Same Food as Self Care

A Community Perspective on Autistic People’s Relationships with Same Foods

Abstract

Autistic people often have strong, enduring preferences for specific ‘same foods’. These foods are eaten repeatedly due to sensory, emotional, or practical benefits. While such eating patterns have been discussed in research, they are frequently framed through a deficit lens and rarely centre Autistic perspectives. This article reports on community perspectives revealed during the ‘Same Food as Self Care’ workshops that were designed and led by Autistic professionals and delivered to Autistic adults in both online and in-person formats. The sessions explored participants’ same food experiences through discussion, creative reflection, and self-advocacy activities. Thematic analysis of participant contributions and a post-session survey revealed four key themes: (1) same foods as vital for emotional regulation, stability, and joy; (2) increased community connectedness and reduced isolation through shared experiences; (3) limited access to affirming support and professional understanding regarding Autistic eating patterns; and (4) same foods as a practical and intentional form of self-care. These findings challenge deficit-based interpretations of Autistic eating and highlight the value of same foods as a natural and supportive feature of Autistic life.

For many participants, these workshops represented the first time they had discussed their food experiences as Autistic people. This underscored the importance of creating more opportunities for community exploration of these topics. Furthermore, the Autistic adults were able to discuss together how their same foods meet their nutritional, regulation and overall wellbeing needs. Therefore, when professional input around food and eating is needed, we suggest that practitioners could expand their curiosity on the role that this prevalent community trait may have on individuals. Moreover, as these insights from adults were based on free workshops and not from a formal academic study, we suggest that Autistic people’s experiences of food requires future research.