Nutrition Diet: How to eat more when you have ARFID?

October 30, 2025 •

5 min read

An estimated 5–12% of patients presenting to eating disorder clinics meet the criteria for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a condition that can make eating more incredibly challenging due to factors like sensory sensitivities, fear, or low appetite. Overcoming this barrier requires patience, a structured approach, and often professional support to ensure adequate nutritional intake and promote long-term recovery.

Quick Summary

This article explores practical, low-pressure strategies and nutritional approaches to increase food consumption for those with ARFID, focusing on calorie density, mealtime routines, and therapeutic techniques. It details how to work with safe foods and gradually introduce new ones with the right support system.

Key Points

Start with Safe Foods: Focus on increasing the volume and calorie density of your current repertoire of safe, accepted foods before tackling new ones.
Implement Consistent Routines: Establishing a regular schedule for meals and snacks can help regulate appetite and ensure consistent nutritional intake, especially for those with low interest in food.
Practice Gentle Exposure: Introduce new foods in a non-pressured way, starting with small, sensory-based interactions like touching or smelling, rather than jumping straight to eating.
Work with Professional Support: A multi-disciplinary team including a dietitian and a therapist specializing in CBT-AR is essential for creating a safe and effective treatment plan.
Boost Calories Incrementally: Add calorie-dense ingredients like whole milk, butter, or protein powder to preferred foods to increase nutritional value without a drastic change in your eating habits.
Understand ARFID is Not 'Pickiness': Recognize that ARFID is a complex disorder based on sensory, fear, or interest issues, not a simple choice, and treat it with patience and understanding.

Understanding the Complexities of ARFID

ARFID is not simply a matter of being a "picky eater." It is a serious eating disorder characterized by a restrictive eating pattern that can result in significant nutritional deficiencies, weight loss, or failure to meet growth milestones. The reasons for avoidance are complex and varied, distinguishing it from disorders like anorexia nervosa, which are rooted in body image concerns.

The Three Pillars of ARFID

According to the DSM-5, ARFID typically presents with one or more of three core features:

Apparent Lack of Interest in Eating or Food: Some individuals have very low appetite and may not recognize hunger cues effectively, making eating feel like a chore. Regular, scheduled eating is often necessary to ensure they get enough calories.
Food Avoidance Based on Sensory Characteristics: This is one of the most common subtypes. It involves a heightened sensitivity to specific sensory qualities of food, such as texture, color, smell, or temperature, which can trigger a strong aversion or even a gag reflex.
Fear of Aversive Consequences: This includes anxiety related to fear of choking, vomiting, or experiencing pain or a negative physical reaction to food. This fear often stems from a past traumatic experience and can severely limit food choices.

Practical Strategies to Eat More

Increasing food intake with ARFID must be approached with sensitivity, patience, and without pressure. The following strategies can be highly effective when implemented as part of a therapeutic treatment plan, often guided by a dietitian or therapist.

Maximize and Increase “Safe” Foods

Before attempting to expand the variety of foods, focus on increasing the quantity and nutritional value of foods that are already accepted and feel safe.

Boost Calorie Density: Add extra calories and nutrients to existing safe foods. This could mean using whole milk instead of skim, adding butter or cream to mashed potatoes, or mixing protein powder into a tolerated milkshake.
Rotate Safe Foods: To prevent burnout and losing a safe food due to overexposure, rotate through your repertoire of accepted items. Making minor, tolerable changes, like trying a different brand of a preferred food, can also help.
Keep Safe Foods Consistent: Always ensure access to a reliable, consistent supply of safe foods, especially during times of high stress.

Systematically Introduce New Foods

Food exposure should be slow, voluntary, and non-pressured. The goal is to build tolerance and familiarity, not to force acceptance.

Create a Food Hierarchy: Work with a therapist or dietitian to rank new foods based on the lowest to highest perceived anxiety. Start with the least intimidating food.
Use Food Chaining: Link a new food to a safe food. For example, if French fries are safe, try a different brand of frozen fries, then roasted potatoes, then a baked potato.
Practice Outside Mealtimes: Introduce new foods or food exposure tasks away from the pressure of a full meal. This could involve simply touching, smelling, or licking a new food without the expectation of eating it.
Repeat Exposure: It can take many repetitions (sometimes 10–15 or more) for a food to be accepted, so persistence is crucial.

Optimize the Mealtime Environment

For many with ARFID, the meal environment itself can cause significant anxiety. Creating a calm, predictable, and supportive atmosphere is key.

Establish Regular Routines: Create a schedule for meals and snacks. This helps regulate hunger cues that may have been disrupted and reduces mealtime uncertainty.
Minimize Distractions and Pressure: Avoid commenting on the person's eating habits. Consider distractions like reading a book or listening to music if it helps reduce anxiety.
Involve the Individual: Allow the person with ARFID to participate in planning and preparing meals, if they are comfortable. This can increase their sense of control and curiosity.

The Role of Professional Support

Working with a specialized team is critical for effectively managing and recovering from ARFID. A multi-disciplinary team typically includes:

Registered Dietitian: Provides nutritional counseling to identify deficiencies, create meal plans that build upon safe foods, and offer guidance on increasing caloric intake. They can help implement strategies like food hierarchies.
Mental Health Professional: A therapist trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR) helps address the underlying psychological factors such as fear, anxiety, and distress associated with food. This therapy can be instrumental in breaking the cycle of avoidance.
Medical Doctor: Monitors physical health, including weight, growth, and nutritional status. In severe cases, medical support may involve oral nutritional supplements or, in rare instances, tube feeding.

Comparison of ARFID Eating Strategies


Strategy	Method	Best For...	Potential Challenges
Maximizing Safe Foods	Increasing calorie and nutrient density of currently accepted foods.	Gaining or maintaining weight with minimal anxiety.	Limited variety, potential for reliance on supplements.
Food Chaining	Linking a new food to a very similar, familiar safe food.	Gently expanding a very limited diet.	Progress can be very slow, requires patience.
Gradual Exposure	Slowly introducing avoided foods, starting with non-eating sensory interactions (touch, smell).	Overcoming fear or sensory aversions.	Can feel overwhelming; must be done non-pressured.
Creating Routines	Scheduling regular meals and snacks to normalize intake.	Addressing low appetite or lack of interest in eating.	Requires consistency and external motivation initially.
CBT-AR	Identifying and altering negative thought patterns and behaviors related to food.	All subtypes, particularly for managing fear and anxiety.	Requires specialized training, may take time to see results.

Conclusion

For those wondering how to eat more when you have ARFID?, the answer is not a single, simple trick but a combination of compassionate, structured strategies. The journey involves building trust and comfort around food, starting with what feels safe, and gradually exploring new possibilities. Working with a dedicated team of professionals who understand ARFID is crucial for addressing the underlying anxieties and sensory issues. Celebrating small victories, such as tolerating a new food's smell or eating a slightly larger portion of a safe food, reinforces progress and builds confidence. With persistence and the right support, individuals can expand their dietary repertoire and improve their overall nutritional health and well-being. For additional resources and support, consult with specialists in eating disorders.

Note: This article provides general information and is not a substitute for professional medical or therapeutic advice. Individuals with ARFID should consult a healthcare professional for a tailored treatment plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Focus on increasing the calorie density of your preferred foods. For example, use whole milk instead of skim, add healthy fats like butter or nut butters to foods you tolerate, or mix nutritional supplements into a safe drink.

Yes, oral nutritional supplements such as Pediasure, Ensure, or Boost can be a valuable tool to ensure you are receiving adequate nutrients and calories, especially if your solid food intake is severely limited.

Fear-based avoidance is best managed with professional help, often through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR). A therapist can guide you through systematic desensitization and relaxation techniques in a controlled environment.

Food chaining is a strategy that helps expand a person's diet by linking a new food to one they already accept. You start with a safe food and make tiny, gradual modifications to it to introduce variety over time.

Experiment with different forms of foods you might want to try. For example, if you dislike fresh apples, you might tolerate dried apples or applesauce. Small, repeated exposures can help desensitize your senses to a particular texture.

No, forcing food can increase anxiety and create a negative mealtime environment, potentially worsening the condition. A low-pressure, supportive approach focused on trust and gradual exposure is far more effective.

Progress with ARFID is slow and should be managed patiently. A therapist or dietitian can help set a realistic pace, but repeated exposures (up to 10-15 times or more) are often necessary before a food is accepted.