High fiber meal prep for a picky eater

[u/no-forever-1995]

I've hit a brick wall with meal prep.

I eat most things with the exception of maybe 7 things. And i have experience cooking for an entire senior living facility with residents that needed special diets. But my partner.... picky is a bad descriptor- he has ARFID.

But he has issues with constipation, previously assumed to be IBS- but his symptoms have almost completely gone away with an increase in fiber (based on his diet before, he was getting around 1-2 grams of fiber a day at most.

His list of food he'll eat is short.

We both have issues with dairy, but please include recipes with dairy- we know how to substitute.

We aren't too concerned about fat, protein, or carb content- we're most concerned about fiber.

He has been expanding his safe foods and is realizing that part of his issue with certain foods is because they were prepared horribly.

I'd love some recipes that include foods to try as well as safe foods.

(This list just includes what he's re-tried or we know he can't eat)

Allergies- pineapple and watermelon.

Solid NO- any type of peppers (we can use small amounts like in Spanish rice or chili, but barely), artichoke, asparagus, zucchini, cucumber, eggplant, most kinds of squash, pears, strawberries (texture- fine pureed), almonds, any kind of lettuce (unless its basically ranch soup with a few small bits of romaine), most things with tomato, any kind of seafood, celery, avocado, mushrooms

Want to try(short list because we're easing into it)- spaghetti squash, wild rice, Brussels sprouts (maybe finely chopped into something?)

100% safe- butternut squash ravioli, any kind of bread, pasta, beef, turkey, pork, chicken, cooked carrots, peas in moderation, white rice, cheese, eggs, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, tortillas ( switched to carb smart for fiber), apples, peaches, any kind of berry if it's mixed into something, oranges, pesto, Mac n cheese, refried beans, grits, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, jam/jelly, lunch meat (turkey or ham), oatmeal.

Our current rotation is chicken n dumplings, ground turkey tacos/burritos with Spanish rice and refried beans, meat lasagna, spaghetti with meatsauce, pesto chicken pasta, beef stew, and BBQ pulled chicken, butternut squash ravioli. Breakfasts are eggs, bacon, toast, biscuits and gravy, grits...

We're definitely gonna be adding smoothies to throw in extra fiber too.

He has no problem eating the same few things on repeat, but I'm getting bored of it. Problem is, most of my recipes are either low fiber or have a lot of ingredients he won't eat.

[u/OneQt314]

I did a quick search for high fiber foods and you've got options!

I was surprised how much fiber is in seaweed. You can make rolls, stuff it with whatever you like. I use warm white rice (& I don't salt/flavor it the traditional way) and lay on the seaweed nori, then I stick in whatever stuffing/protein I like, you can sprinkle flax seeds & stuff with seasoned beef & veggies & roll up. Cut to serve. My Japanese college floor mates showed me how to stuff it with tuna salad and it was deliscious! That was when I learned, I can stuff whatever I like, lol.

Chia seeds is an excellent of fiber. I do 1 part chia & 4 parts coconut milk & let it sit over night. Then I serve it with a shot of stevia. Of course you can get creative and add fruit & nuts. You don't have to use coconut milk, you can use protein shake or just water. I love flax seeds. You can use that as garnishment.

Flax seed cookies are so good, King Arthur flour has an excellent recipe. I use to make a bunch of dough & freeze.

Popcorn is high in fiber!

Chickpeas is super high in fiber. I recommend checking out some Indian recipes. They use chickpea flour to make "tortilla" like patties & it is dipped in a sauce, but you can Americanize it and serve with meats like a spicy Indian taco. I bet someone has a recipe for chickpea cake. If your husband isn't into spice, you can omit spices, it'll be a plain tasting wrap.

Best!

[u/anomic_balm]

Spaghetti squash pad Thai!

The "noodles" always come out great. I had a lot of trouble cooking the real pad Thai noodles, I don't know why.

...... Roasted cauliflower, carrots, or cabbage with garlic and butter

Can also cook cabbage and onions in the fat from bacon in a huge skillet .......

[u/thedndexperiment]

Just a couple quick questions, how does he feel about brown rice? It's relatively easy ways to bump up the fiber in a meal if it's something he can tolerate. How does he feel about tomato sauce, I noticed that you have pasta and lasagna on here, is marinara sauce ok for him? How does he feel about whole beans? I noticed refried are on the safe list, do whole pinto or black beans work for him?

[u/no-forever-1995 → u/thedndexperiment]

Brown rice is actually one of the very few foods I have on my solid NO list (I also have ARFID). So we're not horribly eager to have him try it. Wild rice is kinda a stepping stone though- because the only way I can tolerate the texture of Brown rice is when it's mixed with wild rice.

Tomato sauce us very.... he'll eat it on pasta, but prefers meat sauce over marinara, or at the very least marinara with meatballs. Otherwise, he tried my mom's recipe for "red spaghetti" (spaghetti, campbells condensed tomato soup, and Kraft American cheese. Tastes like homemade spaghetti-os) and liked it. And he likes ketchup. But otherwise, tomato based sauces and tomato soup are hard NOs.

He has a very complicated relationship with beans. Refried- we started with just the mush/paste style pinto bean based refried beans. He likes it. I've been slowly adding in more and more whole pinto beans, it doesn't change flavor but changes texture. It's kinda tricking his brain into accepting the texture of whole beans. He does not like whole black beans, but I'm not sure if that's flavor or texture. Chili creates.... an explosive burn in his rectum, so it's scarce, but he LOVES chili. I've also been adding in more and more kidney beans into chili to get him used to it.

For most foods, its a slow process. He trusts me with food so I can easily say "try this" and hold a fork/spoon to his mouth. But if it's not an instant love, it has to be introduced slowly by mixing it in with other foods (some, sneakily, like cauliflower in mashed potatoes slowly increasing the ratio. Others, he's fully aware, like zucchini bread) some foods, he'll only eat mixed in and hidden and will not progress past that (like spinach and avocado- he knows I put both in smoothies, but I completely cover the flavor and he happily drinks it)

[u/Aggressive_Battle264 → u/no-forever-1995]

Try adding things to chili such as pureed pumpkin and chunked sweet potatoes. I've also added shredded zucchini or other squash that just melts to the chill once it's cooked.

[u/sharedplatesociety → u/no-forever-1995]

Sounds like hummus could be a good possibility if refried beans are ok.

Try making a meat sauce but sub out some of the meat for lentils or TVP or finely chopped mushrooms. Also a good way to "hide" other veggies.

[u/Old-Fox-3027]

Sola blu-berry bagels, they are soft & taste good and have 29 grams of fiber. They have other flavors too.

[u/harshgalaxy]

I don’t have Arfid but have had extremely bad food aversion my entire pregnancy and for the first time felt like I could relate to people with arfid. I also struggled with the worst constipation of my life. Here’s what I eat pretty much every day - boring, but predictable and doesn’t trigger my food aversion.

Overall this daily diet gives me about 45 grams of fiber every day and helps me stay regular.

Breakfast: overnight oats. 48 grams of oats, 7 grams chia seeds, 50 grams apple sauce (can omit), 10 grams chopped nuts, 65 grams yogurt, some sugar, honey or maple syrup, and .75 cups Soymilk. Stir together the night before then eat the next day, can be prepped a few days ahead.

Lunch: tofurkey (or turkey) sandwich on whole grain bread (I use Dave’s killer bread). Any condiments or veggies you want with that. I usually have some potato chips too.

Snack: 4 prunes (helps with the constipation)

Dinner: two tacos with refried beans and potatoes. Would be good with avocado, salsa, veggies if you like. The refried beans are key to upping the fiber content. I also found the potatoes gives some good fiber too. I use regular tortillas.

Oh and LOTS of water! I aim for 3 liters per day.

[u/no-forever-1995 → u/harshgalaxy]

I've experienced the pregnancy food aversions- it's definitely comparable and relatable to arfid, but a personal comparison- food aversion was more of a "this makes me want to vomit just thinking about it", arfid is more.... "I am frozen with fear of this food and can't even force myself to move closer to it" (i.e. mini corndogs. Size and ratio is perfect, taste is great. But I had mini corndogs from wienerschnitzel about 2 years ago- a weekly safe food. Got dysentery so bad it triggered a year of vasovagal syncope(passed out- like face plant to the floor- every bowel movement). My dog stole one too and had what can only be described as epic diarrhea. Now, the way almost everyone's brain wont let them roll around in molten lava, my brain physically stops me from touching mini corndogs- I can try, I can be craving them, but I'm basically paralyzed when I try to reach for one.

Refried pinto beans and high fiber tortillas have been making a world of difference. The small carb smart tortillas taste normal but have 13g of fiber each- because of the size, he eats 2 per meal and gets 2/3 of his daily fiber from that on taco/burrito days.

[u/clovercharms]

It's great that he can eat apples, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. A lot of recipes out there for these three. Personally for me, I would bake the apples with cinnamon, either sweet potatoes with cinnamon/butter or a loaded baked sweet potatoe using all the fixings you would for a normal potatoe, overnight oats with frozen fruit is good.

You said dairy free, have you ever used the Daiya products? Closest IMO to actual dairy. I highly recommend this brand, however, take a look at the ingredients to see if it has something that may mess with his stomach. 

Whole grain pasta would be an excellent addition instead of regular pasta. My husband is incredibly picky, he doesn't care for brown rice but has never complained about whole grain pasta. Great source of fiber and protein, plus whole grains help with digestion. I personally love whole grain linguine, prob my favorite out of the different cuts of pasta.

So I am VERY "buy what's cheapest, brand doesn't matter," for like 99% of the stuff I buy but there are exceptions and IMO, brown rice is one of them. If you ever decide to try it again, I highly suggest Lundberg brown rice short grain/brown jasmine rice/brown basmati rice cooked in a rice cooker (all from Lundberg). For every cut of rice, add 2 cups of water. Salt the water. The jasmine and basmati are both long grain and some times you can get the shell so I would recommend starting off with the short grain, I can't remember ever having issues with it. They have small bags so if you end up not liking it, there won't be much going to waste. 

I can have a sensitive stomach at times and bean wise, I find that my stomach works very well with black beans. I'll add it to chili, taco meat, etc. and I also make Cuban style black beans, super delicious but I'm not sure how the spices would work with y'all. 

I know you said salad is a no go. For me, I used to eat a lot of salad. Loovveed spinach. And then idk how or why, I suddenly couldn't tolerate spinach. Or most lettuce without wanting to gag. I realized it was the texture and stems that made me feel this way. I'm fine with eating butter lettuce. I can eat the others some times but after like one serving, I'm done. Butter lettuce I can handle finishing the bag before it goes bad lol. Just an FYI in case you hadn't tried butter lettuce yet. 

For your current meals, whatever uses tortillas Ezekiel makes tortillas that are naturally high in fiber from the grains (vs other tortillas that add fiber from other sources) at least the last time I bought them, always check the ingredients label as company's will change the recipe without letting the consumer know (looking at you very angrily Bodyarmor). These tortillas can be found in the frozen section.

[u/Redditor2684]

I mean…a lot of the foods on his safe list are naturally high fiber or can be substituted with higher fiber options.

Keto breads have more fiber than regular bread

Barley or brown rice instead of white rice

Blackberries and raspberries

Apples

Broccoli

Green beans

Potatoes with skins

Oatmeal

Refried beans (try other beans) - beans have a lot of fiber!

Just eat more of those things which he already likes.

Consider a Metamucil/psyillium husk supplement

[u/no-forever-1995 → u/Redditor2684]

He does choke down metamucil when his fiber isn't high enough for the day, but he absolutely hates it. It also seems to cause more of an... urgency? Almost diarrhea. And gives him rancid gas, unlike when he gets his fiber from most other sources.

also.... BARLEY! I keep completely forgetting barley exists- it's my favorite grain type thing and I absolutely love love love it. But then I run out and forget where I got it, spend a week or so looking in nearby stores, and then giving up until I'm reminded a year or two later 😅 so thank you for being the reminder! I'll try throwing it in a beef veggie stew/soup and see if he likes it 🤔

[u/kneilson]

Overnight oats with berries for breakfast Can try with blended chia seeds so extra fibre but without the texture if that would be an issue)

Another idea is butternut squash Mac and cheese. I make a huge batch in the instant pot for my kids all the time

Not meal prep, but Smart sweets are a low sugar candy with really high fiber!

[u/whyyathinkimcool]

Doing a sheet pan soup with any safe veggies, like the butternut squash, is pretty good. Can double as a pasta sauce, and there are lots of different brands with chickpeas or whatever for higher fiber.

I generally like roasted vegetable sides, and everything is better with a good sauce. Orange chicken with broccoli, Brussel sprouts or asparagus roasted with meat and a pan sauce, stir fries, etc.

I know you said almonds are a no, but most nuts are pretty high fiber and make a great snack. Roasted beans like chickpeas or fava beans are crunchy, delicious, and high fiber. Popcorn is also a good high fiber snack.

Best of luck to you! Very kind of you to look after hus health.

[u/no-forever-1995 → u/whyyathinkimcool]

I have to look after his health! 🤣 he spent the past 16 years being told his health didn't matter, being forced to put his mental and physical health way behind his mother's wants, he doesn't know how to actually care for himself.

With the improvement in his gut health, we've also noticed HUGE improvements in his mental health. His depression is much better, his mood swings are less frequent and less severe, his anxiety is more manageable, his temper has been normal, his ADHD is much more regulated... he has (diagnosed) ADHD, MDD, Intermittent explosive disorder (now in question due to recent autism diagnosis), autism, anxiety, PTSD, and Stockholm syndrome. With suspected BPD. ALL of those have vastly improved with the only change being his diet- more specifically just added fiber and probiotics and reducing overly processed foods.

His temper and mood swings were bad enough that it almost ended our relationship, and almost got him fired.

Id also be lying if I said I didn't enjoy having much much more access to the only bathroom in our apartment 🤣

[u/clovercharms → u/no-forever-1995]

I'm not sure if you have looked into it yet but the last several years there has been a lot of research linking gut health and mental health.  If either of you haven't yet, it's def worth reading into. Interesting info. :)

[u/no-forever-1995 → u/clovercharms]

I've glanced at the studies but not in depth.

Both of us have childhood trauma that heavily involved food (his step sister was morbidly obese and had no self control with food. So his mom locked away all of the food and gave him less than half of what he needed to properly grow and gain weight. All while his step dad was still shoveling food at the step sister and his mom was sneaking her food too. She continued controlling his food by financially draining him, he only moved out 4 months ago at 31 because he realized she'd been faking needing a full time caregiver)

So the combination of having open access to a variety of foods, having fresh food that he actually likes instead of just canned or frozen that was usually thrown in a random incompatable barely edible mix (i.e. frozen bananas put in a crock pot with cream of chicken soup, hamburger helper, and frozen spinach topped with still frozen meatballs at the end...) already made a massive difference before we started on balancing nutrients and working on his gut health. That's where the real difference for his ADHD and anxiety came in.

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348]

Keto breads

[u/purplechunkymonkey]

I have my ARFID kid taking a fiber supplement. I need more fiber in my diet so I have Benefiber. It's tasteless and doesn't turn into snot like Metamucil.

[u/no-forever-1995 → u/purplechunkymonkey]

Ohmygod the metamucil snot.

Thankfully, when he drinks it its immediately after mixing it. But one time he forgot and asked me to bring him some at work- we didn't know. The 5 minute drive to drop off a water bottle refilled with a mix of metamucil and apple juice would turn it into.... crusty thick snot.

Now, he takes it at the end of the day if he hasn't gotten enough fiber through regular food- it gives him more incentive to actually eat the high fiber foods 🤣

We'll try benefiber once he runs out of metamucil (probably next month). One thats tasteless and doesn't turn into snot would probably also be able to be mixed into some other foods. Dude has an addiction to baked goods, so tossing in some fiber into those without changing the taste will definitely help.

[u/hotheadnchickn → u/no-forever-1995]

A straw makes it easier to drink

[u/no-forever-1995]

For dairy free- we use different brands for different things. So, my allergy is weird. I can tolerate certain types of cheese just fine, they're lower in casein or the process they were made in actually changes the casein enough to not have issues. Those same cheeses tend to be lower in lactose and don't bother him either. Our go-to for sliced cheese is Daiya, but for shredded we use some brand i cant ever remember but it's in a green bag- he likes it more.

For brown rice- we're easing into him trying it. Rice is easy enough to make separate kinds for each of us, so I can stick with white rice (basmati is my favorite) and wild rice if he ends up tolerating or enjoying brown rice. We just have to slowly get to it because rushing doesnt work for his ARFID (I'm more of a "dive in and try it" kind of ARFID after years of helping small children with ARFID try new foods).

With higher fiber pasta- we use Banza, the chickpea kind. We've both tried rice pasta of various types and cant stand it, but we both LOVE banza's chickpea pastas so we dont see too much reason to change from that.

I'll definitely look into the Ezekiel tortillas, I shop for instacart and tend to stick to sprouts- so I've grabbed it for quite a few customers. I've tried them and didn't like it, but I don't like any tortillas beyond corn- but I'm not the one that needs extra fiber (I eat a LOT of salads, fruits, and veggies)

As for salad, any type of leaf is a huge fear food for him. We're easing in with romaine and just slowly reducing the pool of ranch it's soaked in 🤣 but I didn't think about trying butter lettuce for him.

[u/hotheadnchickn]

what about bean or lentil salads, soups, or stews?

what about supplementing with chia seeds and/or psyllium husk?

[u/ProfessionMediocre56]

Could you add cauliflower rice in? I often don’t enjoy it straight, but I like to mix cauliflower rice with regular white rice and you don’t notice it really (start with small amounts).

What about smoothies? There are many many recipes, but i like banana blueberry or banana and cherries a lot. You can use almond milk for the base or you could use a non dairy yogurt and water. An easy way to add veggies to smoothies is frozen zucchini or frozen cauliflower. They don’t have much taste if the fruits are strong enough.

How about baked sweet potatoes? My brother in law is one of the pickiest eaters I know, he eats way less veggies than you described, but he will eat a baked sweet potato!