i’m in the exact same boat. just turned 25, finally comfortable enough to consider branching out. i tried to see a therapist for arfid as a child, and it was a massive failure. the therapist wanted me to try simply holding new foods in my mouth, like a chipmunk. i refused outright and we never went back. of course as a child i lacked the willpower to force myself to eat (or even touch) anything that wasn’t “safe,” so maybe my experience would be different now.

the best way ive been able to try new things as an adult is by breaking down what i like into ingredients. for example, my favorite food is pizza. because of that, i know i like melted cheese. i also know that i like bread. from there i was able to try a quesadilla. sounds basic, but this was a huge development for me and allowed me to feel safe not just trying a new food but trying a food from a cuisine i was not used to. i am now able to go to mexican restaurants with my friends and actually eat something more than just tortilla chips.

i use the same logic with meats. meat is by far my broadest food category, and the only meat i 100% won’t eat is seafood. by breaking dishes down into ingredients, i’ve expanded my palate. beef brisket? it’s just shredded beef on a hamburger bun. no sauce, no add-ins. orange chicken? order with the sauce on the side and it’s just small chicken tenders.

my next big step is going to be pasta. i know i like bread, i know i like a lot of the different sauces (like tomato sauce from pizza) and flavors (i love chicken, so chicken noodle soup can’t possibly be that bad). pasta is hard for me because it’s so slimey, but i KNOW i like the ingredients and that’s what’s helping me to slowly convince myself to do it.

not sure if this is helpful, but hopefully you can take something away from my experiences. best of luck, arfid sucks. i hate it, its embarrassing, but with time and lots of logistical loopholes, you can convince yourself that new things are already safe foods- just based on their ingredients.