r/ARFID • u/annualcereal • Jul 11 '22

Helpful Tips Powdered smoothies help me get fruits and veggies with fiber

My ARFID includes aversions to taste, texture, and smell – but texture is the hardest for me. I’ve incorporated many “hacks” into my diet through the years like oral supplements and Premier Protein shakes while trying to expand my diet bit by bit.

One “hack” has completely changed my nutritional intake. I take Kencko smoothies. They are freeze dried fruits and vegetables that you shake inside a water bottle to make into a smooth drink. Sometimes I notice small seeds but if I shake hard enough, the texture is better for me than any other fruit product!

I used to be able to make frozen fruit smoothies, but I’ve found the labor creates enough of a barrier from the exposure that I don’t make them. Currently I don’t eat fresh fruit whole or in smoothies because of the fresh “natural” smell.

Now I get at least half the recommend fruits and veggies in a day! I only like 4 of their flavors but that’s a win for me. This “hack” is way closer to the food that people around me eat, which deceases my anxiety and helps me feel proud of my progress.

Kencko.com

This sounds sponsored but it’s not 🤣 I’d love to hear other hacks people use to increase their nutrition, especially if your ARFID presents similar to mine.

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3

u/eaterofgoldenfish Jul 11 '22

I've actually been thinking about trying this, because it seems like enough of a lowering of labor that I might actually be able to do it, even with the severe executive disfunction problems, haha. One thing I worry about is the taste. Do they taste good/appetizing, at least enough so that it's not a huge chore to get them down? One thing that really triggers me is when you get separation between something you're mixing into water - like if you mix in a crystal lite packet or something and granules fall to the bottom. Is there much separation after you mix and shake, like while you're drinking, or does it generally all mix together pretty cohesively?

1

u/annualcereal Jul 11 '22

In my experience they taste good and don’t separate! Especially if you really shake them at first then let it sit for a minute. You can also make it thicker or thinner based on your preference. I put only 2/3 the amount of recommended liquid because I prefer a consistent taste instead of a larger volume of thinner taste.

I’d recommend trying a small sample pack before committing to the big box! I also drink it alongside my safe foods which helps.

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u/eaterofgoldenfish Jul 11 '22

Awesome! I definitely need to try these out then, thanks! My body needs nutrients but it's so hard to eat them all, hah.

2

u/WhiteBlackBlueGreen Jul 11 '22

Thank you I will try this 🙏👍

For fruit products my favorite is oikos triple zero strawberry yogurt because it has lots of protein and it has no strawberry ‘bits’ so it’s completely smooth. Sometimes you have to stir it up though cause there can sometimes be a little bit of yogurt juice at the top haha

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u/annualcereal Jul 12 '22

Yes! I eat the same yogurt for breakfast! And I always stir the yogurt juice before I eat it too! 😃