# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/81 "2012-02-06T04:42:15Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > It’s a bigger pity people can’t accept that someone doesn’t eat certain things without it turning into a discussion of what’s wrong with that person and turn not liking the same things they do into some sort of personality flaw/moral failing. Sometimes you have to go into graphic detail to make people understand that you’re not being petty/silly/childish/insert insult found in this thread to not eat something they offer. > > And sometimes, after years and years of having the same goddamn conversation ad infinitum, you start cutting out the middle man and go straight to the endpoint. I’ve gotten to that point with cilantro, because I’ve found that unless I’m very graphic about just how disgusting it tastes people will persist in chucking the foul shit all over the communal serving dish. If I’m graphic, most folks will at least try to take me out a portion before they befoul the rest. Otherwise I gag down a little for politeness, and then get fast food or make a sandwich later. > > (Mind, I save this for appropriate venues like general cooking discussions or when someone is rudely giving me the the third degree about why I’m not eating much.) i get your point and i actually do agree with you. i’ve had the same happen to me. i’m a type 1 diabetic, and more than once after turning down a slice of birthday cake or dessert i get “oh come on, just have a slice” even after explaining i have to limit my sugar intake. so i get it, and i agree that it’s obnoxious. my reason for commenting on lynn is that she has a history of being rather explicit about her IBS and i just think it’s a little excessive to constantly describe your diarrhea to the boards. that’s all. otherwise i agree with everything you’ve said here and empathize with your frustration when people just won’t accept you can’t eat something. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/82 "2012-02-06T04:57:06Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I’ve never had moose or caribou either. Didn’t know I was causing my family such a problem 😕 You’re not missing a thing. YUCK. Caribou, gamey. Moose, not quite as bad, but still gamey. The only game I actually liked was deer from Montague Island (strangely it’s even more mild tasting than beef, at least the times I’ve had it, but DON’T USE THE FAT). And yes, I’ve had caribou and moose many many times. I’ve had bear too (yuck, yuck yuck). Unlike the OP’s girl, I will eat things I don’t particularly like both to be polite and when growing up, we weren’t well off, so there was a lot of salmon (which I don’t care for all that much but will eat), moose, and less often (but still too much) caribou. The one thing I do still like is halibut. But it’s more expensive to fish for, so we didn’t have as much of that. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/83 "2012-02-06T05:49:17Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > This is my rule: everyone is allowed one thing (max two) you really do not like. > > But just not liking anything?! She would simply not be invited back to my house. This is just unimaginably rude. If anyone said anything this rude about my parents’ cooking, it would be game over. > > Like for the OP, cooking & food is important to me, and so are general manners. If she wants to join the adult world, she needs to shut up and finish her food. Or get rid of her. > > Honestly, with children I have worked with the rule was always: eat a little tiny bit of what is served, after that you can have everything you like. After a few weeks of this, the problem was permanently solved: all children learn to like everything except their one “dislike”. I wish you could do that with her. Make her sit on the naughty step and everything! Wow, some of you people sound like a real joy to party with. I mean really? Rules for your freaking guests? The idea that some one is supposed to suffer through something just to satisfy some one else’s sensibilities and to pretend they like it just so the host can get some sort of false gratification for his or her culinary acumen is beyond ridiculous. When I entertain, I just want people to have a good time AND FEEL AT HOME. Call me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/84 "2012-02-06T05:59:07Z")
She’s obviously never really been hungry, or she’d eat anything. I find with picky eaters not to battle over it. Make meals for you and she makes her own meals. And that’s that. It’s really not worth fighting over ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/85 "2012-02-06T06:00:27Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > You’re not missing a thing. YUCK. Caribou, gamey. Moose, not quite as bad, but still gamey. The only game I actually liked was deer from Montague Island (strangely it’s even more mild tasting than beef, at least the times I’ve had it, but DON’T USE THE FAT). I agree, but I have also tasted deer and caribou that was farm raised and fed corn and other grains. It’s good. It definitely is what the deer and caribou are eating that makes it gamey or not ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/86 "2012-02-06T07:46:59Z")
> [@BeaMyra](#): > > She’s obviously never really been hungry, or she’d eat anything. > > I find with picky eaters not to battle over it. Make meals for you and she makes her own meals. And that’s that. It’s really not worth fighting over Trust me, if I have to choose between being hungry for a few hours or eating something that’s going to make me sick for several days, I’ll go hungry, unless I’m having a low blood sugar episode, in which case I’ll dig out my glucose tablets. Hunger is pretty temporary in my neck of the woods, and pretty easily cured. However, the only thing that’s going to cure an IBS flare up is time and bland foods, as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/87 "2012-02-06T08:00:19Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > what am I supposed to do if I don’t like certain foods? I have no control over how my body perceives certain chemical signals To some food, sure, I understand. To almost everything such that there’s only a handful of places you can eat at? That’s extreme. My rule of thumb is - if you can’t eat anything at an international buffet besides a few dishes, you are too picky. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/88 "2012-02-06T08:44:59Z")
I am truly offended and disgusted day to day by “Dude” Californian, Guy Fairy’s, everyday rejection and picky eating. This fuckwad can’t eat eggs!? What a wuss… he should be ejected immediately from his culinary coverage by this hypocrisy. I will never trust him as a critic. FairWheater Fairy, he will always be. What a Joke. When there are are guys like me, who are number one, more knowlegable, and number two, more adventurous and culinarily complete of palate. Poseur Fairy covering my people makes me mad, he’s not genuine nor real…Fieri Implosion. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/89 "2012-02-06T13:09:13Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’ve been served food that had grated raw onion in it, and because I had a cold and couldn’t taste it, I ate it. With explosive results. The person that gave me that stuff always thought that I was just a picky eater, and that she was going to show me how foolish I was. Instead, she was appalled to find out that I had to live on oatmeal for a couple of weeks because of her little joke on me. If you still rate this person a friend you are better than me. I cannot even imagine. No wait, actually I can. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/90 "2012-02-06T13:16:20Z")
I have no idea what that post is supposed to mean, but I’m always on board for a “Guy Fieri is a dick” discussion bit what does that have to do with the topic? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/91 "2012-02-06T13:59:03Z")
Funny to read this, since in one of the other “picky eater” threads I mentioned that my daughter is the pickiest eater alive and that she’s going to be embarrassed in social situations as she grows older (she’s 14). Most people in that thread were “Huh? How is it embarrassing? Big deal? You learn to cope?” Now everyone in here is “Yeah, dump the bitch!” See, I knew I was right! Picky eating is a social nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/92 "2012-02-06T14:08:54Z")
> [@BeaMyra](#): > > She’s obviously never really been hungry, or she’d eat anything. After a forced fast of a week - meaning _nothing_ by mouth, not even water (yes, I was in the hospital for this and hydrated via IV) I was really, really incredibly hungry. More so than I’ve ever been in my life. I still couldn’t bring myself to eat orange jello. I ate everything else put in front of me, including things I normally can’t stand, but not the orange jello. I dunno… ever since I’ve questioned that “if you were really hungry you’d eat anything” meme. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/93 "2012-02-06T14:49:51Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > I’m pretty lax when it comes to many human quirks. But picky eating is not one of them. I’m not proud of this because I recognize that people can’t help what they like or don’t like. And yet that doesn’t stop me being annoyed by them. Very well put, this describes my feelings exactly. Dealing with his girlfriend would be like banging my head against a brick wall (which I guess the OP has decided is OK since he also gets to bang his other head into the flabby cavern). ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/94 "2012-02-06T16:32:14Z")
I used to date someone who’s eating habits were similar to the OP. No vegetables ever except for a few well cooked mushy types like beets or sweet glazed carrots. No fish or really anything that smelled “funny.” Basically, she ate from what I call the “biege” food group. Chicken and potatoes and fried stuff. She was an otherwise wonderful person and I can’t say that the food thing was a problem at all. She didn’t try to restrict what I ate so why would I care? I’ve been around a few very picky eaters before so maybe I’m used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/95 "2012-02-06T16:41:05Z")
I thought my husband was a picky eater. This woman makes him look like **mangetout**. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/96 "2012-02-06T17:29:55Z")
In re: “better be the world’s greatest lay,” “golf ball through a garden hose,” “two vaginas,” etc., I’ve long suspected a strong correlation between picky-eatership and sexual inadventurousness. (Admittedly based mostly on my own limited research in field.) Ah, the “picky eater” threads. Never fail to provoke! ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/97 "2012-02-06T17:35:17Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Funny to read this, since in one of the other “picky eater” threads I mentioned that my daughter is the pickiest eater alive and that she’s going to be embarrassed in social situations as she grows older (she’s 14). > > Most people in that thread were “Huh? How is it embarrassing? Big deal? You learn to cope?” > > Now everyone in here is “Yeah, dump the bitch!” See, I knew I was right! Picky eating is a social nightmare. I think most people were assuming that you had taught her how to be polite. There are polite picky eaters (the one’s that say ‘no, thank you’ and give short explanations if pressed) and then there are the attention whore picky eaters who shoot down every suggestion, call people’s home cooking gross, and who generally have to make a scene when things are not to their standards. Being picky doesn’t have to be a nightmare. And most picky eaters get over it (but of course, they don’t give us interesting threads 😃 ) Even my sister the attention whore doesn’t make a big deal out of her pickiness. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/98 "2012-02-06T17:42:48Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Funny to read this, since in one of the other “picky eater” threads I mentioned that my daughter is the pickiest eater alive and that she’s going to be embarrassed in social situations as she grows older (she’s 14). > > Most people in that thread were “Huh? How is it embarrassing? Big deal? You learn to cope?” > > Now everyone in here is “Yeah, dump the bitch!” See, I knew I was right! Picky eating is a social nightmare. I remember that conversation, but I really think the messages are consistent. When we were talking about your daughter, the overall response was that it was more about the need to cultivate good manners to deal with one’s own pickiness. This is the same thing here. The girlfriend, as described, _behaves_ like a clod (granted, it’s a little unclear from the OP, who seems to have written in the heat of the moment, if some of the things he reports are actual quotes or more like his interpretation after the incidents). There is an additional aspect at play here, though. There’s a lot of agreement that when out in the world, picky eaters can (I would say “should”) use social strategies to deal with things like business dinners or parties hosted by others. People can be so adept at this that others don’t particularly notice their food issues. THIS IS A GOOD AND IMPORTANT SOCIAL SKILL. Even if the girlfriend in the OP suddenly developed better manners, there’s still the issue of what she eats at home. I believe the reward for being a gracious and polite member of society should include being able to eat what you enjoy in your own home. If the OP and the girlfriend are living together, and can’t find a happy compromise (he cooks for himself and she cooks for herself, for example), it might be a situation of basic incompatibility and maybe the relationship won’t work, and it doesn’t mean one of them is right and the other is wrong. It’s the behaviors, not the food preferences, that are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/99 "2012-02-06T18:55:02Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Wow, some of you people sound like a real joy to party with. > > I mean really? Rules for your freaking guests? > > The idea that some one is supposed to suffer through something just to satisfy some one else’s sensibilities and to pretend they like it just so the host can get some sort of false gratification for his or her culinary acumen is beyond ridiculous. > > When I entertain, I just want people to have a good time AND FEEL AT HOME. > > Call me crazy. The rules above were about children she was working with not guests. The rules that guests follow should be their own and not set down by the host. They rules include choke it down even if it makes you want to vomit. I am not a picky eater but I hate peanut butter (I had food poisoning from it once) and can’t stand the smell or taste of bacon (yeah, I am a freak). We eat both of these things in our house from time to time because other members of the household (read: everyone else) thinks these foods are awesome. That means sometimes I have to choke down a PB&J or eat bacon with my eggs. That’s part of being a good example for my kids. They aren’t going to like everything but when we are at someone else’s home, they eat a little bit of everything without complaint (and go back for seconds of the things they actually like). Which is exactly what is the socially acceptable thing to do. If a seven and eight year old can do it, a grown up should be able to. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853/100 "2012-02-06T20:06:31Z")
There’s almost nothing worse than having to eat something that someone with any kind of professional cooking experience has cooked without consulting you. Yes, it’s perfectly made escargot with a mushroom cream sauce. But I don’t like snails, or mushrooms, or cream sauce. What is even worse is when a professional chef cooks for a kid. Seriously, all they want is some mac and cheese or a PB&J. Whatever fancy shit you made looks weird. Just because it’s well made doesn’t make it automatically to everyone’s taste. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-my-god-picky-eater/611853.md?page=6)