Adult fussy eaters?

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I have always been an impossible eater. It always becomes a source of embarrassment when invited to peoples houses for dinner.

I have quirks such as foods can't touch each other on a plate, no sauces on dry foods etc but worse, I have real problems swallowing certain textures. If something isn't an "acceptable" texture I gag uncontrollably. The gagging is a real problem as even biting into somethings before swallowing starts me gagging. Infact it's often worse when biting.

I don't have so many problems with flavours, even ones I don't like.

I really need to fix this problem and have no idea how to tackle it. I've tried slowly building up resistance but it doesn't work. As long as things are chopped up so small I can feel it in my mout or throat I'm fine.

Tall order for others to cater for really.

Can anyone offer advice on this? Adults, parents, animals, aliens, computers, anyone?

No advice really, if you can't eat certain stuff, you can't eat it.

People always make me feel like crap for the way I eat, but I simply can't help it. My fussiness is with texture also. Mainly dry foods must stay dry and wet foods wet. Soggy bread is an instant gag. Also anything slimy. All seafood makes me sick. My son is Autistic, and you can literally count the foods he can eat on one hand. And have a finger left over. So it could be worse. I just brush it off now when people try to give me a guilt trip about not being able to finish food I dislike, or calling me closed minded when I don't try anything new. If I already know the texture will make me heave, why would I put myself through that?

I'm similar, it's very common with autism to be very picky and sensetive to certain food, I was an impossible eater as a child and tend to eat the same things everyday, there really isn't much you can do other then ask for understanding.

Texture is a big thing for me. It's weird, but textures can't be mixed together, like soft chocolate brownies with hard crunchy peanuts in them.

But mostly it's processed foods and anything fried (too much grease).

I can only drink milk if it is organic; regular milk gives me horrendous stomach aches. I suppose it is the chemicals in regular milk that do it. For some reason people get irate when they see me buying organic food, (less chemicals=less food reactions) and rant about me wasting money and give conspiracy theories about how all organic food is fraud, regular food with a label on it so they can sell it for more. Oh, and am I communist (wtf does communism have to do with buying organic milk?)? God people are so weird, Why should it concern them what food I buy?

I have issues with the taste and texture of creamy white sauces. I also have issues with the texture of mushrooms. I also will not eat cottage cheese or processed cheese. I also have a problem eating beans, unless they're green beans.

I do not eat:
Gluten (stomach issues when I do, really really bad)
Dairy (same as gluten)
Meat (I'm a vegetarian)
Fruit and veg (gag on them).. I do drink v8 fusion though.

My only advice is to just only eat foods or textures that you are comfortable with. If you are really uncomfortable with eating new foods, why not bring your own food? Just let the host know that you have issues with food, and make sure it is okay with them. If others ask about it, just tell them you have food sensitivities. It's not a lie, but it doesn't give away too much information. If you are in a restaurant, just specify exactly how you want your food prepared.

I have some food issues as well. I can't eat if food is verbally offered to me, and I also feel uncomfortable eating around others. My diet mainly consists of "white" foods. I do enjoy some raw fruits and veggies, as long as they are crispy. Anything soggy, soft or slimy I wouldn't even put in my mouth. The biggest problem that I have with food though, is that if I THINK about eating the food, I can't eat it. I have to just cook and eat without thinking about how it will taste or feel. I forget to eat on a regular basis, and I'm also hypoglycemic.

That leaves...

GF graham crackers (my fav food) and coconut milk
coconut milk GF ice cream
rice and beans an guacamole and rice cheese
rice or coconut milk yogurt
brown rice protein powder
Amy's makes a mac n cheese I can eat
Homemade pasta with sauce (strained, no lumps allowed!)
GFCF snack foods, which I rarely eat
GFCF waffles with CF margarine

I think that's it.

Wow, that sounds awful. Meant in the nicest way of course.

I am SUPPOSED to eat gluten/dairy free, as per my allergist and doctor...but I generally don't.
I hate food enough, so I just eat what doesn't make me gag. And deal with the issues.
I have to admit though, as I'm getting older I'm not able to do it as much. Eating "normal" food has put me in the emergency room twice this year.

It's mostly vegetables for me, ugh. Tomatoes, avocados, and other stuff, I can't stand the slimey or mushy texture. I want to eat healthy but there's just so many things I don't like to eat. I like apples and watermelon, but if there's any mushy spots in them I refuse to eat it, and bananas, ew, the smell alone of those things makes me want to throw up.

It's funny, I love sushi, but my mom and my sister think it's disgusting.

Someone mentioned nuts in brownies, I hate that so much, why ruin perfectly good brownies by putting crunchy things in them?

And I hate when different foods on my plate are touching.

I used to be really selective about what I would eat - certain textures and flavors were always "no way." I probably add new foods at the rate of 2-3/year at best and I am still somewhat selective and there are many things I still won't touch, and my favorite foods have been favorite foods for years. Decades, even.

I hated having foods touch on my plate well into my 20s, and this was one thing I disliked about certain restaurants.

So over time I've become less selective and more willing to try new things, but I am still pretty selective, I guess. And I am not too fussed by food touching on my plate anymore.

I can't stand most pasta's (but I love spaghetti), fish, and over cooked vegetables.

I can't eat fat, the instant I bite into it I gag. If I just bite something with that texture I gag and have to spit it out. Weird thing is I like chewy things like gum, mushrooms, squid and such. I used to make a lot of effort to cut every last trace of fat off any meat I ate, now I stop myself being so fussy, I still don't like it but it's the texture I can't stand, so I let fat that doesn't have that texture be (I pretend it isn't there so I can eat it )

I also can't eat soggy foods- soggy bread, cereals (with milk, it goes soggy!). Again the texture. If something is in it that hides the texture I can eat it. Sultana Bran is like the only cereal I will eat because the sultanas hide the sogginess.

Last thing is I dislike really sweet foods. Near anything chocolate is fine, with a couple other exceptions. Otherwise if something is just too sweet I can't eat it.

Oh yeah mash potato, or anything of that texture also makes me gag, again I can eat it if there is something to hide the texture. Eating it with something else is fine.

Generally if you say that you have problems eating certain foods people are understanding. Some people seem to think you hate the food and take offense. Not much to be done about those sorry

I always thought it was just me. I'm a little relieved to see it can be an aspie thing. I don't eat fruits or vegetables except for potatoes. I love fruit flavored candy and such but would never eat the real thing. Mainly just eat meat and grains. Except for black olives. I love black olives. Won't eat onions either unless they are actual onion rings. Then it's fine. No set reasoning it would seem. Like lot's of spices and sauces. I think cheese is a condiment. There are other odd combinations as well. I so hate all the questions and snarls and hurumphs I get, too. Makes me very uncomfortable at business meetings or at social gatherings (which is already tough enough).

Cold slimy stuff like pasta salads are a no go for me. Just can't do the cold temperature and the texture. I am definitely in a rut eating wise but I mostly do a few fruits and veggies, pasta (with red sauce, don't like white), chicken and turkey for meat.