Why Are Autists Such Picky Eaters?

I remember the diagnostician who told me I had autism listening patiently to my very long list of “food preferences.” At the time, I refused to think of myself as a picky eater, or as someone who refused to eat certain things. Of course I would eat anything someone served. I just liked to think of myself as a “healthy eater.” All of my rules around eating made perfect sense, you see. The only difference between me and other people was that I was more…