Most individuals with ARFID, especially those newly diagnosed, greatly benefit from following an eating routine. A routine sets the tone for what is to come and what is expected. It helps those with anxiety feel more grounded, and it helps those with absolute disinterest and distraction to eat.
Benefits of a routine
The benefits of following an eating routine are:
Less anxiety
Regulate hunger and fullness cues
Establish grounding and coping skills
Regulate GI functions
Less stomach pain from anxiety
So, what does an eating routine look like?
An eating routine will look different for each individual, but for most, it should include:
Set meal and snack times
Specific time spent at the table
Specific environment setting, e.g. noise, lighting, scents, people
Coping tools, if needed
Specific days for eating out, e.g. every Thursday
Specific restaurants
People with ARFID tend to be sensory sensitive and need a more strict routine. Sensory sensitivity can include sensitivity to specific foods or utensil textures, sensory noises (my kid hates the noise paper napkins make when using them), super tasters, and lighting.
Trying new restaurants can cause anxiety. This anxiety typically causes stomach pain in many people with ARFID, especially if their diet is limited. Going to a new restaurant might need to be treated the same as exposure work.
Here is an example of my family and ARFID kiddo's eating routine.
All meals are at the kitchen table.
Breakfast is at 6:30 a.m. My kiddos eat together and pick the food they want to eat. I oversee in the kitchen.
Lunch is at 10:30 a.m. and eaten at school. My kiddos pick the food they eat.
Snack is at 3:00 p.m. My ARFID kiddo and I eat together.
Dinner is at 6:00 p.m. and the entire family eats together. This meal includes safe foods and exposure food. Due to my kid's ARFID subtype, most exposure foods are based on volume and not specific foods.
It might take some trial and error to figure out what works. It might also change during and after recovery, always adapting. The point of the routine is that it serves the person with ARFID and their family. An eating routine is important to the treatment and recovery of ARFID.
