One thing I do not think people talk about enough is how incredibly difficult eating can become when you already live with ADHD and autism and then add a GLP-1 medication like Mounjaro, Zepbound, or Ozempic into the mix. People see the commercials and the weight loss numbers. They see the before and after photos. They see the scale moving. What they do not see are the moments behind the scenes where your brain suddenly decides that chewing feels impossible, swallowing feels wrong, or a texture that was perfectly acceptable yesterday has become something your body absolutely refuses today.

If you know, you know.

For me, this is not an occasional issue. It is something I navigate almost daily. Some days I can eat Greek yogurt and granola without a problem. Other days, the texture alone is enough to make me nauseous before I even get the spoon to my mouth. Some days cheese is safe. Other days it suddenly feels too heavy or greasy and my brain immediately rejects it. Pork has become one of those foods for me as well. It feels overwhelmingly greasy now, so I lean much more toward chicken, plant proteins, protein shakes, nuts, smoothies, hot rice cereal, or snack-style meals because they feel safer and easier for my body to tolerate.

There are even days where chewing itself becomes overwhelming. The act of trying to chew food can make me feel nauseous, overstimulated, or physically unable to swallow properly. Sometimes I genuinely have to spit food out because my body simply refuses to cooperate. That can feel embarrassing to admit as an adult because people often assume that food struggles are just picky eating or being dramatic, but sensory issues are very real. When your nervous system decides something is unsafe, it does not matter how hungry you are or how badly you want to eat. Your body hits an emergency stop button anyway.

A lot of these food aversions are tied to sensory memory too. When I was little, I was often forced to take medication hidden in applesauce. Ever since then, applesauce has been completely off limits for me. I cannot tolerate the texture, the smell, or even the thought of eating it. It is not a matter of disliking it. My brain and body fully reject it. I think a lot of neurodivergent people understand this deeply because our brains tend to attach memory, emotion, texture, smell, and physical sensation together into one tangled knot. Once a food gets connected to stress, nausea, fear, or loss of control, sometimes it never really untangles itself again.

That is one reason why using medications like Mounjaro, Zepbound, or Ozempic can become complicated for neurodivergent people. These medications already reduce appetite and slow digestion down. For someone who already struggles with interoception, sensory processing, safe foods, executive dysfunction, or food aversions, it can make eating feel even more difficult than it already did before. Suddenly your already limited list of tolerable foods becomes even smaller, and trying to force yourself into “normal” eating habits can become exhausting.

I have learned that I cannot approach food the same way other people do, and honestly, I am done feeling ashamed about that. Some days lunch looks like tiny asiago snack cheeses, cucumbers, dried fruit, toasted coconut, nuts, hydration drinks, and tea with honey assembled into what I jokingly call a woodland goblin snack plate. Some days it is an organic banana with sunflower butter because that is what my body can tolerate. Some days it is a protein shake because chewing feels impossible. Some days it is hot rice cereal because it is warm, soft, predictable, and does not overwhelm my nervous system. And you know what? That still counts as feeding myself.

I think many of us have been taught that nutrition only counts if it looks perfect. We convince ourselves that unless we are meal prepping, cooking balanced dinners every night, and eating exactly the way health influencers tell us to, then we are somehow failing. But for neurodivergent people, especially those dealing with chronic illness, autonomic issues, sensory struggles, or appetite suppression from GLP-1 medications, survival and nourishment often look very different.

What I have started doing instead is looking at foods less as “good” or “bad” and more as what they bring to the table for my body on any given day.

• Nuts like almonds and cashews help provide healthy fats, protein, magnesium, and calories when eating larger meals feels impossible.
• Cheese gives me protein, calcium, fats, and sodium, which can be helpful on days where my body needs extra support with hydration or dizziness.
• Protein shakes and protein powders help me get nutrition in on days where chewing feels exhausting or swallowing becomes difficult.
• Greek yogurt can provide protein and probiotics when the texture is tolerable.
• Bananas offer potassium and gentle carbohydrates that are often easier on my stomach.
• Sunflower butter, peanut butter alternatives, or nut butters can add healthy fats and calories in very small portions without requiring a full meal.
• Rice cereal works as a warm, predictable comfort food that gives carbohydrates and quick energy while being easier to tolerate sensory-wise.
• Smoothies can help combine hydration, fruits, protein, and nutrients into something easier to drink than chew.
• Electrolyte packets and Vitamin Waters help replace hydration and electrolytes, especially on days where eating enough feels difficult or autonomic symptoms are flaring.
• Cucumbers and fruits like apples or blueberries help with hydration, fiber, and gentle nutrients without feeling too heavy.
• Chicken and plant proteins often feel lighter and easier to tolerate than greasy or dense meats.

None of these foods are “lazy.” None of these are failures. They are accommodations. They are adaptive tools that help me work with my body instead of constantly fighting against it.

I wish more people understood how much effort neurodivergent people put into simply feeding themselves consistently. Sometimes adaptation looks like grazing instead of eating full meals. Sometimes it means rotating foods constantly because yesterday’s safe food suddenly became today’s sensory nightmare. Sometimes it means drinking your nutrition instead of chewing it. Sometimes it means keeping easy proteins, hydration packets, Vitamin Waters, rice cereal, smoothies, or snack plates around because that is what your nervous system will allow that day.

Fed is better than perfect.

Your body does not need perfection to survive. It needs consistency, hydration, nourishment, electrolytes, flexibility, and compassion. There are going to be days where you eat beautifully balanced meals, and there are also going to be days where your biggest victory is getting down a protein shake and a banana. Both still count.

So if you are neurodivergent and trying to improve your health while using medications like Mounjaro, Zepbound, or Ozempic, please try to be gentle with yourself. Listen to your body. Pay attention to what feels safe, what feels manageable, and what your nervous system can realistically tolerate. Stop punishing yourself for needing accommodations around food. Survival is not always pretty, and healing is not always aesthetic.

Sometimes it looks like carefully curated snack plates, emotional support rice cereal, hydration packets, rotating safe foods, and tiny victories taken one bite at a time.

And honestly? That is okay. 🌿

Much love!

Mrs. B