person’s daily life, weight and nutrition.

Why does this happen?

Children and young people can find eating difficult for different reasons. Some reasons may be:

• sensory differences and cognitive processing differences found more commonly in neurodiverse people can make it more challenging to enjoy new foods
• developmental delays or disabilities can make eating less easy at an early age and it can then be off-putting, easier to stick to familiar and predictable foods
• medical conditions involving discomfort in the mouth, throat or digestive system can mean that eating has not always been comfortable, and this can then make it off-putting

What can be done?

It is very important for adults to try to understand what is driving an individual’s restricted diet and try and understand the world from their perspective.

Take a look at what works for them. When and where are they at their most calm and regulated and use that to help optimise support throughout the day, including at mealtimes.

This often includes support and accommodations for sensory differences, anxiety and different ways of thinking and processing information.

It can also include medical support to address nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinal symptoms and to help optimise weight.