Autism and Eating to Stim

Aug 06, 2024

Today, let’s open a conversation that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: autism and eating to stim. While the link between autism and restrictive eating disorders (such as anorexia and ARFID) is gaining increasing awareness, the connection between autism and overeating is less recognized. In my post 9 Autistic Types of Binge Eating, I shared a variety of reasons why binge eating and autism overlap. In this post, we're zooming in on the sensory component of eating, which plays a crucial role in how autistic individuals regulate themselves.

If you’ve ever wondered why you often turn to food when you feel bored, overwhelmed, or dysregulated, you’re not alone. This post is an invitation to explore why food can be such a powerful tool for self-regulation and how understanding this connection can help you create your neurodivergent version of food freedom.

What Is Stimming in Autism?

Stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, is a repetitive action that helps regulate your nervous system. It’s like giving your brain a little hug when the world feels too much (or not enough). Classic examples include rocking, hand-flapping, jumping, or pacing. But here’s the kicker: stimming isn’t just about movement – it’s about sensory input.

And food? Oh, food is basically a sensory playground. The crunch of a chip, the creaminess of ice cream, the heat of chili flakes that makes your tongue go whoo! – these sensations can be soothing and grounding, which provide your nervous system with a sense of safety. For autistic individuals, eating as a stim isn’t uncommon. It’s a way to escape a world that wasn't built for us.

How Eating Can Be a Form of Stimming

When you think about it, food checks all the sensory boxes. Taste, texture, temperature, smell – it’s a multisensory experience. For me, eating often feels like the equivalent of hand-flapping but for my taste buds. As I explain in my post on The Sensory Experience of Binge Eating, sensory input through food can be a quick and easy way to calm an overactive nervous system. Especially if you've experienced trauma in the form of food scarcity, the safety that overeating provides is all-encompassing.

During periods of stress or sensory overwhelm, sensory input from food can be self-soothing. What may look like “emotional eating” or a "lack of control" to an outsider is actually a way to feed your nervous system and create calm in an overstimulating world.

From Sensory-Avoidant to Sensory-Seeking: My ED Recovery Journey

When I had a restrictive eating disorder, I was all in on sensory avoidance. My diet was stripped down to bland, predictable foods because anything else felt overwhelming. At the time, I didn’t realize this was my way of coping with a nervous system already in overdrive.

As I moved through anorexia recovery, extreme hunger unlocked a side of me I hadn’t recognized before – a sensory seeker. I started craving foods that were bold, diverse, and dynamic. I wanted all the sugar and fried foods, and would gorge entire cakes and jars of peanut butter. While I feared I was developing binge eating disorder after anorexia, I was going through an essential phase to restore my health. I didn't lack self-control or willpower. Rather, my body and brain finally felt safe enough to explore sensory input.

Why Food Provides Comfort and Sensory Stimulation

For autistic individuals, food offers something unique: it engages multiple senses at once. It’s not just about taste; it’s about texture, temperature, and even the sound of a crunchy bite. These sensory elements provide a direct path to soothing the nervous system.

For example:

Chewing provides rhythmic, repetitive input that can feel grounding.
Crunchy foods stimulate tactile senses and can even mimic the satisfaction of other physical stims.
Sweet or salty flavors release dopamine, which is especially important for autistic people who may have lower baseline dopamine levels.

Rather than seeing these behaviors as problematic, it’s worth recognizing them as adaptive responses to an overwhelming or under-stimulating environment.

Is Stimming With Food The Same As Emotional Eating?

Eating for sensory stimulation is often labeled as as “emotional eating.” But the two aren’t the same, especially for autistic individuals.The truth is, eating can be so much more nuanced than just “feeling sad and grabbing ice cream.” Emotional eating is typically tied to unwanted feelings, whereas stimming with food is about seeking regulation through sensory input.

This distinction is important because labeling all non-hunger-related eating as “emotional” can create unnecessary shame. For autistic folks, eating can be a wonderful way to self-soothe, ground ourselves, or simply bring a moment of sensory joy to an otherwise overstimulating or boring day. And guess what? That’s okay. Healing your relationship with food means understanding where these behaviors come from and embracing them with curiosity rather than judgment.

Tips for Meeting Sensory Needs Without Overeating

If stim eating is something you relate to, here are a few ways to support your sensory needs while supporting your health:

Experiment with sensory-friendly snacks. Crunchy veggies, popcorn, or flavored ice cubes can provide sensory input without causing you to feel sick afterwards.
Explore non-food stimming alternatives. Chewable stim toys (such as chewelry), textured fabrics, or aromatherapy can offer alternative ways to self-regulate.
Honor your sensory preferences. If eating brings you comfort, allow yourself to stim with food in moderation. Although I know this can be especially tough for autistic people, eating isn't black or white. If you overeat or binge eat one day or even for a whole week, you haven't "messed up." Every day is a chance to reflect and align your actions with your values.

Neurodiversity-Affirming Recovery From Binge Eating

The journey to becoming autistically ED-free isn’t about suppressing behaviors like stimming with food. It’s about understanding them. Once you view eating as part of your sensory needs, it becomes easier to approach recovery with compassion.

For me, this shift has been life-changing. I no longer see my food behaviors as “wrong” or “weird.” Instead, I see them as part of my beautiful, neurodivergent brain doing its best to thrive in a world that wasn’t built for it.

If you’re ready to explore your own sensory needs and heal your relationship with food, I’d love for you to join a supportive community of other like-minded neurodivergent individuals! Learn more and enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy here!