Weird Eating Habits

Apparently SOME people have to tune into cable TV to learn about them!  Can you believe they're going to do a whole show about people who eat the same thing every day? 

"Children who usually stick to just one type of food have suffered some sort of emotional disturbances or have fears of vomiting or choking that compels them to stick to one food. They usually outgrow this."


“'It’s rare to see adults with that narrow of menu choices,' Bermudez (president of an eating disorders organization) said. 'It’s almost unheard of.'"

That's strange... almost unheard of?  Because I'll eat the same thing all the time.  It's normal.  After a few weeks or a month, I'll get tired of that thing and eat something else at almost every meal for a few weeks.  And there are a good plenty of perfectly regular autistic folks who like the same things, if not every day, then certainly more than four times in a given week.  And I know plenty of people who always drink the same diet pop or coffee every day.  It's only when it pertains to FOOD that it's considered a strange thing?

And isn't it weird to eat something different at every meal?  All the time?  I know people are expected to do that in public to be polite but... seriously?  People do that?

Maybe it's just me.  It just doesn't seem all that exciting of a show, spending hours trying to figure out why someone eats only french fries or pizza.  It's because right then, french fries or pizza are the thing. 

I asked our doctor's office about Woodjie's food aversions.  He was eating pretty much nothing but lemon pudding, cashews and potato bread sandwiches there for a while.  Cereal at breakfast.  They said as long as he takes a vitamin and is gaining weight well, why worry?

So often I'll add something different on the side.  Some raisins.  A granola bar.  Now he will eat a bit of dried corn with his meals but not the stuff from the can.  He will eat an apple slice but not applesauce.  I just give him little bits of this or that and if he eats it, great!  If not, try again in a few weeks or months.

I HAD gone through a time where I wanted Elf to expand his food choices.  I followed the parenting mag advice and just kept serving regular, healthy meals.  He literally lost ten pounds and WOULD NOT make up for lost food intake at the next meal if it weren't to his liking.  I've come to the conclusion that life is too short ot worry so much about these things.