Can anyone point me to some clinics that treat children online. Preferably one that bills insurance.

plain tortelini with four cheese in the middle, buttered
so yummy and such a good texture

Hi! I have ARFID and also POTS causing insulin resistance. Unfortunately 99% of my safe foods have lots of processed sugars and things that do not help with my a1c and whatnot. So I was hoping maybe somebody here would have good advice? I already do what exercise I can with my disabilities but I figured maybe somebody here had advice?

Mainly replacements for

Chocolate Timbits (donut holes)
Chocolate chip muffins

Does anyone here consume things that "normal" people would consider sick or inedible/undrinkable? Like for example milk drinks or vinegar with sweetener and salt?

And how do you feel about it?

Or is it "normal" to have some preferences that seem weird to most?

Hi! I have PANS (inflammatory brain disorder) which has caused really severe ARFID to the point of being totally reliant on a feeding tube for meds, fluids, feed etc. I have just managed to start having small sips of water once or twice a day and am struggling.

Maybe this is a silly question but how am I supposed to actually eat? Like I'm struggling with drinks a lot already and I just can't imagine being able to tolerate any texture or feeling or food in my mouth. I was wondering if anyone had any success stories or tips. All of the typical safe foods don't feel safe to me but I'd still love some recommendations.

I also was hoping to have a party with my friends in 3 weeks involving alcohol (within the legal rights of Australia) but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that either.

hi there! it's kind of starting to annoy me how every other advertisement makes me [TW] want to throw up, i can't eat probably most foods because of that and just the looks are enough to trigger my arfid. i was wondering if there's a way to maybe block these ads? either individually or by keywords. not sure if this is suitable for this subreddit but if anyone had the answer i'd expect to find it here haha. thanks!

If you need any other info well... uhh... just shoot me a comment!

A lot of my life, i have been known to be very...picky, and I heard about ARFID a while ago and never thought I had it until i started rapidly losing weight after getting on meds (ritalin) and having my appetite being suppressed. Before I even went on meds, I did display a lot of symptoms of ARFID but now it's worse (i think) since i barely eat.

I've also had a complicated relationship with food and my body because my mother is obsessed with me being thin, but i've never had any thoughts of not being pretty / skinny enough and my very restrictive food intake is absolutely not related to anything about body image.

I have had severe reactions to food I don't like, namely tomatoes where even thinking about them or looking at them makes me sick, and eating them raw makes me puke. When blended up into a sauce / soup with no chunks at all i can eat it though (pizza n pasta mainly)

I'm also very avoidant to fat on meat, where i will refuse to eat any meat if there is any tough fat on it as the texture makes me again, want to puke. I hate it SOSOOS MUCH.

Also ver avoidant to chinese food because the texture on a lot of things is absolutely horrid to me and there were times where i skipped lunch and dinner bc of CNY and my parents dragging me to chinese restaurants.

Safe foods - Rice, Cheese, Pizza, Bread, potatoes (any kind BUT raw), Beef, Pork (sometimes, has to be prepared specifically), some vegetables, Apples, Watermelon, Mango and Melon (I rarely eat fruits anyways), Pasta, Deep Fried Tofu, Curry and there's probs some i'm forgetting.

Foods i REFUSE to eat - Tomatoes (unless blended thouroughly)(i can't even look or think of them, writing this makes me lowk sick), meat with fat, most fish, Sweet N Sour Pork, Korean BBQ Pork Belly, Most fruits, nuts, eggs (ESP HARD BOILED ONES I LOOK AT THEM AND WANT TO VOMIT EVEN THE SMELL IS HORRIBLE), Sea Cucumbers, mushy + watery foods, most seafood infact, cilantro (mostly bc it tastes like crap), pickles

I used to be ok going to restaurants but now i'm more unwilling, because a lot of things i wat are mixed with thing i can't eat.

The thing is my mom won't take this seriously bc she's happy i'm losing weight and just calls me picky and yells at me when I won't eat stuff. Sad thing is despite my sensitivities I used to have a big appetite and now i can barely finish a plate.

Has anyone had success getting back a safe food their child lost, either after an illness or at any other time?

Our 5-year-old is minimally verbal and has ARFID. About three weeks ago she had RSV, and since then she's dropped her only two safe foods, nuggets and potato sticks. Right now she's living on fruit pouches, apple juice and formula.

She still asks for them, touches them and sometimes nearly picks them up, then stops herself and pushes them away. She's also started wiping her hands after touching them, which she never used to do.

We're offering them every day with no pressure, but it's really demoralising seeing them pushed away over and over.

If your child got a lost safe food back, what helped, and how long did it take? Any small wins or tips would mean a lot right now.

I’ve been getting HelloFresh for a few weeks now and it means I at least don’t have to think about making lunches for the week for work, I’m trying new things, cooking for myself, working on skills, whatever. But I still end up feeling gross and not wanting to eat after finishing cooking a meal.

Honestly, I frequently feel like “hey, I’m doing better now than I was before” but really it’s maybe not as bad but mostly just different.

Im 26, and iv had it pretty much all my life, essentially only having chicken, chips peas, maybe plain pasta ?

Iv never really looked into it because iv been avoiding the situation like a plague but I guess I'm now coming to the realisation that I need to do something about it.

Mine started from my mother forcing me to eat random foods until I threw up, screaming at me, and straight up being verbally abusive to where id nearly pass out.

I cant go near any other foods, I wanna eat normally and god it'd make life easier cos dating is hard when I tell a girl oh sorry I cant go to literally any restaurant, its just embarrassing at this point.

Anyway, was just wondering how other people started with it or.. how they over came it? Is it even possible?

My 5 year old got a coupon for a free happy meal at a trunk or treat today. She was so excited so we went and got one after. She won’t eat meat except for the rare biannual event where she’ll entertain a chicken nugget. She was diagnosed autistic at age 2 so I do wonder if some of it is ARFID.

Our order at McDonald’s is a cheeseburger happy meal and I order the cheeseburger with no meat or condiments, just cheese and bun. I explain that I know it’s weird but I have a picky eater. I worked at McDonald’s through high school and college and I know it’s annoying so I apologize. I’m never rude, I don’t get upset. I thank them and apologize.

Sometimes it’s right on the first try. Often times it’s not. I’ve learned I need to check the box first or she’ll get really upset if she sees a beef patty.

Surprise, surprise, today we got a box with just beef and cheese in it. I went in and explained I just needed a bun with cheese and they were so annoyed with me.

I usually avoid fast food because of the cost but also because of the ordeal it is to order something she’ll eat and enjoy. It breaks my heart that she has such a complicated relationship with food already at 5 years old. I just wish it was easier for her.

I’m about halfway through my first semester as a sophomore at college, and I’ve found myself slowly whittling down my options at the dining hall.

I used to eat there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (mostly because I’m broke with zero money for groceries + unlimited meal plan), but looking through the menu now just…makes me a little nauseous. It’s not like I’ve had a terrible experience there — the food’s mediocre but not bad — I just feel like I can’t bring myself to go inside. The smells get overwhelming, too, so that worsens my appetite.

It doesn’t help that my dorm reeks because of my roommate microwaving processed meat every day, so that makes my safe foods aka chicken/plain burgers/anything with meat a lot less appealing.

I still eat breakfast every day, but everything else I eat is just starting to look very unappealing, and I feel like I’m caring less about eating a second/third meal each passing day.

Hypothetically, I could eat a burger/yogurt parfait/pizza/whatnot every day and be alright, but I feel like I’d get sick of it pretty quickly, if I’m not already. I’m also trying to be a little more health-conscious (I’m paranoid about my heart and blood sugar, no I don’t have any symptoms of anything), which makes the situation even worse.

Does anyone have any advice/tips? Anything and everything is much appreciated.

I hate the texture of pretty much all vegetables and most fruits, so I do smoothies that have fruits and veggies in them, sometimes with added supplement or vitamins powders.

​

back story: Wholefoods sells the only tortillas i eat. they are thicker and much chewier(more gluten?) than any other tortilla ive seen. but its the only thing i buy there and im tired of making 2 seperate grocery trips whenever i want tacos. and their tortilla machine is often broken so 1/3 of the time i leave empty handed.

im trying to find an alternative i can get at giant. wegmans, or harris teeter. my mom suggested gyro bread. i bought some but now im feeling real anxious about trying it.

also open to suggestions for other flat breads that can hold up to folding without crumbing or snapping. i tried naan already but it wasnt chewy enough.

Hello,

Sorry for the long post.....
My 4 year old used to be curious about food before age 1 and afterwards too, he would try new things and even ate a sandwich with me. However, he would gag often and I noticed that he slowly stopped trying foods and last year after an illness (ear infection), he stopped eating any regular solid foods. He was basically living off of the baby Gerber cereals at age 3. This year he got interested in crunchy junk foods (chips, cheesies) but later only would try a few and then just play and throw on the floor. We were just feeding him the gerber cereals by distraction 3 times a day as he wouldn't eat anything else. Recently, he got another ear infection and stopped eating completely for 2 days, we kept trying all day to feed him and ended up in the ER with hypoglycemia. With treating his ear infection and malnutrition over the next several days of hospitalization, he refused to eat anything substantial and had to get NG tube :( We have returned home with the NG tube and he is on 3 feeds of pediasure, that is all he is having. He has the occasional veggie sticks or popcorn but nothing to even qualify as a snack. The hospital said that they would refer him to the Humber River nutrition clinic but so far I have heard nothing. Has anyone here received ARFID specific intensive therapy for a 4/5 year old child that helped in the GTA area?

Is it just me who hates chewing? Its awful, even when I like what something tastes like just fine, if I'm aware I'm chewing then im completely grossed out and can't eat anymore.

I have some safe foods where its alright, but most of the time I have to really distract myself so i won't focus on what's in my mouth.

I don't have issues swallowing and I don't have a fear of choking that makes me overchew, I just hate chewing. I didnt even realize it was chewing contributing so much to my food problems until i journaled it out to pin things down more than just Hate This/Gross/Awful/Yuck

I still have other issues with food, but having to chew is one of the big ones for me. I'm gonna try more smoothies and purees and see how that works out for me, but am I the only one?

Okay so I’m hoping someone would know what I should I do. I have a 3 year old that was diagnosed with arfid we see an eating specialist once a month. Anyway I feel like he’s not progressing with this specialist I can suggest someone else but I’m feeling hopeless like what if this next person doesn’t work either. My son has 1 food he eats which is oatmeal. Now I have mixed in other things like eggs, peanut butter, yogurt, other stuff and he did well with that but now it looks like he’s getting tired of his oatmeal (his safe food). Idk what to do or what could be a next step for him he’ll go sometimes not eating much and I haven’t experienced that with him for a long time now except the first time when he turned 2. I keep talking with blue ridge therapy eating therapy and they haven’t given me a lot of info onto my next steps. Like do I find a nutritious, or a doctor that specializes in this? Does that exist any recommendations would be helpful to me. I just wanna see him thriving and eating good again I’ll pay out of pocket if I have to but like what happens when an ot just isn’t getting the job done what’s next? Just to put out there it’s been a year so I have been patient.

I’ve been really struggling with my eating, especially in the past few years. It’s like no matter  how hungry I am, I can’t get myself to eat unless it’s chicken patties or yogurt. And lately I’ve been experiencing a lot of sensory aversions to produce and sauces I used to love, and the texture of bread has been disgusting to me. Sometimes the thought of eating other foods genuinely makes me want to vomit and I go to bed hungry. Some days I live off protein bars and my multivitamin. I’m terrified the texture of the yogurt or the breading on the chicken is gonna one day ick me out and I’ll lose those foods too. There are a few restaurants I can eat a specific order at (ex. I love Qdoba but won’t eat it if my bowl isn’t made the right way, and same with Culver’s) but that gets hella expensive and I’m a broke college student. One of my friends mentioned ARFID, and after looking into it this seems like it might fit but I also feel like I’m being dramatic. Additionally, I’m home for the weekend and I feel like it’s easier for me to eat here. Can ARFID even be situational? I love to try new foods and I often really enjoy them, but no matter how much I love it I can’t get myself to eat it again. What do you guys think? Any advice is welcome. 

i’ve heard of ARFID and follow journeys on instagram.

i was under the impression it was fear of foods, like having trouble with taste and textures which it is partially.

my issue is fear of choking or swallowing.

this started like a month ago randomly because i tried eating with high anxiety.

now every time i eat i am afraid, i have fears of certain foods and how it’ll be chewing them, so i avoid them. for example i love pickles, but they’re slippery and im afraid it’ll slide down my throat.

i over chew my food, i contemplate swallowing and have trouble actually convincing myself to get it down.

i get afraid during mealtime, and sometimes i quit eating not because im full but because im scared and tired of the anxiety tied around eating.

i love food, i eat things a lot of other ppl would not eat. and i love snacking and i snack a lot. i do have “safe” foods like chips, those do not bother me as bad to swallow. and sometimes my days are worse than others, sometimes they are fine.

it was my mom that brought an ED to my attention when i thought it was my ocd or anxiety which i realized im not alone when i looked it up.

i do believe its getting worse, i cant stop thinking abt it and its hard bc im not sure how to get over it.

is this ARFID?

Hi All - I am new to even hearing about ARFID and I am wondering if my daughter is struggling with it. I read about it for the first time and now I finally feel HEARD ....

She has been a "picky eater" for years but it seems to be getting worse. She panics at the idea of new foods and has hyperventilated to almost throwing up when faced with new ones.

She is never interested in food, we have to push her to eat, and her list of safe foods is small. However - the foods themselves aren't particularly bland! And in turn, she outright rejects typical kid foods.

For example:
-- Yes foods: burritos, tacos, spaghetti, peas, most fruit, chicken and roasted potatoes, falafel, totally smooth yogurt of any flavor as long as it's Yoplait, muffins I make at home but NOT bought at a store

-- No foods that have caused breakdowns: Oatmeal, burgers, any cereal but Cheerios, pizza from any chain other than one place, Mac and Cheese, PB&J, lasagna, grilled cheese, yogurt with fruit mixed in or a thicker texture like Greek yogurt, granola bars, mashed potatoes

It's always explained as a texture thing, which gets activated before she even eats it. It can't be too mushy, too gooey, too soft, too crunchy, too cold. And the exact same foods can be accepted or refused based on timing - a fresh made PB&J is ok sometimes, but a PB&J that has sat in a lunchbox is ruined by lunchtime and she won't even take a bite. Fruit is great except if it's gotten a tiny bit bruised or a tiny bit mushy - and then it's out again.

She's always been skinny, but her 7 yo well check last month was the first time that her doctor raised the concern that she dropped off her growth curve. I think starting Kindergarten last year was a decline because eating lunch at school made it so much harder for me to accommodate her. She almost never eats lunch now. And she now has constant stomach pains and constipation.

Frankly, I have kept her fed and healthy enough purely by sheer determination. Last night I strained every seed out of her fruit smoothie so she would drink it. I buy 10 boxes of granola bars and do a taste test adventure just to find ONE she will eat - and taking 10 new bites takes 2 hours and so much hugging. She takes vitamin supplements and MIRAlax.

But I'm exhausted and wondering if this is a bigger problem and I need to involve help.

hi! it's my first time chatting in this sub. i'm not diagnosed with arfid, but i (alongside a friend in nursing) have a strong suspicion that i have it and it's been a persistent problem since my childhood.

for reference, my safe foods generally consist of fried stuff. chicken, nuggets, hotdogs, luncheon meat, that kind. i don't like looking or even the thought of eating what my family eats (esp if its largely vegetables) because it does not look appetizing to me and i hate specific aspects of it i.e. how it smells or looks.

my whole life, my family is aware of it. for years they've been trying to push me to try more food out of my comfort zone but i just dont budge. i only try out food that's within my realm of safe foods, especially for meals. but even then, they still react negatively if i dont want to try smth new.

my older sister (F28-F29) is a particularly big problem for me (20, im enby). my parents tend to comment on my unhealthy eating, but they never really push me to the point of forcing me to eat something because they know i wouldn't like it. but my sister does.

just yesterday, she brought home some food so i wouldnt have to heat something up. she brought home spring rolls (or the rough equivalent of it here) and this type of veggie food that i dont really know the name of. she asked if i wanted the veggies, i said no. she then kept asking why, and i just told her "i just don't like it." which is true, but she doesnt believe me or accept the mere fact that i dont like it.

it basically escalated to me trying out an eggplant for the first time and i was crying trying not to choke while eating my spring rolls at the thought of trying it. when i took a bite and i made a face (because objectively the taste was not it, it was weird and i didnt like it) and she then got rlly mad at me for not liking it??

even now, in my head, it didn't make sense for me why she would be so insistent on me trying food when im uninterested and it would cause me distress. she tried to gaslight me into saying that "oh you're already thinking of not liking it that's why you don't like it" and calling my reasonings "irrelevant" and "irrational" and it just made me more pissed off?she had the audacity to say that my reasons did not make sense when it does to me. i literally broke down crying in front of her while she's berating me and she doesn't even see that its hurting me.

this is the second time she's ruined my relationship with a safe food because of her lack of accomodation for me. now i avoid eating spring rolls and sausage all because of my experience with her while eating said food.

how do i navigate this? i want her to leave me be and eat my safe foods without being gaslit/guilt trip or whatever. this sub has made me feel a bit more validated and better about my experiences, so i know that eating unhealthy is better than not eating. but if this continues i might be forced to go to the extremes.

your help would be appreciated, even if its just some kind words ^^ and sorry for the long post, i just had nowhere else to go for this

this is super random but i’m specifically posting it on this sub because i’ll likely not be flamed for this question that may seem like common sense to others.

i have lvl 1 autism + arfid (sensory subtype) and have for my entire life so i don’t eat most things obviously, so i have very limited food knowledge all around.

i got some chicken tenders from dairy queen today and it always comes with toast. i don’t eat any kind of bread or toast and usually toss it. but my partner and i are low on money and we try to be frugal, and he also has bad adhd and forgets to eat sometimes, so i was wondering if i could throw this toast in the fridge so i can give it to him later instead of completely wasting it. is it alright to keep it in the fridge? if it is, it is frowned upon like weird? what i mean by that is, does it no longer taste good after refrigeration to normal people? i would just ask him but he’s sleeping and dont wanna wake him. thank you

Im having Issues with feeding my partner. Missed times, being too pushy about eating, not being pushy enough, trying too weird and new of foods, only seemingly being able to cook very select safe foods.

I need help, but i dont know what to do. I need tips if anyone can help.

Usually I eat the same stuff everyday (low carb, tons of veggies with mostly only protein) Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I decide I’m gonna challenge my fear foods and I’m gonna start eating more carbs (I go to the gym btw). So for example in the morning I would boil some potatoes and decide I’m gonna have it for dinner with chicken and salad.

But when dinner time rolls around, I end up discarding the potato and I just eat an extra serving of chicken with my salad…It’s so weird and doesnt make any sense because calorie wise It’s the same as if I were to eat those damn potatoes…

In always way over my protein target.. its like mentally i would be okay with eating carbs because I actually plan on eating them but if I start eating it my body doesnt want to swallow it…

I'm done with cooking & prepping meals. I'm also kinda sick of liquid suppliments/meal replacements so I've been looking into high cal meal bars & I like the look of Jimmy Joy's "Plenny" bars & RealMeal bars.

Both contain everything a decent meal does & are microwavable but I don't wanna spend a fortune on a load of bars I might hate. I've tried Huel bars but I have to eat two per "meal" which works out too expensive.

Has anyone tried these bars, or any other bar that is decent? It has to be homogenized (no chunks, crispy pieces or gooey filling) & plant-based, they're my only demands lol. My ARFID can't deal with that.