There were some interesting hijacks in the other threads, such as **why ** people are picky eaters, and just how many things a person has to dislike to be considered picky, and whether picky people are usually healthy eaters. So, if you consider yourself to be picky:
What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list).
1a. Has the list changed as you aged?
Do you know why?
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it?
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole).
I think if you expand your horizons with regard to a few things you do like, for instance, try chicken a few new ways, you’ll gradually learn to enjoy other flavors and textures. As long as the tried and true item is in there, it’s not as daunting.
Sorry for the fucked up post. The bold stuff is mine; not Omega’s.
What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list). Onions, mayonnaise, hamburger (not a fan of ground meats in general or any really fatty meat), organ meats, shellfish/many seafoods (I like fresh white fish such as walleye, cod, etc., though), cauliflower, peas, coconut, mushrooms. I do tend to avoid some other items because of texture even though I like how they taste (raspberries come to mind—it’s the seeds).
1a. Has the list changed as you aged? Yes. I eat a lot of things now that I wouldn’t have growing up. For example, I do eat some hamburger now if it’s in a prepared dish, but wouldn’t go to a fast food place and order a hamburger. I used to hate green beans and now will eat them but still don’t enjoy them. I’m learning to enjoy eggs because my husband is always feeding them to me.
Do you know why? The onion thing is from a food poisoning incident. That’s my worst aversion. I can only take meat in small quantities before it starts to gross me out, especially ground meats with the fat all ground in. I like to prepare meat myself and cut all the fat off. The organ meat and seafood thing I’ll admit is pretty psychological. I mean, have you seen a shrimp? I have. They’re in my aquarium where they belong, not on my plate. Mayonnaise just tastes awful to me. Coconut is a texture thing. I just seem to chew it and chew it until it has no taste. Cauliflower is texture too, plus it smells bad. I like peas raw but not cooked. Will eat them in a casserole. Mushrooms are slimy.
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it? Depends on what it is. Onions, mayo, and organ meats will make me gag. The other items on my list will not.
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole). That depends. For the most part yes, but if I’m at the Chinese buffet and they don’t tell me what it is, I won’t try it. If you tell me it’s sesame chicken or whatever, I’ll eat it. Otherwise, for all I know it’s deep-fried goat scrotum. If I’m at someone’s house I’m much more trusting and will pretty much try anything. I’m much more adventurous when it comes to fruits, cheeses, and the like than I am with meats or vegetables. Fruit and cheese seems safe to me.
Is your diet healthy and balanced? I try. I’m not a huge fan of vegetables in the cooked form so I often eat them raw. I love raw broccoli but don’t enjoy it cooked, for example. I have a salad wrap concoction for lunch almost every day. Usually romaine lettuce with carrots and red cabbage, low-fat dressing, and cheese. Dinner is usually some sort of lean meat with a side of rice or potatoes. I should eat more vegetables. If I were single I probably wouldn’t make meat for myself more than once a week.
Side note: Some of my dislikes are shared by others in my family. My dad despises mayo. None of my sisters are particularly fond of meat. The eldest probably eats the most meat. One of my sisters won’t eat any meat except pepperoni and hot dogs (WTF?). All four of us have texture issues. One of my sisters will only eat grapes if they’re peeled. Other than my oldest sister, I’m probably the least picky of the group.
The list is long. Among the more common things it includes are seafood and mushrooms. I tend to highly avoid bitter unless it’s mixed with a lot of sugar and/or a lot of fat, and even that isn’t enough sometimes (e.g. dark chocolate - can’t stand the stuff.) I tend not to like food that is closer to “slimy” than “creamy” (avocados are not creamy no matter what anyone says). It also includes certain things mixed together. The two textures or two flavors at once is not appetizing.
1a. Yes. In some ways, it’s become more restrictive as I’ve grown older (especially with texture) and in some ways, less.
No.
No.
Yes. You never know. Something might be good, plus, the only problem (for me) is that it tastes unpleasant and I can stop eating it.
No. But that’s partially a function of laziness. I could eat a balanced diet if I took the time and energy to cook it. I just don’t want to cook it. Also - a lot of “healthy” foods end up in that bitter category.
I won’t eat shrimp or lobster-- something just creeps me out about food that still looks like the living creature it used to be. Creamed corn smells “rotten” to me. I don’t like the texture of mushrooms, though if they’re chopped small enough, it’s all good. I don’t care for lasagna or cooked carrots. That’s about it.
I used to be pickier not so much about excluding foods entirely, but about the way they were prepared-- I only liked plain cheeseburgers, I didn’t like when Italian dishes had excessive amounts of cheese or onions, etc. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been more and more comfortable expanding out of my comfort zone, trying different combinations of flavors that I would have shied away from earlier. It also helps that my wife is an adventurous cook-- she’s turned me on to new and more complex flavors than I’ve eaten in the past.
Creamed corn is the only food that brings out a physical reaction in me-- it makes me queasy, but it’s more from the smell than the taste.
I always give new foods a good-faith try even if I think I won’t like it-- especially if it was given to me by someone I know (as opposed to served in a restaurant). I’ll try to eat as much as I have to in order to not make a show of my disapproval. I can’t think of a dining situation where I couldn’t find at least one thing to enjoy.
I consider my diet healthy and balanced by most standards. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies, and drink a ton of milk. Candy, soda, and fast food on rare occasions. I always try to stop eating when I feel satisfied, rather than eating until I’m full. Most restaurant portions translate into dinner plus two days’ worth of leftovers.
1. What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list). There aren’t too many things I won’t eat. There are a few things I prefer not to eat, though…
olives and other pickled foods: they taste like the brine they’re packed in. I’m just not a huge fan of pickled anything.
cauliflower: Has a weird texture combined with a flavor that doesn’t make up for it.
squash: has little flavor beyond “kinda squishy and tastes like it’s overcooked” most of the time.
cooked spinach: cooking brings out its bitterness and turns ithe texture into some weird, unapalatable mouthfeel.
Rutabaga: I can’t get past the smell of them cooking.
Gefilte fish: bad mouthfeel; being both solid and slimy makes me want to gag a little.
Okra: makes me feel like I’m eating a slime-coated cactus with all the spines removed. I just don’t like the mouthfeel.
clam sushi/calamari: its rubbery nature really doesn’t do anything for me, and I gain little pleasure out of foods that have to be masticated longer than they keep their flavor. 1a. Has the list changed as you aged? I used to dislike a lot more foods, but was always willing to try new things. 2. Do you know why? I tried things prepared in multiple ways, and my tastes changed over time. While it was delicious when I was five years old, I no longer find peanut butter and bologna sandwiches to be all that appetizing. 3. Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it? I can eat foods I don’t like, but at the same time, I don’t end up enjoying the meal and eat less of it. Same thing with foods that are so bland to the point of boring my taste buds; throw a few spices into that bland casserole, and I’ll eat it happily instead of just picking at it. 4. Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole). I’m probably what you could call an “adventurous eater.” I’ll try new things when given the opportunity, and if I didn’t like it the first time, I’ll probably try it again when prepared in a different method. It’s no guarantee that I’ll like it the next time, but at least I tried it. 5. Is your diet healthy and balanced? I would say that, given a large variety of options, I will pick a combination of foods that is healthy in their combination, but may be odd or unhealthy if looked at individually. I like a lot of different stuff, so generally I tend to have a small amount of something calorically indulgent and pair it with healthier things to fill out the meal. (For example, I’ll have fried potstickers as the indulgent part of an otherwise healthy and vegetable-and-grains packed meal. Another example would be looking at a day’s worth of food intake. I have a lighter breakfast, normally yogurt or cereal, and sometimes I have a heavy lunch [once a week the company orders lunch for everyone, and it’s almost never something healthy]. As a result of the heavy lunch, I’ll only be hungry enough to heat up some frozen vegetables and have those as my dinner. I’m okay with this, and it’s worked out reasonably well. I do, however, like to have most of my meals relatively balanced, as I derive more pleasure from eating if I don’t feel overfull or left wanting something with a little fat in it.
What won’t I eat: not much. Organ meats aren’t a favorite, and I could do without most freshwater fish. That’s about it. I’m a notoriously un-picky eater. My mother used to note that I’ll eat anything that doesn’t eat me first.
Oh, that reminds me. I will eat freshwater fish, but I often find it has some kind of “dirty fish tank” aftertaste that kind of puts me off. Depends how it’s cooked. I’ll eat it, but I would prefer saltwater fish.
I will not eat most vegtables… green ones. I don’t like most fruit. I will eat some raw veggies (peppers, carrot) but not cooked. I don’t count potato as a veggie.
1a. Yes. I will eat tomato cut up very small. This is a new thing.
Texture is mostly the issue. And if things are the slightest bit off (going bad) I can’t it that item for a long time.
Some foods make me gag. I have thrown up in my mouth a little.
I am generally willing to try things. I tried sushi. It tasted like a fishing wharf smells. I am willing to try most meat based things.
I think that my diet is mostly balanced. I try to make an effort to eat the fruits and veggies I like. I eat a green apple everyday and try to eat pepppers with lunch. Most co-workers comment that for someone who doesn’t like vegatbles, I eat alot of them.
For the record, I wouldn’t call myself picky, but other people do, so I must be.
Not really - occasionally I switch over into meat eating, but it never lasts.
Do you know why?
I don’t like the texture of cooked meat (generally for fish I only eat sushi). I have eaten beef if it’s done blue and it’s ok. However, my system gets grumpy if I eat meat on a regular basis.
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it?
Yes - see above. Stomach upset. etc.
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole).
Yes, sure. As long as it doesn’t have meat in it, I’m all for it. Even if it does have meat in it if I can eat around it or pick it out I’ll try stuff. Except for pork products. I won’t eat items with any sort of pork type ingredient - even fake bacon bits.
Is your diet healthy and balanced?
Well, not really. But that’s not because of the fake vegetarianism, it’s because I’m a cliche.
What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list).
I’ll eat most anything, but really prefer not to eat cooked cabbage or ricotta cheese. Cooked cabbage because it’s stinky and ricotta cheese because I think the texture is nasty. Oh, and I still hate brussels sprouts
1a. Has the list changed as you aged?
Not really, though I used to hate shrimp because I once ate too much of it and got sick. But I got over that about 14 years after the fact.
Do you know why?
Nope.
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it?
I can keep a straight face if I need to eat one of them in order to be polite, and can even pretend to enjoy them. If what you’re wondering is if there’s a physical reaction, no, there’s not. For example, I don’t feel like gagging.
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole).
Absolutely. I also try unfamiliar foods made with the above-referenced foods I dislike. You never know - I might find that I like them if they’re cooked differently. I haven’t had any success so far, though.
Is your diet healthy and balanced?
For the most part. However, my husband has been away lately and my mom is visiting and doing all the cooking. She makes far more fatty, calorie-laden foods than I do at any given time and serves in much larger portions than I do (I usually use a salad plate for my dinner while she uses a dinner plate; she uses cream and butter while I use skim milk and a minimum amount of olive oil).
So, while I eat a generally healthy vegetarian diet when I’m doing the cooking, I’ve been eating a fatty omnivorous diet with my mom visiting. I’m not vegetarian, but don’t eat much animal fat or meat, so it has caused some stomach upset. Still, I’m grateful that she’s doing the cooking while I chase our 9-month-old son around.
What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list). I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t eat except a live animal, and there’s even an exception to that: raw shell fish. I love raw oysters. I guess they’re still alive when I eat them.
1a. Has the list changed as you aged? Yes, I have become less picky and more adventurous with each passing year.
Do you know why? Nope.
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it? Nope.
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole). I’ll try pretty much anything.
Is your diet healthy and balanced? My personal theory is that eating a wide variety of things in moderation is the healthiest diet for me, so I consider my diet healthy and balanced. I don’t avoid any foods for health reasons, but I don’t over-indulge in any either.
I’m allergic to nuts (not peanuts) and most berries, so they’re out. And that rules out a surprising number of other dishes – people like to put almonds in all kinds of unlikely places.
There are a host of other foods I’ll avoid – mushrooms, water chestnuts, puddings, most yogurts.
My tastes have changed over the years, but in general I’ve grown more selective. I’d rather not eat at all if the only choice is crappy, low-quality food. I can’t stand lots of junk food nowadays – particularly chips with the nasty powdered flavorings added.
Most of the foods I avoid – other than allergies – are either because of taste or texture. I’m apparently a supertaster; lots of things that my friends think taste okay just taste nasty and overpowering to me. It’s especially a problem with cloyingly sweet and overly-artificially flavored foods (e.g., aforementioned flavored chips).
Texture is the other thing that gets me. Mushrooms and water chestnuts and oysters just feel nauseating while chewing them. I’ve tried them prepared many different ways, but the sensation still makes my gorge rise.
If I don’t enjoy eating something, I don’t eat it. Why would I? I eat for enjoyment, not because of social pressure.
I’m willing to give unfamiliar foods a try, and even an occasional re-try. I’ve had several goes at sushi – but, no. I just get tempura when we go to sushi places. My parents were shocked that I’d try Brazilian food, because I’m not fond of (American-)Mexican, but I loved that. (granted, my parents don’t understand that these are entirely different cuisines…)
I’ve even tried haggis and fried turkey pizzle; they were disgusting, won’t be doing that again. Even so, I’m unlikely to ever spoon up some wichety grubs or pig testacles (even if it would put oak in my staff).
My food choices are pretty healthy, espc. since I cut way back on soda and junk food 10 years ago. I need to eat more green veggies, though that’s more a problem with liking corn too much. And from the other thread, 24.1 BMI currently, which is “normal”.
Looks like I’m a good bit like notso clever in my pickiness. I’m sort of an anti-vegetarian.
What won’t you eat:
Almost all vegetables. Raw carrots, cauliflower, and lettuce are the only real exceptions. Organ meat is off the list, but anything else made of meat is on the menu. Potatoes and grains do not count as veggies.
Also don’t like nuts. Almonds are almost okay. Peanuts are doable in small quantities. I LOVE peanut butter, but prefer it not to be chunky. I can get down a Snickers bar if I have to…but I’ll be wishing it was a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup the whole time.
1a. Has the list changed as you aged? Not even a little.
Do you know why?
It’s all about texture. I don’t like the feel of most plant material in my mouth. And, yeah, some of the flavors are gross. (I’m talking to you, green beans!)
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it?
If I’m compelled to choke something down I hate, I have to fight my gag reflex.
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods?
No, I feel like I’ve gotten my tastes pretty much sorted out after 30 years or so. I do, however, like to experiment with new combinations of things I already like. Also, I’m always willing to investigate new flavors/spices…just not new basic food types.
Is your diet healthy and balanced? Of course, with a diet low in fruits and veggies, I’m often accused of being somehow malnourished. But when I objectively take stock of my diet, there aren’t any essential nutrients I’m not getting, except maybe supplemental vitamin K. And I do get fruits and veggies in my diet, just usually in alternative forms (like juices). I’m in better health than almost anyone else I know, so I don’t seem to be suffering any ill effects from my diet.
For me, the issue is usually texture, not flavor. A couple examples:
I love onions in my stuff, but if the size of the onion pieces in my dish is bigger than minced, it’s no good I love onion rings when places cheat and used minced onion; whole rings are out. The point is not being able to feel the onions themselves.
Big, chunky pieces of tomato are not acceptable, raw or cooked. Smooth tomato sauces, tomato juice, tomato soup, ketchup, and anything else where the texture of the tomato isn’t recognizable are among my favorite things. A slice of tomato on my hamburger would make me gag.
Love orange juice…but can’t stand to put an orange slice in my mouth. And I don’t really care for very pulpy OJ. You can see a pattern here. I’m okay with the texture of apples, bananas, pears, and a few other fruits. The rest of them, I have to settle for their juices or flavors. I wish I could stand to put a strawberry in my mouth. Those taste awesome.
I won’t eat innards either, nor cook them. I think a pickle is a terrible thing to do to an innocent cucumber that never did you any harm. I think feta tastes like bad socks, ditto cilantro. I dislike certain textures, so avocado, mushrooms, soft tofu, several kinds of curded dairy products are suspect, though I will eat all of them if prepared so they are not, um, squicky.
1a. Has the list changed as you aged? Not really.
Do you know why? I think kidneys and livers and so on were made to remove poisons from the system and I can’t figure out why I would want to eat a yummy plateful of some other animal’s poisons. No, that’s a rationalization. I just don’t like the idea.
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it?
I am old now so I don’t have to. But if you mean allergic reations, no.
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole).
What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list).
I won’t eat baked potatoes, green or string or wax beans, anything resembling a pot pie, cucumbers that aren’t pickled, or liver from anything other than a duck or a goose (I love pate). I prefer not to eat quite a few vegetables, but I will eat them if they’re put in front of me.
1a. Has the list changed as you aged?
Oh, yeah. It gets shorter all the time. Time was when my diet was extremely limited. It still is, in a sense, in that I eat vastly more spaghetti than anything else. That’s mainly a matter of convenience, though.
Do you know why?
No
Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it?
No
Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole).
Yeah, I’ll try almost anything once.
Is your diet healthy and balanced?
It’s healthy, but not balanced. It’s very heavy on grains. I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables (although I thing having 2 glasses of OJ a day takes care of the former well enough. At the moment, I’m eating far too many Mallomars.
*1. What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list). *
I am not wild about: cauliflower (cooked/raw), swiss cheese, raw broccoli (steamed is fine), ham, green peppers, mayo, butter, passionfruit, papaya, lima beans, sardines, grilled eggplant sandwiches with pesto on sourdough, coconut (like in chocolate candy)
1a. Has the list changed as you aged?*
I used to hate green peppers, I only dislike them now. I used to like butter and mayo, but don’t like them now. I had an incident with the stomach flu after eating a grilled eggplant sandwich with pesto on sour dough. There is now a connection between that sandwich and being sick, so I can’t eat them anymore. Which is a shame, I used to love them! I also binged on chocolate covered coconut candy as a kid, so it makes me feel sick now. 2. Do you know why?
I started eating really healthily and butter and mayo are too greasy. I also don’t like the taste/consistency of regular, super market peanut butter anymore, I like natural peanut butter exclusively. Ditto sugary yogurt, I like plan yogurt.
*3. Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it? *
Not usually. I did have a very weird reaction to canned sardines earlier this year. The sight of the little vertebrae made me retch into the trashcan. Definitely sympathized more with the “picky” eaters after that event - not going to try sardines again.
*4. Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole). *
Yes, I love to try new food. 5. Is your diet healthy and balanced?
Very, I am obsessed with healthy eating.
**1. What will/won’t you eat (share the shorter list). **
I’d prefer not to eat: Tomato heavy dishes (fake tomato stuff, like ketchup and tomato soup are fine) green beans, salads that contain noodles, gravy based meals, fatty meats, peanuts, mayonaise, okra, certain types of apples (those with a grainy texture), grits. There’s also a bunch of foods that I’m supposed to stay away from, or limit my exposure to for allergy reasons. 1a. Has the list changed as you aged?
Yes. I can tolerate tomatoes now, and even enjoy them in small amounts, while I didn’t as a child. I used to hate onions, but not anymore. 2. Do you know why?
No, for the most part. My mom’s convinced that I hate tomatoes because they made her very sickl while she was pregnant with me, but that’s just a coincidence imo. The dislike of greasy, fatty things comes from the fact that I don’t eat it often, so eating more than a little will make me feel sick. I can eat stir fried things, but things that have been immersed in a vat of oil can cause trouble. 3. Do you have any sort of reaction to eating your non favored foods, besides not enjoying it?
No, besides the previously mentioned problem with fatty things. That would go away if I kept eating greasy things over a long period of time though.
**4. Are you generally willing to try unfamiliar foods (Things you’ve never had. Not, for example, trying Jill’s tuna casserole, because she assures you that you’ll like it even though you’ve hated everyone else’s tuna casserole). **
Sure. 5. Is your diet healthy and balanced?
It’s not too bad.
