# oh my god \[picky eater\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 5, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853 "2012-02-05T03:39:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/201 "2012-02-13T09:46:35Z")
If no one has linked to George Carlin’s ‘fussy eater’ bit on youtube please do. I have a texture thing. Raw tomatoes gross me out. And shrimp. I was a kid who wouldn’t eat onions or mushrooms and I like them now. I’ve learned if I chop them fine enough, I’m ok. My mother was one of those ‘you will eat one bite of everything’. “You can spit it out if it’s that bad but you will taste one bite.” And we had some battles of the wills. But I keep trying them again. But she also taught me–“If someone serves you food, you eat it. You thank them, and smile” And I will never forget going to my best friend’s house for dinner in high school. His mom: **32**? You like olives? Me: Of course! \ His mom (A FEEDER) Here ya go And I’m looking at a bowl of olives. I don’t want any. I nibble on one and smile mmmm I’m doing my best not rude thing and she keeps pushing olives on me. I ended up eating like ten olives. I keep trying to like them and I don’t. It’s 20 years later and I can’t look an olive in the eye. The point I’m trying to make is–someone makes you food, you eat it. And you say thank you. (Unless you are go to the hospital allergic…and that’s entirely different.) ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/202 "2012-02-13T10:02:56Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > I am 99% sure there is a strong correlation between adventurous eaters and people who like to travel, so I started a poll here: > > [Traveling for pleasure: How big a part of it is to try food? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=641654) Proves nothing either way, but as I said earlier I am an extremely picky eater, and I have backpacked all over the world. And not only have I travelled extensively, but I would confidently claim I am very adventurous in many ways. (For example , I organise random events/parties for total strangers all the time, just for the hell of it). Food is just a thing you know. It needn’t define your life. (not that you are really saying that). ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/203 "2012-02-13T12:59:29Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Proves nothing either way, but as I said earlier I am an extremely picky eater, and I have backpacked all over the world. And not only have I travelled extensively, but I would confidently claim I am very adventurous in many ways. (For example , I organise random events/parties for total strangers all the time, just for the hell of it). > > Food is just a thing you know. It needn’t define your life. (not that you are really saying that). He’s not saying its an absolute, he’s saying its a correlation. And I suspect that there IS a correlation. Picky eaters are often picky for two reasons that would correlate with “not wanting adventurous travel.” They are sensitive to sensory issues - smells, noises, textures, and tastes - and travel often brings you in contact with changes to these things - even outside food. And they are often picky because they have a well defined comfort zone - that would also not indicate being comfortable with adventurous travel. Not all picky eaters fit into those categories, and some may overcome it for travel but not for food, but there is a likely correlation. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/204 "2012-02-13T13:43:18Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > As the cook in the house I pay attention to what my wife likes and does not. She does not like gravy of any type. So a good stew is hard for me to make. She loves hamburgers and meatloaf but can’t stand meatballs in spaghetti (?). Meat sauce it great though Must be a texture thing for her I guess. I love spaghetti with meat sauce, don’t like meatballs. Texture’s definitely a part of it. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/205 "2012-02-13T13:47:26Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > Huh, it’s funny, in my time here I’ve come to expect people here to be so inflexible that they can’t even handle such simple and basic things as American Chinese food the way ordinary adults would. A swing and a miss. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/206 "2012-02-13T15:49:20Z")
I wonder if there are any picky eaters in hunter-gatherer societies? ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/207 "2012-02-13T19:44:26Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I wonder what “anti-picky” eaters think about vegitarians and vegans? My two best friends are vegitarians but eat seafood. I can’t eat seafood but will eat anything on the hoof. Somehow we get along just fine and have no problem eating out together. If they eat seafood, they’re not vegetarians. Fish isn’t a vegetable. I don’t have an issue with people who have restrictions on what they will or will not eat. As others have said, I have an issue with people who make this the focus of an evening out, or of every conversation. Currently, 100% of the people I know who follow the Paleo diet don’t ever shut the fuck up about it. It’s a way of eating that certainly allows for a range of ingredients, but it’s annoying as shit to hear about all the time. I guess what I’m saying is that not every picky eater is annoying about food, and not every person who is annoying about food is picky. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853.md?page=10)