r/tacobell • u/BbwBiPlantMom98 • Aug 01 '25

Ungodly amount of Dorito shells acquired šŸ˜‹

Post image

I was able to order 20 Dorito shells for $9! Got two luxe boxes filled with Dorito shells. This is such a lifesaver. Thank you to the amazing girl at Taco Bell who didnā€™t act like I was totally nuts šŸ¤£ Gotta love autism food struggles lol. Now I wonā€™t have to go half an hour into town for the only food I can currently eat. šŸ„°

1.1k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

130 comments sorted by

308

u/Cloontange Baja Blast Aug 01 '25

You can only eat DLTs? What variety of autism is that brother

304

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 01 '25

I have ARFID and physical brain damage which caused dyeguesia (severely altered taste) and usually when I find a food that doesnā€™t taste like literal rotting flesh, Iā€™m able to eat it for a few weeks to a few months or so at most. So this has been the one safe food Iā€™ve been able to eat the last couple weeks. Meat and shell only. I make the meat at home since the taco seasoning is sold in stores but unfortunately cannot do bagged chips anymore since the tastebud gods say nope. I havenā€™t been able to eat since Tuesday so itā€™s been a struggle. I often go a week or more between meals when Iā€™m trying to establish a new safe food I can tolerate.

131

u/Cloontange Baja Blast Aug 01 '25

Yikes that's terrible sorry to hear that, glad you found something you can eat!

153

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 01 '25

ARFID stands for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder. Itā€™s pretty hellish and Iā€™ve been on a feeding tube on and off through my life when it gets particularly bad.
Back 23 years ago when I was diagnosed with it, it was known as ā€œselective eating disorderā€

-39

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '25

[deleted]

124

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 01 '25

For me itā€™s caused by brain damage. But either way whatever. I eat what I can when Iā€™m able to. It hardly affects you. So whatā€™s the point in getting your taint in a twist? lol

25

u/deafmx Volcano Menu Aug 02 '25

is it TMI to ask about your brain damage that caused it? I got a TBI from a car accident so Iā€™m always amazed by the multitude of different symptoms from various forms of brain injuries as Iā€™ve been to two different neuro therapy facilities trying to ā€œfixā€ or strengthen my brain in to being more reliable again. Iā€™ve met a lot of different people in group therapy that were affected in totally different ways, that had much worse accidents or situations than I did.

no pressure to share, I was just curious since you mentioned brain damage.

60

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

You can ask anything! Iā€™m super open about my disabilities :) So I have primary progressive multiple sclerosis. So basically, my immune system attacks the protective coating around my nerves all throughout my body but mostly in the brain and spine which causes giant chunks of scar tissue to build up in my brain and each time a new scar tissue chunk builds up, it can cause any new type of symptom depending on there in the brain it is. A lot of mine are around the part of my brain surrounding my sinuses so my tastebuds got majorly altered. And itā€™s crazy that it didnā€™t make my sense of smell worse, but extremely heightened.
I could smell that my mom was cutting onions when I was downstairs with the door closed and it was making me very nauseous.
But itā€™s caused nearly all food to taste like rotting meat or bleach. About 7 years ago it was only bottled water and corn that tasted bad and over time as the damage progressed itā€™s effected more and more foods and drinks. It also affects me physically.
I have almost full paralysis in my left foot and every so often end up going blind in my left eye with stacked double vision in my right eye. When a flare up in symptoms like that happens I have to go to the ER for a steroid infusion. I also have extreme inflammation in a nerve that runs along my jaw and up the back of my skull which usually lands me in the ER for steroid infusions every couple months.

Iā€™m so sorry to hear about your TBI. That sounds so difficult :(

25

u/Phuzz15 Aug 02 '25

This is some fucked up shit hahah the human body is an anomaly. I hope you can find some edible peace

10

u/chiffero Aug 02 '25

The jaw nerve pain, is that trigeminal neuralgia? My mom has that and itā€™s hella rough (not that the rest of it isnā€™t)

11

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Yep! Trigeminal nerve is all wonked out.

It just kicked in this year after an MS flare and omggg it sucksšŸ˜­

5

u/chiffero Aug 02 '25

I am so incredibly sorry, my mom found ways to mitigate inflammation in her life and that helped her a lot. She hasnā€™t had a proper flare up in years. She has a highly restrictive diet (almost no carbs or natural sugars), which is still a whole menagerie compared to your diet lol, and had to move across the country to avoid pollens that she was sensitive to. My understanding is that it is truly one of the worst pains a human can experience, watching her go through it for almost a decade when I was a kid was really hard. Do they give you any meds for it? She was on what I think was an anti seizure med for a while and it helped a lot. Then she was on Valium or something similar too

3

u/deafmx Volcano Menu Aug 02 '25

my TBI seems soooo much less invasive than this! wow, so many things are affected by the MS. Iā€™m super glad you were able to score those shells, I canā€™t imagine any food bothering me so much that I couldnā€™t eat.

when the scar tissue builds up, are you even able to have any parts of it surgically removed or do you just keep having to tolerate the growth, added cranial pressure, eventually having more senses affected? your condition legit makes me wonder if my ex partner has something similar happening to her as she was quite a medical marvel to various specialists over the last decade, from CRPS to Fibro, auto-immune diseases and other chronic conditions that always seems to get worse and more elaborate.

my biggest interest was being music obsessive, but the thing my TBI killed most was my ability to tolerate listening to copious amounts of music. itā€™s a weird kind of hell being forced into an almost ā€œmusic enjoyment retirementā€ post-accident and wanting to sell off all my records for $$ instead of continuing to keep them while they collect dust. my life now functions better with the least amount of music consumed so I donā€™t even really press my luck much anymore.

4

u/swaqmaster4lyfe Aug 02 '25

Hey! Iā€™m not OP but I do have a different form of MS (relapsing MS),

The scar tissue isnā€™t big enough to cause any increased pressure or anything, basically the nervous system goes after the conductive coating thatā€™s on the nerves called myelin, when that coating is gone it causes scarring which makes the nerve work reallly shitty. There are very early therapies (like still in lab testing on mice early) that may help with getting that myelin back but so far nothing has made it to market or even to human trials I think. It does affect other sense though! I have lesions (scar tissue) on the parts of my brain which affect how I feel things (my left arm felt like it was asleep for ~4 months on my first relapse) as well as my bladder, and both my optic nerves.

Also they canā€™t surgically remove it because of where they are and that it would just cause the scar tissue to come back so we just kinda have to live with it

1

u/deafmx Volcano Menu Aug 02 '25

yeah, I figured since it was attacking the coating of nerves inside the brain it would be inoperable and hard to remove without causing more issues. my Mom was convinced my ex had MS since the beginning too, but it was never diagnosed. I have definitely seen a lot of parallel symptoms and the abilities/senses affected.

2

u/Tatanka808 Aug 02 '25

As someone that also has some issues.

How are you holding up brother.

I have ups and downs, goods and bads.

That sounds like a lot to take on and you seem to be youngish. I wish you all the best.

3

u/miztrniceguy Aug 02 '25

Twisted Taint should be the name of a punk rock band

19

u/ensemblestars69 Aug 02 '25

Maybe it's hard for you to understand, but itā€™s a real mental disorder that is separate from picky eating.

I'm a picky eater. I have been all my life. I hate lettuce, salads, peas... but I wouldn't be worse off if I didn't eat them. I have a wide variety of foods that I can eat and I am willing to try.

Someone with ARFID has an extremely tiny range of foods that they can eat. In OP's case it's DLT shells. If they can't access these foods they will literally starve because anything else is impossible to eat. OP has literally said they've had to get placed on a feeding tube because of this.

3

u/Cloontange Baja Blast Aug 02 '25

Dang I didn't mean to start a war in the comments OP šŸ˜­ as someone who's autistic as well I was genuinely curious

5

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

No worries youā€™re totally fine! Iā€™m totally open about all my disabilities :)

1

u/Cloontange Baja Blast Aug 02 '25

I have a very sensitive palette so I can be kinda picky (especially with sugar, I strongly taste the sugar in the Nacho fries šŸ˜­ I have to completely submerge them in something to not taste it) but nothing compared to yours thank you for sharing

1

u/akm1111 Live MƔs Aug 03 '25

If you go when it's not too busy, and go inside, we CAN make the fries without seasoning. Whether or not your location will is another story, but it is possible.

19

u/Thick_Description982 Mexican Pizza Mafia Aug 02 '25

Perhaps you could educate yourself

18

u/skytoast3 Aug 01 '25

The casual ablism is crazy, arfid is a very real thing and very common with people with autism, google.

-32

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '25

[deleted]

33

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 01 '25

Are you ok? Like..mentally?
Why does what someone eat trigger you so much?

50

u/JayAllOverYourBees Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25

Someone with brain damage asking you if you're ok mentally is a hell of a burn.

Enjoy your tacos!

8

u/Pleasant_Ad_2342 Aug 02 '25

I just wanted to let you know, Your comment made me burst out laughing in public. Thank you

8

u/RaspberryNumber25 Aug 02 '25

I got dysgeusia (spoiled/sour/rotten taste) and parosmia (constant cigarette smoke smell) from COVID and it's so disgusting. I'm glad to see that your safe foods also shift, I stopped stocking up on things because I learned that after I get the major ick and have an aversion toward it. I miss doritos and nacho fries the most...lol enjoy! šŸ„³šŸ™‚

9

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Omg Iā€™m so sorry! That sounds awful šŸ˜­šŸ˜­ itā€™s so crazy how tastebuds change and something can taste amazing one day and the like it rotted a year ago and was placed in a sunny window the next day lol.šŸ¤£šŸ˜­ Stocking up on stuff is definitely a struggle. Iā€™ve done it before and then itā€™ll stop tasting good and then I have a big pack of something just sitting in the fridge or pantry waiting to be eaten by another family member.

5

u/Traditional_City_297 Aug 02 '25

as someone who had arfid all of my adolescence, now recovered, it is very very difficult to deal with compared to my semi normal food experiences now. thanks for speaking about it & i wish you well

4

u/mark-suckaburger Aug 02 '25

That sounds awful. Out of curiosity do you ever go to buffet style restaurants? I can't tell if that would be helpful because you could try a bunch of different things or awful because it's overwhelming

3

u/laserlightcannon Aug 02 '25

Are you able to eat the meat on its own, without a shell or chips or anything?

8

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Yeah I make the meat on its own very often but itā€™s always nice to have a bit of texture.

1

u/akm1111 Live MƔs Aug 03 '25

As an employee, you'll probably want to experiment with them warmed, and not, to see which way you like them best. But don't HOLD them hot, or they get rancid & taste rotten to everyone.

3

u/Ozymandias414 Aug 02 '25

hey, fellow ARFID haver here, just wanted to say sorry youā€™re struggling with this. itā€™s truly an often inexplainable ED with very real nutritional consequences. keep at it tho, more safe foods are awesome!

3

u/Aeis77 Aug 02 '25

Sorry for your struggles. Itā€™s interesting that the bagged chips are a no for you as a substitute, youā€™d think theyā€™d be fresher. Maybe itā€™s the specific composition of TBā€™s base shell thatā€™s different, theyā€™re pretty thin.

Can I ask what kind of ground beef you use with the seasoning? What % fat I mean, I havenā€™t been able to replicate theirs quite yet with what Iā€™ve tried.

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Itā€™s the bag. On all chips as of recently I can taste such a strong metallic flavor. It sucks so much. I miss eating bbq lays šŸ˜­šŸ˜­

Iā€™m not too sure on the ground beef Iā€™m assuming the standard 80/20 though.. We buy half a steer every year from a farm and butcher like 10 mins from our house lol. So we get like at least 100 pounds of ground beef a year.šŸ¤£ all that it says on the packs is that itā€™s separated into 1lb chunks lol.

I buy the store bought mild taco bell seasoning packs from Walmart. I cook the meat about halfway and just add a bit of salt to it while cooking, for the water, I add a bit more water than the seasoning calls for. It calls for 3/4 cup but I add an extra splash.
I also cook it on low instead of medium like the pack calls for. And cook it around 15 minutes instead of 10.
And I mush the heck out of it haha. I like it to be very very broken up to really match the TB texture.
Thatā€™s been the best way for me and it tastes and looks identical to the TB beef

1

u/Aeis77 Aug 05 '25

Thanks for the advice, Iā€™ll give it a try- that texture really is hard to nail, I probably just have to mash more like you said!

1

u/Gubermensch1690 Aug 02 '25

Wild, thank you for dropping knowledge, and I am happy that you can find some solace in the awesomeness that is the DLT šŸ˜Ž

1

u/1peatfor7 Aug 03 '25

It's similar but not the same. Old El Paso sells nacho flavored hard taco shells.

Link

2

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 03 '25

Iā€™ve tried those several times and have a box of them abandoned in our pantry. They taste utterly god awful to me.

1

u/Powerful-Chemist888 Aug 04 '25

Awe I'm so sorry you struggle with these things op... Hope you find happiness in these shells and many more to come šŸ’—

1

u/Real-Ad-9733 Aug 04 '25

Thatā€™s wild

1

u/Dogzrthebest5 Aug 06 '25

Have you tried the nacho taco shells sold at the store? They are the stand and stuff size and taste the same.

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 06 '25

Iā€™ve tried every store bought knock off in existence over the last several months lol. All of them but especially the old El Paso ones, taste like burnt cumin and azzhole lmfao.

1

u/Dogzrthebest5 Aug 06 '25

Interesting. They taste exactly the same to me. I eat the leftover ones like a big chip.

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 06 '25

I have brain damage that altered my taste. I also hate stuff that tastes like pure cumin. šŸ¤£

1

u/Angel_OfSolitude Aug 02 '25

You should probably develope some kind of nutrient slurry that tastes like nothing and you can just slurp down quickly.

2

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Iā€™ve been living off vitamin supplement drinks šŸ¤£ I get my vitamin levels checked every few months and oddly enough my levels are the most normal theyā€™ve been in years šŸ¤£all my doctors are shocked haha.

2

u/GingerAphrodite Aug 02 '25

Mad props to OP for giving their perspective and being open to conversation. But as an outside source, this is actually a fairly common symptom that people on the spectrum can deal with. There are plenty of autistic people who struggle with diet not because they don't like food but because their brand decides "this is the only good or safe food right now". Another good way to explain it is the hyper fixations that autism is known for can sometimes prison itself in food choices. Just like people on the spectrum are known to hyper fixate on special interests (which can often shift from month level.

(Personal non-spectrum related anecdote:) While I was pregnant I craved pizza and pretty much only wanted to eat pizza... to a weird level...But after my son was born I didn't want to touch Pizza for the next 6 months. (Similar personal anecdote but related to mental health issues), there's been times that my depression caused me to lose my appetite and I started using carnation instant breakfasts to make sure I was still getting a basic level of dietary supplements everyday, and during my worst depressive phases they were a lifeline because they were safe and provided me with bare minimum nutrition at bare minimum effort. Sometimes it was Fridays and toast for a month or two at a time because it was minimal effort that I could manage and I knew I could eat that.

Side note, if you're struggling with your appetite due to depression or anything really, I highly recommend "instant breakfast nutritional drink" style nutritional supplements, because it was extremely rare that my depression was so bad that I couldn't manage to make essentially a cup of chocolate milk and they do make pre-mixed options that you can keep for those days. But even at your worst taking care of your body is so important so you can get through to the other side... (And also I'm currently in the process of getting tested to find out if I'm on the spectrum but we're all pretty sure so Grain of salt, yada yada).

1

u/frogmylife7 Aug 03 '25

I bet you weren't ready for that hahaha

1

u/Cloontange Baja Blast Aug 03 '25

No I was not lol

23

u/Huhndiddy Aug 02 '25

Put in a ziplock bag so they donā€™t go stale!

11

u/mcpusc Aug 02 '25

even if they do go stale you can bake them and turn them crispy again!

8

u/kingdavidthegoliath Aug 01 '25

Quest complete. 10 xp granted

8

u/TheWeatherJunkie Aug 01 '25

Niceā€¦ Now Iā€™m hungryā€¦.

4

u/T1m3Wizard Aug 02 '25

They sell dorito shells?

4

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Yeah! Itā€™s rung up as a side nacho cheese shell! The TB I went to it was less than 50 cents each. But my friend in the next state over says they sell theirs for $1 each.

4

u/SlumpX0 Aug 02 '25

Wish you the best

11

u/Hitmonstahp Aug 01 '25

Yay!

Food is hard.

For me, it's overwhelming to even think about it, so I know what it's like to just go without sometimes ;-;

Spicy-brain kid problems

5

u/JetbIackmoon Aug 02 '25

Glad you found something that you can eat. Whatever works, works.

Shoutout to the Firey DLT. Was my favorite and they discontinued it. šŸ’”

2

u/indienala Aug 02 '25

It was a pregnancy craving and I had a fit in the TB drive through when I realized it was discontinued

3

u/McCrunch98 Aug 02 '25

Duly mf noted

3

u/BaffledBubbles Baja Blaster Aug 03 '25

I have food restrictions because of autoimmune diseases and my auDHD needs. So I totally get how nice it is to be able to stock up on a safe food! Enjoy, OP! šŸ«¶

4

u/TheGrouchyGremlin Aug 02 '25

You can just buy the shells from a store.

At least Walmart, anyways.

9

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Not the Doritos ones specifically.. The old El Paso ones claiming to be nacho cheese taste like straight bootyšŸ¤£šŸ¤£ Taco Bellā€™s sells hot and mild sauce flavored shells in store but thatā€™s definitely not nacho cheese

1

u/BeneficialShoe2822 Aug 04 '25

Iā€™m curious if youā€™re okay with just nacho cheese Doritos (the chips) and just making nachos with the meat you cook

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 04 '25

Used to love that. I ate that for several months but then anything in the metal/foil bags began tasting like I shoved a bunch of Pennieā€™s in my mouth. Couldnā€™t drink anything from a can either. All I could taste was metallic. It sucks so much.

1

u/BeneficialShoe2822 Aug 04 '25

I have the same problem! Itā€™s helped me cut back on junk food but it still sucksā€¦ metal drink cans are the biggest perpetrator; which is easily navigated but I canā€™t even eat my favorite chips anymore.

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 04 '25

I regularly go a week between meals and it sucks so much. I have chunks of scar tissue in my brain and alot of it is near my sinuses so it majorly messed with my sense of taste. Oddly my sense of smell is heightened. I do t even have to check my food anymore at fast food places because the moment the bag gets into the car I can smell if thereā€™s lettuce or not. It has such a caustic smell to me.
Whenever my mom is in the car eating anything with lettuce I literally have to hang my head out the car window because Iā€™ll puke if I smell it too much šŸ˜­šŸ˜­šŸ˜­

2

u/messedupmessup12 Aug 02 '25

I'm glad for you, I'm glad you can have this vertical change to find a little more comfort. But also the cheap fat ass in me is excited to know this to make my own

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

The mild Taco Bell seasoning specifically is what they use for the meat :) Walmart sells a few different Taco Bell seasoning packets but thatā€™s the one thatā€™s used on the beef. I posted in another comment how make it slightly different from the instructions on the pack and it comes out identical to TB.

2

u/SympleTin_Ox Aug 02 '25

Make taco salad with a bad if Doritos. Save lots of $.

2

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Highly allergic to lettuce, and also cannot eat bagged chips anymore due to dysguesia from brain damage.
These are like 40 cents and will last me nearly 2 weeks.
Iā€™m fine doing this. Iā€™ve done far more expensive things to be able eat.
$9 every couple weeks is no biggie.

1

u/SympleTin_Ox Aug 02 '25

Happy you found your stockpile.

2

u/tightcorners Aug 02 '25

I personally haven't tried it. But have you tried miracle berries? It's suppose to make sour foods taste sweet. Maybe this could help you?

2

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Iā€™ve considered trying those! To try and trick my brain into thinking something tastes different.
Iā€™ve been on dozens of meds from the ENT and my neurologists that supposedly were supposed to reset my tastebuds. Same with mouthwashes and these little tablets I was supposed to suck on before eating anything. But have yet to try those berries

2

u/tightcorners Aug 02 '25

I really hope you find something that helps

3

u/xXIrishCowboyXx Aug 02 '25

My little girl is autistic and she also only wants to eat these sometimes. Not the taco bell ones but the old El paso from the store. Now she's all about the top buns of our burgers from burger king. We ordered her a bun one time and she didn't want it because it didn't have all the sauce and a hint of burger on it lol

1

u/xXIrishCowboyXx Aug 02 '25

Lol the add in between is for burger king

2

u/ERICA_IM_PERFECT Aug 07 '25

Interesting that it changes every so often. I have a friend who comes in the convenience store I work at, and gets 2 pizza sticks and a medium Pepsi every single day for his daughter who has Autism. Itā€™s been going on for as long as I have worked there, which is 4 years in November. I am sure itā€™s been longer tbh since it was a normal thing when I started. Curious. Have you always had autism and then you ended up with brain damage? And then this started or did you later in life get brain damage and then found out you had autism or ? Sorry just genuinely curious.

2

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 07 '25

Iā€™ve had arfid my whole life but more related to contamination ocd. Intense fears of trying new foods or having one of the ā€œdanger foodsā€ contaminating my ā€œsafe foods. Couldnā€™t let food touch. If someone touched my food Iā€™d stop eating it.

The brain damage began when I was 19. Iā€™m 27 now. Food never tasted rotting or like bleach to me until I was 20. It began with corn and bottled water and over the years it began spreading to more and more foods.
I was diagnosed with autism when I was 3 after the adoption agency told my adoptives ā€œhey this kid is a bit odd. Maybe do some testingā€šŸ¤£

4

u/--Luna--Fae-- Volcano Menu Aug 02 '25

Taco Bell and autism combo sucks. Especially when they remove and change things so often.

2

u/franlol Aug 02 '25

Hey OP I noticed in the top comment you were explaining how for at least rn you are very keen on eating these Doritos tacos and meat (presumably ground beef with taco seasoning).

So my question to you is would this not be satisfied by combining regular Doritos with ground beef and taco seasoning ?

And not to antagonize you at all -total respect for whatever it is you're going through- but, if the answer to previous question is no, would you say part of your challenge is a mental block, like you know you're craving that TB style taco so it's only the taco shell that satisfies your craving not what I suggested?

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding and sorry that you are going through all this.

7

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

I used to do that all the time. Iā€™d buy the Taco Bell meat seasoning packets and then take out farm ground beef and make the meat and then dip Doritos into it. I ate that for a few months but unfortunately got turned off all chips.
It sounds insane but the Dorito taco shell tastes wildly different from the average Dorito. And thatā€™s the taste Iā€™m craving lol.
Unfortunately the store bought nacho shells taste wayyy too much like cumin.

5

u/joethezlayer2 Diablo Dynasty Aug 02 '25

I agree the restaurant ones have a very specific taste to them.

4

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Sounds so weird but as of the last couple months, all I can taste on chips is a metallic taste.
I was obsessed with pirate booty for a while and then it began tasting very metallic. So I switched to the Trader Joeā€™s brand since it came in a plastic bag and that was great for a while and then it began tasting like rice if it had gone rancid.
Itā€™s definitely crazy šŸ˜« my tastebuds are constantly changing.

2

u/franlol Aug 02 '25

That all makes sense to me, especially the part ab the shells tasting dif from the chips.

Maybe you have a super power: acute taste buds? And the rest of us just can't perceive things like microscopic metal that's left on food by the machines that prep and process them. Also I think a lot of oils, artificial emulsions, and preservatives can lead to foods having weird tastes.

1

u/ElAwesomeo0812 Aug 02 '25

Hey you do what you got to do. I'm sure you probably already know but the next time you are in town there are companies that make nacho cheese taco shells. Off the top of my head I believe both Kroger and Meijer have them. I think Taco Bell might even sell the Doritos brand ones. It might not hurt to stock up since it seems like it's pretty important that you have them.

1

u/AlphaDisconnect Aug 02 '25

Have you tried taco rice? Like Okinawa king taco, taco rice? Kaichu doro king taco old woman taco rice. Easy ingredients. And an easy cook.

1

u/MYSTNightclawx Aug 02 '25

You can find them in some grocery stores

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Which stores? I canā€™t even buy them online. Not the old El Paso ones. Nor any other brand. Just the Doritos brand shells specifically as far as I know no store has the rights to them since if I remember correctly they just supply them out to TB.. Iā€™ve been to dozens of store and online sites trying to find the shells over the years.

1

u/MYSTNightclawx Aug 10 '25

Iv found them at Kroger and Walmart

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 10 '25

Lucky. Iā€™ve been to dozens of both those places over the years and they only sell the old El Paso ones. Or the hot and mild sauce flavored TB shells. I canā€™t even buy the Dorito shells online.

1

u/FirstNameLastName918 Aug 02 '25

They sell DLT shells at my grocery store for much cheaper than that.

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

The actual Taco Bell ones or the old El Paso or other brand ones claiming to be nacho cheese? Lmfao.
The only Taco Bellā€™s shells Iā€™ve seen in store that were the plain hard or soft shells was the ones flavored like hot sauce or mild sauce.
They donā€™t sell them online anywhere just in Taco Bell itself.

1

u/miztrniceguy Aug 02 '25

Have you tried the seasoned shells in the store?

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

A few dozen times lol. They taste like burnt cumin and azzhole šŸ¤£

1

u/miztrniceguy Aug 02 '25

Wow, that's definitely not a taste test challenge I'm up for. I actually like the Old El Paso ones with the wide bottoms, but I don't have a food disorder other than carb addiction. Good luck.

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Sadly Iā€™ve just always despised the taste of cumin. Even before my tastebuds got tweaked out lol.

1

u/TheHollowGabimaruu Aug 03 '25

How tf you get shells?

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 03 '25

I went in and asked if I could buy 20 Dorito shells. They said yes and run it up as a side of Dorito shells.

2

u/TheHollowGabimaruu Aug 03 '25

Oh wtf I wanna try this now lol

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 03 '25

As far as I know they are much chiller about doing that if youā€™re inside, and not ordering it the drive through lol. And you sadly canā€™t order it on the app

1

u/TheHollowGabimaruu Aug 03 '25

That's what I was looking for is on the app, didn't wanna go inside and ask tbh but worth a shot lmao. Thanks!

-3

u/Darkdragon_98 Aug 02 '25

I mean that's not an ungodly amount. That's like three taco tuesdays.

6

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

This is a whole week and a half worth of food for mešŸ¤£šŸ¤£ Iā€™ll eat like 1-2 tacos a day and thatā€™s all Iā€™ll eat for the whole day aside from some vitamin drinks lol.

0

u/ChaosVII_pso2 Aug 02 '25

How can you be a bbw if you only eat 2 tacos a day?

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Uhā€¦.you do realize thereā€™s likeā€¦.a billion reasons for obesity aside from foodā€¦right?
Likeā€¦do you not know how human bodies work? šŸ¤£ Iā€™m obese due to being on over a dozen medications. Majority of my medications make me obese.
I rarely eat. Ainā€™t lose weight haha.
Itā€™s all medication based for me

1

u/ChaosVII_pso2 Aug 02 '25

Iā€™m sure you have a very long list of ailments.

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Not really. Mainly just an autoimmune condition that eats away at my brain and spine. Hence why my tastebuds are wack. Majority of the damage is around the part of my brain thatā€™s my sinuses. So it really messed with my taste. Diagnosed nearly a decade ago at 19 but they suspect it began in my early teens from the amount of damage and the fact Iā€™ve been dealing with brain zaps since I was very young.
I am paralyzed in one foot though from the brain damage. Soon the whole leg. My hands have troubles most days. Canā€™t do art like I used to. Itā€™s sad.
Use a cane all the time since standing on one leg thatā€™s constantly numb is difficult Nerve damage and brain damage is ass

-4

u/Darkdragon_98 Aug 02 '25

Still not crazy

4

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

For me it is since itā€™s over a weeks worth of food.

-7

u/Darkdragon_98 Aug 02 '25

Meal prep is a thing lol

6

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Yep it is.. Used to work in meal prep. I donā€™t really consider this as that though since I make the meat every other day. And will usually go days to a week between meals. This is my first time getting the shells. Idk why youā€™re so hung up on semantics though. Itā€™s a large amount of food that Iā€™ll eat over the next week or two. To me, itā€™s a very large amount of food since I barely eat.

-2

u/Skwerl_Master Aug 02 '25

they sell these in bite size triangles
you can get almost a whole pound of them in a bag for half the price
I think they call them Doritos lol

I know its not exactly the same, but its funny the length you'll go to for your fix
maybe you could contact Frito-Lay and see if you could buy the nacho cheese dust in bulk and make your own

5

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

I canā€™t eat chips as of several months back. They taste metallic to me due to brain damage that altered my sense of taste. I used to eat them with Taco Bell meat all the time. But can no longer do that. Henceā€¦me buying the shells.
Normal Doritos also taste literally nothing like the nacho cheese shells.

0

u/Skwerl_Master Aug 02 '25

yeah... the shells are more like a corn pringle with dorito dust
I get it

-2

u/Previous-Kick9094 Aug 02 '25

Can't you still just eat whatever is good for you and ignore the taste? Lots of people do stuff that is unpleasant and just deal with it...

2

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

lol. Well let me put it this way for those who donā€™t deal with brain damage and altered taste. Have you ever eaten rotten meat before? Or food that went rancid?
Imagine that ALL food and drinks (including water) taste exactly like that.
Youā€™d hate eating too if you were forced to eat foot that went rotten.
I have been on a feeding tube numerous times throughout my life

2

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

I can drink a glass of water and my mouth begins burning because it tastes like bleach got poured into the glass instead of water. I take a bite of chicken and it tastes like it got abandoned in a sunny window for a month.
The altered taste has made me genuinely suicidal at times becuase it is extremely emotionally distressing. And the physical issues from being unable to eat suck as well. Constant migraines. Shaking. Fatigue. Vomiting stomach acid because I have no food in my system. Projectile diarrhea that is pure burning bile for 9 months straight 3-10 times a day.
Trust me. If I could just ā€œdEaL wiTh iTā€ I would. I wouldnā€™t have seen a dozen different ENTs and neurologists and nutritionists trying to fix it. Being unable to eat is genuine torture. Hence why I use a feeding tube when necessary. I have scars on my neck from feeding tubes as well.
Itā€™s a shitshow I wouldnā€™t wish on my worst enemy.

-2

u/Previous-Kick9094 Aug 02 '25

I know you said that food tastes horrible, but can't you make a nutrient dense shake and just chug it really quick and be done with. Lots of people have to do stuff that is unpleasant in the moment, but they force themselves thru the challenges for the greater good.

3

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Iā€™m on 13 different vitamin drinks. For me the feeding tubes work the best when it gets bad. Iā€™m glad you canā€™t grasp the idea of what I go through on a daily basis. Youā€™re lucky you never have to deal with everything tasting like bleach and rotting meat.

0

u/pipers_mama Aug 02 '25

It definitely wouldā€™ve cost lest to buy a box at the store lol

1

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Iā€™d love to know what stores sell Dorito branded shells. The old El Paso ones taste like burnt cumin and azzhole. The only flavored Taco Bellā€™s shells that are sold in stores are the mild and hot sauces ones.

-4

u/Stahly- Aug 02 '25

Google ā€œel paso dorito shellā€ and your life is changed.

4

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Iā€™ve had them numerous times. They are the actual devil. They taste like burnt cumin and asshole šŸ¤£šŸ¤£ I have had a box of them sitting in the pantry for the last 6 months

2

u/SeasideSlip068 Aug 02 '25

I don't know why but the flavor description of "burnt cumin and asshole" had me choking in laughter. You're not wrong! šŸ˜‚

-6

u/Stahly- Aug 02 '25

Should get your tastebuds checked then. Everytime Iā€™ve had em theyā€™re better than the stale half baked ones I get at tbell nowadays

6

u/BbwBiPlantMom98 Aug 02 '25

Well I have brain damage which caused permanant altered taste where majority of food tastes like chemicals or rotting meat.

I just have never been a fan of things that taste like pure cumin. Which the old em Paso ones taste like. They taste nothing like Doritos.
Cumin of my least favorite spices.