‘Same Food’ or ‘Safe Food’ and When Our Language Matters

Please note that this article is more aimed at being a piece to ponder for other professionals. We should respect how individuals discuss their food and eating.

I often hear people use ‘same food ‘and ‘safe food‘ interchangeably when discussing another person’s food preferences. This is true also of many practitioners when they discuss supporting people with food and eating.

When people use terms like same food or safe food, they’re often referring to someone’s favourite food, a food they have a strong emotional or sensory connection to. This is typically a food that they find predictable and comforting. As a result, they’re likely to eat it frequently. These foods are often staples in a person’s diet, providing a sense of stability and enjoyment, especially for those with sensory sensitivities or a need for routine in their eating habits.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the interchanging of ‘Same’ and ‘Safe’ and how we might want to consider moving towards using ‘Same’. Of course, there are many situations where a food is actually unsafe for someone, such as allergies or choking risks. In those cases, clear language around safety is necessary.

For this post, I am speaking about foods that are known to be okay for a person to expand into trying if they wanted to and had access.

Image from Canva, by Roddy1red from Getty Images

You might also be interested in my co-authored book about an Autistic young person and their same food ‘Gabby’s Glimmers’ and my other food blogs such as ‘Context Eating: Why We Prefer Specific Foods in Specific Situations‘, ‘Why We Need Low Pressure Food Opportunities‘ and ‘How to Get Them to Eat: Rethinking Some Traditional Parenting Strategies‘

Educating Professionals and Parents About Neurodivergent Eating

When I educate other professionals or parents about neurodivergent ways of eating, I explain that they may have heard some foods discussed as a safe food.

And it’s true, comfort foods help provide a person with a sense of safety. It is vital for someone to feel safe and comfortable in order to eat and be nourished.

However, I tend to avoid using the phrase safe food in reference to something that a person eats, as it then implies that foods they don’t eat are unsafe. What we as professionals say carries weight and we role model language and ideas. We may inadvertently create a dichotomy and add a barrier to a food opportunity that wasn’t previously there.

Reframing the Language: Moving Beyond Safe vs Unsafe

Instead of using safe vs unsafe, we could try out some of the alternatives:

Every person is unique, and I don’t know what foods they may later want to try.

Many individuals or parents report that there have been times when a food has been added on that they never would have anticipated.

By shifting our language, we may help create food opportunities and a more positive, inclusive approach to eating.

Thank you for learning about the community,

Laura Hellfeld

RN, MSN, PHN, CNL

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Resources

• Gabby’s Glimmers: An Affirming Story of an Autistic Child and their Favourite Food
• Context Eating: Why We Prefer Specific Foods in Specific Situations
• Why We Need Low Pressure Food Opportunities
• How to Get Them to Eat: Rethinking Some Traditional Parenting Strategies