Why do autistic people like beige food?

Beige foods are the holy grail for many autistic people, and that’s why we love them.

Beige foods are not to be mistaken for sad beige children surrounded by muted color tones.

But hey — you’re probably not autistic and still don’t understand.

And that’s okay, because I’m going to explain why beige foods are so great.

1. They’re beige.

The color beige, in moderation and when applied to food only, is soothing.

It’s quiet and gentle on the eyes, because YES — colors can be quiet, loud, noisy, squeaky, etc. Colors can even feel too wheezy, okay?

Beige foods are often highly processed, but also…

2. Predictable

I know that a Goldfish or Whales cracker will be cheesy and crunchy, and I know the sensory input will be better if I suck on it.

I know chicken nuggets are only crunchy on the outside and have white meat on the inside. Same with chicken strips.

French fries vary in texture depending on type, and taste depends on type and seasoning. Still, fries are predictable depending on where from you buy them or how you made them.

I know rolls are going to be doughy in the middle and taste like butter on the top.

You wanna know what ISN’T predictable?

• Fruit
• Vegetables

The texture and taste changes every single time, with every single bite.

3. Comfort

Beige food is often comfort-style food. Many pies, cookies, and processed foods are all beige. Many everyday foods are beige, too — SunButter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips…you get the idea.

Eating the same foods is comfortable and predictable. You know how to eat it, what it will taste and feel like, and how you prefer it the most.

Think of your favorite foods and your go-to foods for when you’re having a bad day.

• Why do you love them?
• Why do you prefer them on bad days?
• What about them exactly do you prefer so much?

Chicken nuggets and fries are a common beige food favorite among kids and autistic people alike. There’s a whole sensory experience happening there!

• The smell
• The taste
• The texture
• The feeling and sound when you bite into the food

For an autistic person, our samefoods are our comfort foods.

We’re not purposely seeking out beige foods — the foods we like happen to be beige. Some foods come in other colors, and those may be okay, too. Carrots and potatoes come in a variety of colors, for example.

4. Less sensory input

Beige foods are usually bland, which is why society doesn’t usually like them. Bran flakes and rice cakes, for example.

Beige foods typically don’t vary as much in flavor like a burger might. They feel “safe”.

The world is so full of sensory input — it’s everywhere. I can hear my earphones charging. Certain cell phone cords whine while their phones charge.

Then you have the smells — from nature, from other people…maybe even from yourself.

And the visual noise. Maybe the lights are too bright and loud, or you’re around people who wear loud patterns and colors, or there are so many things to look at and take in…

And so there exist beige foods: simple, consistent, beige foods.

You can add ketchup or sugar to make them taste good. A nut or seed spread adds flavor, even if it’s even more beige.

And beige foods come in many different shades, too. You can venture into orange (e.g. cheese) or white (e.g. mashed potatoes) for variety.

I think the people who get caught up on “ugh, my kid only eats beige foods” stress too much over their kids only eating what diet culture claims is “junk”.

Your kid is eating. I’m not saying you could have it worse, but also: You could have it worse. Your kid could potentially eat nothing at all.

Non-autistic adults will straight up eat whatever they want, similar stuff on a regular basis, and no one bats an eye — why?

Because society pathologizes autistic people for simply existing.

Make it make sense, because it doesn’t.

5. It brings us joy.

Eating food we love brings us joy. For autistic people, that may include autistic joy.

Eating pizza feels like home for me. Sure, I can burn out on it fairly easily…I’ve learned to pace myself as I’ve gotten older and alternate so I don’t burn myself out on all my samefoods.

Some beige foods have alternatives that look, taste and feel similar, but aren’t made with as many preservatives.

Unfortunately, some processed foods do taste better. Replicating certain flavors of processed foods doesn’t work without the processing part or the preservatives that you cut out.

This detail is important, because you can’t just search for a copycat recipe of a beige food and expect it to be 100% like the original.

---

Other questions people ask about autism:

• Are online autism quizzes accurate?
• What are special interests?
• What autistic-friendly recipes do you recommend for trying new foods?
• You might be autistic if…