Another picky eater - no lectures please (long post)
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I am a bit of a foodie, so I feel awful for you that so many foods bother you! Especially if it is a new thing. I noticed you like raw carrots, if you want a sweet treat that is super healthy and low cal, one of my favorite things to do is grate carrots and apples into a bowl with a squeeze of lemon (sometimes I add a half teaspoon of sugar). I just realized as I typed that out that it falls in the category of high carbs though... much better than processed carbs though!0
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Is smell the main problem? Or texture? Or taste?
Once you identify what it is that makes you dislike something, you can find it easier to pick other options (or even retrain yourself to deal with it).
Also remember that your tastes change as you get older. I try mushrooms about once every 3 years, hate them always hated them. Popped them in a lasagna last week and they were fine - I have no idea why, and I'm not going to rush to add them to every dish! But it's a good reminder to re-try foods as some other posters have also suggested.
We also have so many foods available to us these days. When I was growing up I thought I only liked cheddar cheese and those processed cheese slices (taste is similar to american string cheese I think) - but the only other cheeses I'd ever seen were blue cheese and parmesan!
Since I've been introduced to many more types of cheese I have found that I love Grueyre, Gouda, Creamy Harvarti, Massadam, and some brands of Brie.
It is hard being the person who sits with an empty plate in social settings - but it is something you can fix.0 -
i can help you with some recipes... but to make it easier.. give me a list of vegetables you can eat (or you like to eat)
because in the list of food you eat you only mention like 2 vegetables..0 -
You don't really fit the selective feeding/eating disorder. It's wide sweeping, usually based on aromas or textures -- all chicken, not just your husbands grilled chicken. There are several foods you don't like, but enjoy very similar versions of -- homemade hamburgers vs fast food hamburgers. And then there are foods you don't like, but like in other things -- the chicken when it's in curry, the chicken when it's in a burrito, the beef when it's in stirfry or beef with broccoli. I'm wondering if you don't have a flavor problem. Perhaps fast food burgers are more seasoned than however you make homemade burgers. You mentioned you don't like homemade ham sandwiches -- are you buy prepacked or high quality, sliced at the deli like they'd put on your sub sandwich that you like? To me, there's a big texture difference between the two. I never really liked cow all that much until we started buying parts of cows; this year we bought a quarter of a cow. They're grass fed, raised locally, and taste so much better than the standard grocery store fare. I'd suggest buying better quality products and seeing how that goes.
Also, you mentioned you like some of the proteins in your family's recipes. Why not ask for those recipes? You can adapt the recipes to suit your diet needs once you know what flavors they're putting in them that makes them so appealing to you. Maybe your husband REALLY sucks at grilling chicken
My other thought is perhaps this is related to your nausea/morning sickness while you were pregnant. You frequently describe things, particularly stuff at your house where you presumably spent a great deal of time whilst pregnant, as triggering your gag reflex or making you vomit. That's not normal for something you just don't like. Even for a smell you don't like. I'm wondering if these are the foods that made you sick, or made you feel sick, most often during your pregnancy.
And even if you do have the selective feeding disorder, treatment is the same for generally picky kids. You try new foods even though you don't like them, and learn that even if the taste is unpleasant, they won't kill you. And you should try each food five times, five different ways. So, say you don't like asparagus. You taste it on five different occasions grilled. Then five more times steamed, five more times roasted, etc. Experiment. Try it once, you don't like it. Try it twice, realize it didn't kill you. Try it a third time, it didn't make you throw up. Fourth, you didn't mind it so much. Fifth, you can eat it, but its not your favorite. And, now you get to add a new food to your 'don't mind' list.
Because most people eat a few things they enjoy and a lot of things they don't mind and some things they dislike but are good for them.
Oh! And another idea might be to start cooking things that you've never had, so you won't have the pregnancy connection, if that's the case. You like curry, so perhaps start with Indian food. You will have to watch out for the fat content and salt content, but doing it at home makes it easy to make substitutions. If that doesn't work out, try making some other dishes you've never had and would like to try, even if you think you might not like them.0 -
If I were you, I'd try juicing for a couple weeks. Put good greens (kale is actually really good in it, even if you don't like it...) a ton of fruit and veggies and a protein powder. When I did it I was like, "YA RIGHT, that'll NEVER fill me!" but it's crazy filling, it's a great way to add new flavors and get ALL of your nutrients in. Even if you have just a juice in the morning and do whatever in the rest of the day, you know you have a ton of good stuff in you to start with. You may be above in carbs for a while but it sounds like you need to get back to basics and juicing is a great way Good luck 0
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I guess I'm wondering how you can tolerate Taco Bell and fast food so well???0
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Subway ham is plain old ham that you listed as not liking.0
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I have tried going vegan and loss almost 40 bls doing so one saver for me was the favored vegan chicken and the vegan ground round makes great chilli. Hope it helps0
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Suck it up, buttercup. You're acting like a baby.
See. No lecture.
Because being incredibly rude and dismissive is exactly what someone looking for support needs.
Grow up.
:flowerforyou:0 -
You refuse to get up early
You refuse to use a crockpot
You don't cook
You have OCD
Therapy/ nutrition counseling asap
Recipes won't help if you refuse to cook
Not being mean but this is beyond being a picky eater0 -
So, you are saying you won't get up any earlier to prepare foods, you won't do the cooking even tho it makes you sick when your husband cooks?? Seems like you don't want to put any effort into it, so why ask? You can prepare a crockpot the night before. You might have to cook so that it is made to your liking. I'm not sure you seem ready for any kind of change or help0
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I wanted to chime in and say I have a similar experience.
I've always been a picky eater. For me it was never flavours or smells I objected to, but textures. Certain textures in my mouth created a feeling that I can only describe as panic. I would avoid invitations to friends' homes for dinner out of embarassment. I would go out for meals and do everything I could to disguise the fact that I couldn't eat my meal. In no way was this something I did out of choice or being spoilt as people often think with picky eaters - it was very distressing.
As I got older I have improved a lot, mostly through constant experimentation, gradual exposure to less objectionable foods and finding ways around my issues - like blending things into sauces to get the nutrients without the textures. There are still quite a lot of things I can't stomach - I have never been able to eat a traditional salad and I don't imagine I ever will.
When I was pregnant, suddenly smells started becoming objectionable too. Mostly meats and any sort of chemically stuff. My child is 18 months now and I've only just started feeling better. Some smells, like raw chicken, or browning ground beef, make me retch. I still have days where I cook for the family and then end up eating canned soup because I suddenly can't stomach it.
So, not really advice, but I do know what you are going through. Really all you can do (short of therapy) is just experiment and figure out ways to get around your objections. Can you buy pre-cooked chicken breast so you don't smell it cooking? Or disguise smells with spices? Can you hide things in smoothies or curries?0 -
Suck it up, buttercup. You're acting like a baby.
See. No lecture.
I was going to try and be helpful and nice about it, then I read your food diary and what you're eating. Now I'm with her ^^^^ sorry.
I think that is her point though, she knows that she isn't eating right and would like some help to find things she can eat and then lose weight.
You have to really want it and be positive if you are going to get anywhere. It does take effort to lose weight, and even more so if you struggle with lots of food. Give us a love list. I read that you like chicken curry? I make an amazing chicken pilaf which is cheap and low salt low fat and low cal. If curry is something you do love, making it yourself and from scratch with whole spices is cheap and easy! Lots of vegetarian curries out there too if you struggle with meats. 0 -
I read the article you posted and it somewhat describes me too. I cannot stand the texture of "crunchy" in something that's supposed to be smooth (fruit in yogurt, celery in pasta salad). Texture is crippling to me because it takes so many healthy foods out of my reach. I sympathize with you on bananas, I gag if I eat one and then think about the texture. People tell me to get over it all the time, but it's not something I can control. I wish I could point you in a direction but I am almost as lost as you are. One thing I can suggest is Hidden Veggie and Garden Delight pasta by Ronzoni. It has a serving of veggies in each serving of pasta, so it might help some with nutrients you would otherwise avoid.
Add me as a friend if you want to, and let me know if you have gotten any other good advice that I can use.
Good luck, and keep your chin up, we can do this.
Echo0 -
I'm that way - i cant eat certain food that is cooked too long, it makes it dry and burnt tasting. I like certain textures, if it is not right, i dont like it, like food that is cooked too long and makes it crunchy rather than soft, like scrambled eggs. My kid when he was little could detect a teeny tiny sliver of onion on his hamburger even though it was hard to see. He also didn't like a chicken leg (maybe because it looked too much like a dead animal part, but he could eat chicken nuggets)...
so maybe you have a strong bunch of tastebuds. I dont like mushrooms because they feel too rubbery and taste like dirt to me. I have to have coffee with a lot of cream or milk to make it taste good and if it has one bit of sugar, blech.. i can taste it. when the restaurant puts whiskey-infused bbq sauce , they say i would not be able to taste it but i did... ick.
Oh i forgot to say - you might like food if its made nice, like I said i would not like vegetarian recipes, but i went to a website Amys Vegetarian Kitchen, and the stuff looked yummy. Have you tried Israeli couscous? its a grain, and you can make it on top of the stove in 10 minutes, add a few things you like, I bet you'd like it. but check out some really nice vegetarian recipes, they look very colorful and pretty, you might like it.0 -
I've been super picky as long as I can remember ... I've never had any ground beef, ever. Or hot dogs, or pizza or salads or smoothies or yogurt. Never had anything with tomatoes. I'm not vegetarian, I love a good steak, chicken, fish. I only like things plain, nothing mixed or spiced or sauced. Joined MFP about a month ago, and at this point I'm just trying to get calories under control, then I'll TRY to move to healthier eating. It is hard with limited options, but I know I have no one to blame but myself.
It isn't taste, it never gets to that. It's sight, smell, anticipation of texture. I just can't bring myself to try things. It made the dating days tough (although I could usually find ONE thing I liked at most restaurants, not Mexican though, nothing for me there). I don't have any problems with OTHER people eating these things. I stock the house for the family, and make meals that I don't eat myself (I make a killer lasagna, or so I'm told).0 -
I like my body fortress Whey Protein, vanilla flavored. I have a few recipes I cycle through.
Mint Protein shake: 1/2 c of ice, 1 to 2 cups of spinach, about 1/4 package of pistachio sugar free pudding mix, and a small drop or 2 of mint extract. 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder. enough water to help the ingredients blend well.
Peanut butter/ butterscotch: 1/2 cup of ice, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/4 package of sugar free butterscotch pudding mix, 1 to scoops protein powder, and enough water to help the ingredients blend well.
Blueberry cheesecake: 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup blueberries. 1/4 package of sugar free cheesecake pudding mix, 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt, 1 to scoops of protein powder, ice and water.
Good luck.0 -
There's at least half a dozen warm-blooded game animals that could be on that list and aren't. Plus, there's yogurt, cheese, tofu, seitan, nuts galore, and quinoa... plenty of ways to get protein.0
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Try adding spinach to smoothies? I heard you can't taste it but I haven't tried it. Also get protein from eggs and peanut butter? Or look up some good vegetarian dishes? I don't think I can be of much help however there's a lot of food not listed on your list!! Good luck!!
I finally got the nerve up and tried that yesterday, you really CAN'T taste the spinach! It was shocking. LOL0 -
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This is not an 'eating' disorder, this is a form of mental illness, the brain is not getting the correct signals possibly brought on by clinical depression to do with your pregnancy and I suggest you approach the medical profession rather than a bunch of, albeit helpful, people trying to lose weight on the internet. The answers do not lie here.0
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Like you OP I have always been an extremely picky eater, but as I've grown older I've found more and more things to like. Your list of foods you like is much longer than mine, yet I find enough food to eat that it's a struggle not to keep going over my macros ;-)
5 years ago the thought of peanut butter made me gag...but once I discovered crunchy and whole nut I was hooked Also olives, baked beans, broccoli were not part of my diet barely 3 years ago.
It also sounds like you're a bit of a fast food addict from your post...you need to wean yourself off that rubbish asap. If fast food 'meat' tastes better than home cooked there is a problem.
I generally ignore the 40/40/30 split as it doesn't work for me. I grew up eating carbs, am a carbaholic and athlete so I'm happy with 50 carbs and 20 protein as that is what is realistic for me.0 -
You refuse to get up early
You refuse to use a crockpot
You don't cook
You have OCD
Therapy/ nutrition counseling asap
Recipes won't help if you refuse to cook
Not being mean but this is beyond being a picky eater
This. I'm struggling to have sympathy for you when you don't seem that determined to help yourself in a lot of ways. A lot of things you say seems contradictory to me but perhaps I just don't understand because I can't relate.
Don't mean to have a go or anything in the slightest. There are loads of excellent suggestions here though Try them and give some feedback? 0 -
I agree with Ron that this is a mental disorder. My son and wife have struggled with their son for 15 years trying to help him to eat better. He is not overweight. Loves carbs, but plain, no butter, jam, gravy . A lot of his seems to be texture sensitive. My DIL literally fed him one grain of rice at a time to get him to eat it. He likes wild rice rather than white but only a little. Would not eat chocolate as a child, now that was not a bad thing. Then I think he discovered the sugar content in it so now will eat it. They try to keep relatively healthy snacks in the house because he could live on packaged snacks. He eats only certain things at certain restaurants, not usually many veggies except raw carrots, a bit of lettuce.
Most "normal" people can not understand this problem and so therefore the suggestions they give you will not usually work. Try to find someone in the medical field, if you can, that can help.0 -
Suck it up, buttercup. You're acting like a baby.
See. No lecture.
Nope she isn't. Your comment is the only childish thing here. I am also a very picky eater. I hate veggies, I rarely eat any. Ive tried them repeatedly, cant do it, and I am very much a mature grown up.0 -
Thanks for those who have actually replied. I do like meat. I do not like tofu or vegetables nearly enough to become vegetarian, but love to substitute beans. So as many of you have requested, here's a list of foods I do like:
Oh and by the way, i didn't add eggs to my list, but can't stand their taste and I've had them so many different ways. Just tried quiche the other week (couldn't even tolerate) and an omelet last night that also didn't go over well.
Foods I love:
Avocados
Stir fry (with beef & broccoli, noodles, carrots, soy sauce, that sort of thing)
Most fruits except bananas
yogurt (if there's not fruit chunks, the texture bothers me)
Sam's Club chicken
Rice
Pasta
Hot dogs - beef only
Pesto
Bagels
English Muffins
Sour cream
Cream cheese
Cheese (sharp cheddar, pepperjack)
Ranch (sadly so fatty)
Cucumbers
Tortillas
Potatoes (in any form)
Peanut Butter
Most condiments except mayo & ketchup
Popcorn
Also, for others, here's an article that perfectly describes how it is for me:
http://mealtimehostage.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/picky-eating-vs-selective-eating-disorder/
I have OCD with cleaning BIG time, cannot touch raw meat, and get very anxious when eating socially per my selectiveness. I wanted to start this topic to have someone to relate to and for assistance as it's been a constant struggle for me.
Have you tried behavior modification therapy? This sounds like a phobia just like those that affect people who are paralyzingly scared of spiders or cats or other people. Maybe exposure and the right therapist will help.0 -
You should probably go to a dietitian who can help you develop an eating plan.0
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I am a bit of a foodie, so I feel awful for you that so many foods bother you! Especially if it is a new thing. I noticed you like raw carrots, if you want a sweet treat that is super healthy and low cal, one of my favorite things to do is grate carrots and apples into a bowl with a squeeze of lemon (sometimes I add a half teaspoon of sugar).
Try adding grated celery and grated fennel bulb to that. It's a great combo.0 -
I'm gonna be honest here. I couldn't even read your whole post because it got so confusing... I understand pregnancy can do weird things to you during and after... I really think if you are having this much trouble you should consult a doctor. What is left to eat after that long list of just about everything you made that you can't eat?0
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I read the article you posted and it somewhat describes me too. I cannot stand the texture of "crunchy" in something that's supposed to be smooth (fruit in yogurt, celery in pasta salad). Texture is crippling to me because it takes so many healthy foods out of my reach. I sympathize with you on bananas, I gag if I eat one and then think about the texture. People tell me to get over it all the time, but it's not something I can control. I wish I could point you in a direction but I am almost as lost as you are. One thing I can suggest is Hidden Veggie and Garden Delight pasta by Ronzoni. It has a serving of veggies in each serving of pasta, so it might help some with nutrients you would otherwise avoid.
Add me as a friend if you want to, and let me know if you have gotten any other good advice that I can use.
Good luck, and keep your chin up, we can do this.
Echo
Im the exact same way. I don't put celery in things, but I like it raw with dip. I don't like veggies on subs, the combo grosses me out. Things like that. It sucks, but its the way I am. I pisses me off when you get people saying to suck it up and learn to eat it. No. It doesn't work that way. We are all different and like different things. I don't eat stir-fries, I don't eat any veggies cooked, I don't like soup with veggies in it. I will not suck it up and learn to eat it. And yet, I'm not a baby.0
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