Changes in packaging

[Flora]

I'm not sure if this is a sensory issue, or a pedantic AS issue.

 

Bill has a terrible diet with lots of sensory issues with smells, appearance and food texture. I am always relieved that he'll drink cranberry juice (only the original variety with no nasty additives), because even though it's got a high sugar content at least he's getting anti-oxidants. Well I bought some yesterday and noticed that they've changed the colour of the little opening mechanism on the top from white to orange. The juice inside is exactly the same, just the little plastic opener that's changed, but according to Bill it isn't the same juice and he took one sip and is now refusing to drink it unless I get the one with the white opener.

 

He often has had this difficulty in the past but it is getting quite ridiculous now. He will only eat one kind of butter and it has to be in a tub; a few months ago I bought the same butter but in a larger tub. He wouldn't eat it because it was in a large tub instead of a small one. Other things he would eat the same thing has happened, if they change the packaging he won't eat it! I must admit I've had similar problems myself but have managed to work through it in my own head but Bill, even though on a cognitive level he understands the product is the same, can't get past this irrational but genuine belief that it is different.

 

Anyone else experienced this? And what did you do, if anything, to get over it?

 

Flo' X

[Mumble]

Hmm, yes, a difficult one. As you say, we can sort of tell ourselves it's the same thing really even if it's packaged differently - sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't, depending on what else is stressing me out. If I'm really stressed out about something else, then I really need the stability of everything else being 'right' and what I expect to steady myself and cope better with whatever the other stress is.

 

Also, I do find that some colours affect my taste, so it may really taste different to him? I don't know if you could keep some white topped ones and fill them from the orange ones? Or just give it in a glass and say the top is white, even?

[rainbow queen]

oh yes am having similar probs too with my son

he had an appointment at drs one day and they gave him some dates-he really enjoyed them -so i thought ahhh some other fruit he can have and went and got some

only to be told no way as they was not in the same packet ect ect...and refused point blank to even taste them.............

 

and yeah its gone on to other things -and his diet is very restricted really -then i have added bonus of my younger son copying it too

 

i have really sort of given up buying new things.........as he will not budge when hes made his mind up.

it also saves arguing -then you get family saying oooooo i wouldnt put up with that-in my day u got what u was given --ect ect

only my son is thin as a rake anyway and id rather not throw food in the bin -so now i try make do with what i know he is ok with.

rq xxx

[pookie170]

Y'know, Mumble, even though I'm not on the spectrum (as far as I know, at least!! ) I hated eating brown food as a child- it made me feel quite sick! Once I fond the courage to try my dear old mum's mince and tatties I discovered it was delish, but I still had to shut my eyes as I ate it for a long time after that. Even now, I'd far rather have a plate of bright food (tomatoey pasta, a reigning fave in our house! Or salad, it's such a cheerful plateful!) than, say, stew!

 

With my aspie lad, this has been a huge problem that affected his health. He had such a limited diet he had to take all sorts of vitamins and minerals. Now I think on it, these foods were all rather beige, bland and dry. He has improved a lot over the years, although there are still many foods he won't touch- crisps send him reeling in horror!

 

Would it help if you contacted the companies that produce these foods and ask them to explain the change in a letter to Bill? It might posibly make a difference hearing it from the Man from Del M*nte himself, kinda thing? Would he drink it from a sports bottle? If he doesn't see the change, then it might not stress him out?

 

I know this is not what you want to hear, but I've found that the biggest difference has been time. Experience may well be the best remedy, it has been for my Cal.

 

And rq, I don't think you need any of us to tell you to politely ignore those who tell you not to 'give in' to your son's 'whims'- they do not live with him, therefore cannot know how big an issue food is for him. He eats, and that is that! Btw, my younger son also copies his big brother, my saving grace is that I had to send him to nursery on extended hours so he had lunch with the other children- HE ATE A POTATO!!!!! Alas, euphoria on that one was short lived, he will not do so at home.

 

One thing I will say is that mealtimes are not meant to be a battleground, and if both sides are immovable this can quickly become the case. I wish someone had said to me long ago, don't get upset about it, go with the flow, kinda thing, it would have saved years of stress from mealtime showdowns. I don't care what other people think of my son's admittedly odd mealtime rituals and such anymore, I just content myself with the fact that he's eating at all.

 

Sorry I can't be much help, Flora! But good luck with this, nontheless!

 

Esther x

[Kathryn]

L is normally quite flexibele with food changes, but she only likes one brand of pesto, and you've reminded me of an occasion when I bought a larger jar size, thinking it was more economical. She hadn't seen the large jar before and refused to use it (she cooks her own pasta and pesto usually). The only way I could get round this was to spoon the contents into a couple of smaller jars I'd saved. She was quite stressed by the bigger jar - it just looked wrong to her.

 

Not sure how this helps you unless you are able to save the empty original packaging to decant the food/juice contents into. I suppose it's possible with butter, not so easy with juice!

 

K x

[Canopus]

I'm not sure if this is a sensory issue, or a pedantic AS issue.

 

It could be both issues.

 

I have been informed about a kid with AS who refuses to drink the milk at school after the packaging changed last September. The milk used to come in small bottles but the supplier changed to cartons with brightly coloured pictures on them. The kid used to drink the milk every day out of the bottles since he started in nursery but he won't drink the milk out of the cartons even if it is poured into another container.

[Deedee]

Flora I won't show you my storecupboards...

We have an awful problem here too,restricted diet at the best of times due to smell,texture,tastes,colours etc etc and a packaging change is my worst nightmare!!!

 

I tend to keep a huge stock of the few things M will eat so I have spare boxes stashed in case they 'rebrand' something Then I resort to repackaging the new stuff into the old boxes/bags til they fall apart and hopefully by then he has found a replacement food.This doesn't happen very often though..and believe me I persevere every day trying to tempt him to try something new.