Eating the foods you hate

135

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Both my husband and I have. He with olives and I with ansjovis. In both cases, we could not understand that we did not like it and many people do. There must be something to it
    My husband now loves olives. I am still not the biggest fan of ansjovis, certainly not as is. But in certain recipes I find I need them for their texture and salty flavour as an ingredient, and like them as past of the bigger picture.
    Some foods can be horrid when the first time you eat them it is prepared badly. However when prepared well they are excellent. For instance I will not at certain organmeats, unless prepared by a cook of repute that can make them taste good. That is how I have come to appreciate sweetbread and kidney.

    Is ansjovis the same as anchovies? America's Test Kitchen uses anchovies in a fair amount of recipes. It's kind of messy and time consuming to smoosh them up and wash the oily cutting board so last time I used a teaspoon of Thai fish sauce, which worked very well.

    I used to not like olives, but something convinced me to try oil-cured olives, which I do like, but they are expensive, and I have since found I like brine cured jarred Kalamata olives. Still don't like canned olives or green olives, but am glad to have found something I do like.
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Both my husband and I have. He with olives and I with ansjovis. In both cases, we could not understand that we did not like it and many people do. There must be something to it
    My husband now loves olives. I am still not the biggest fan of ansjovis, certainly not as is. But in certain recipes I find I need them for their texture and salty flavour as an ingredient, and like them as past of the bigger picture.
    Some foods can be horrid when the first time you eat them it is prepared badly. However when prepared well they are excellent. For instance I will not at certain organmeats, unless prepared by a cook of repute that can make them taste good. That is how I have come to appreciate sweetbread and kidney.

    Is ansjovis the same as anchovies? America's Test Kitchen uses anchovies in a fair amount of recipes. It's kind of messy and time consuming to smoosh them up and wash the oily cutting board so last time I used a teaspoon of Thai fish sauce, which worked very well.

    I used to not like olives, but something convinced me to try oil-cured olives, which I do like, but they are expensive, and I have since found I like brine cured jarred Kalamata olives. Still don't like canned olives or green olives, but am glad to have found something I do like.

    I was just admiring the beauty of the Dutch(?) spelling, ansjovis :) Much more delicate and less clumsy than our own!
  • BT_rescuemom
    BT_rescuemom Posts: 284 Member
    No. But I'm not a picky eater. There are only a couple things that I absolutely hate, celery is the only thing that comes to mind at the moment. I'm sure it's healthy but heck no I'm not going to force myself to eat it, I'll choose another veggie.

    Now, if I was a very picky eater I might do things differently if I thought I wasn't being nourished adequately.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    No. But I'm not a picky eater. There are only a couple things that I absolutely hate, celery is the only thing that comes to mind at the moment. I'm sure it's healthy but heck no I'm not going to force myself to eat it, I'll choose another veggie.

    Now, if I was a very picky eater I might do things differently if I thought I wasn't being nourished adequately.

    Celery is vile.
  • BT_rescuemom
    BT_rescuemom Posts: 284 Member
    @arditarose isn't it though! And finally, someone else who hates celery! Every time I tell someone that I hate it they ask "why? It has no taste!" Oh yes it does, the taste of something evil.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    @arditarose isn't it though! And finally, someone else who hates celery! Every time I tell someone that I hate it they ask "why? It has no taste!" Oh yes it does, the taste of something evil.

    I know! I hate the celery family in general. Fennel...celeriac. No.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    Well, I try not to self-define as "absolutely hating" any foods, so that I keep an open mind. And I love to try new things, especially weird-sounding things.

    There aren't that many foods I dislike (as long as you don't count the part where I'm 42 years a vegetarian, but that's not really so much about "liking").

    I didn't used to care for peanut butter much - liked the flavor, but not the texture. But I've worked my way around to really enjoying it, by doing things initially that reduced the textural qualities (spreading it thinly, chilling it, eating it on happier-textured things). Now I could eat a spoonful of it on its own pretty happily, though I still prefer crunchy peanut butter.

    I don't love lima beans or tapioca (texture again), but will eat them if required to be polite. So far, I don't like seaweed in quantity - such as seaweed salad. I think it's the iodine-y flavor. But I haven't tried to talk myself out of those. That's about it.

    Still, it's always seemed odd to me if I say I'm not at all a picky eater, but won't eat meat or fish/seafood. So I don't say it.
  • LULU4178
    LULU4178 Posts: 69 Member
    My two cents is to try whatever it is you want to try when you go out to eat. I figure the chef/cook at the restaurant will probably prepare it in good way. Then if I like it, I will make it at home. For example, based on my childhood, beets were to be avoided at all costs. Fast forward a few years: I ordered a beet salad in a restaurant because I had a per diem from work that I had to spend. Yada yada yada, now I love beets.

    BTW I am a selective eater (not picky!) and will occasionally try foods that look good to me, not because everyone says they are good. I rarely agree with those people (I'm looking at you seafood lovers!). It may take a few times. If you like the new food--great. If not--move on to something else.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    No. But I'm not a picky eater. There are only a couple things that I absolutely hate, celery is the only thing that comes to mind at the moment. I'm sure it's healthy but heck no I'm not going to force myself to eat it, I'll choose another veggie.

    Now, if I was a very picky eater I might do things differently if I thought I wasn't being nourished adequately.

    Celery is vile.

    I only like celery when filled with peanut butter and raisins. It is also acceptable with cream cheese.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    I'm one of the least picky eaters you've ever seen, I'll eat just about anything put on my plate and I have a very wide variety of foods that l like - even some exotic/strange ones that turn many peoples' stomachs. I'll try almost anything at least once. With that said, if I don't like something I'm not going to eat it, I don't care how healthy or "good for you" it's supposed to be. Life is too short to eat things I hate.
  • ericatoday
    ericatoday Posts: 454 Member
    Me. I use to hate raw tomato and onion i still dont enjoy them by themselves but on a burger or sandwich theyre yummy and in guac. Its nice not being upset for forgeting to ask for no tom or onion on my burger. But other than that i dont bother with foods i dont like there are tons of healthy options i can choose.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    ericatoday wrote: »
    Me. I use to hate raw tomato and onion i still dont enjoy them by themselves but on a burger or sandwich theyre yummy and in guac. Its nice not being upset for forgeting to ask for no tom or onion on my burger. But other than that i dont bother with foods i dont like there are tons of healthy options i can choose.

    That's pretty much how I feel. I eat enough of a variety to not have to branch out, but there are things (like onion) which are so pervasive it's easier in the long run to learn to live with them.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
    elsing84 wrote: »
    Anyone tried to force themselves to eat the foods they hate until the liked them. How was the experience and did you have success.

    I'm tackling nuts and seeds, I've always hated these it's the last food type on a long list of foods to definitely be avoided by my former picky eater self. I'm starting by adding them to yoghurts, oats and adding a sprinkling in some recipies.

    Day 1 - 3 I couldn't help but pull a face at the taste and they had a horrible aftertaste
    Day 4 - just a slight aftertaste and no pulling faces (or did I just add more yoghurt)

    I've done stuff like that just to overcome obstacles in myself -- and often found I liked what I thought I didn't like. Right now I have tendonitis in my arms (from a reaction to an antibiotic) and I'm eating bananas for the potassium, which is supposed to help -- and I've never liked bananas. They seem kind of slimy. I can tolerate them if they aren't too ripe.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 666 Member
    I'm an extremely picky eater & don't try to keep eating things until I like them. That really doesn't work for me. I generally go the other direction. I will sometimes start out eating foods that I am OK with--don't love, but don't really dislike, but the more I eat them, the more I dislike them. It gets to the point where the thought of eating them again makes me gag. If I were starting with foods I already hated, I'd be vomiting them up in no time. I will try new foods as long as it smells OK. I am very sensitive to smells & if it smells bad, I'm not going to eat it. I just take my vitamins & hope for the best.
  • Maby1987
    Maby1987 Posts: 27 Member
    Yes!
    I really REALLY don't like bananas
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i got used to whey protein powder. my first exposure to that was barfariffic, but once i got serious about exercise it was kind of a necessary evil unless i was willing to change more than i knew i was going to change in my life. i still suppress it with as much yogurt and fruit as i can get in there, though.

    other than that, no. not as a project in its own right. but i do sort of hold my nose and just do it a lot more than i used to, on the straightforward principle that this is food you need food so eat this and that will take care of it. lifting weights has ironed out quite a few of the wrinkles in my food-faddiness. it just makes me too darned hungry to be fancy anymore.
    Red_Pill wrote: »
    This thread is hilarious but funny enough I'm going through this right now. I hate broccoli but I'm forcing myself to eat it until I like that sucker. There's too many nutritional benefits to miss out on.

    you're a better man than i am, charlie brown. i don't care if i'm the planet's last holdout, i intend to go to my grave as a proud, paid-up anti-broccolian.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    PennWalker wrote: »
    elsing84 wrote: »
    Anyone tried to force themselves to eat the foods they hate until the liked them. How was the experience and did you have success.

    I'm tackling nuts and seeds, I've always hated these it's the last food type on a long list of foods to definitely be avoided by my former picky eater self. I'm starting by adding them to yoghurts, oats and adding a sprinkling in some recipies.

    Day 1 - 3 I couldn't help but pull a face at the taste and they had a horrible aftertaste
    Day 4 - just a slight aftertaste and no pulling faces (or did I just add more yoghurt)

    I've done stuff like that just to overcome obstacles in myself -- and often found I liked what I thought I didn't like. Right now I have tendonitis in my arms (from a reaction to an antibiotic) and I'm eating bananas for the potassium, which is supposed to help -- and I've never liked bananas. They seem kind of slimy. I can tolerate them if they aren't too ripe.

    I am in favorite of people working on dislikes, as mentioned above, but bananas (which I do like) are weirdly celebrated for their potassium when lots of foods (like potatoes) have as much or more.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I will try things repeatedly or in different preparations to see if I like it. For example, I have tried bananas and oatmeal many times over the course of my life but still don't like them. Then again, I hated brussel sprouts for decades until someone finally suggested I try them roasted. Now they are a favorite.

    So while I wouldn't say I force myself to try something until I like it, I am usually willing to give most foods more than one shot.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    elsing84 wrote: »
    Anyone tried to force themselves to eat the foods they hate until the liked them. How was the experience and did you have success.

    I'm tackling nuts and seeds, I've always hated these it's the last food type on a long list of foods to definitely be avoided by my former picky eater self. I'm starting by adding them to yoghurts, oats and adding a sprinkling in some recipies.

    Day 1 - 3 I couldn't help but pull a face at the taste and they had a horrible aftertaste
    Day 4 - just a slight aftertaste and no pulling faces (or did I just add more yoghurt)

    No...I've never seen any reason to force the issue with something I don't like...there are always other alternatives to get whatever nutrition I need.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Not really, no. Every now and then, I'll try something that I historically haven't liked, just to see if anything has changed. Sometimes, a different preparation or just time changes if I like something. Other times, it's still nasty.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    For the most part, no. Food is great, and I like to budget to have the best of my choosing. Still, a while back I'd spent some money on protein bars that I thought I'd like, but later on, I realized that I actually did NOT like them, so I did try to eat them for the sake of not wasting money and to get the protein, and I tried masking the taste with other foods, but I stopped after a bar or two and got rid of the rest. I just can't make myself eat stuff I truly hate. Some stuff just changes with age. I remember not liking pizza crust when I was little, but sometime during adolescence, I started eating the crusts for whatever reason.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
    It depends- there are some foods I don't care for but don't hate (yogurt and bananas for example) and if they are the only thing available or are free at an event I will eat them, but there are other foods I loathe won't eat (Brussels sprouts, grits).
    If you are someone who is an insanely picky eater (like, will only eat less then a dozen foods) then forcing yourself to eat more foods is a good thing. However, if you have a wide range of foods and just don't like a few foods, then F them! It's okay to not like some foods, as long as you are polite about it.
  • lyndseybellz
    lyndseybellz Posts: 62 Member
    i haaaate tuna. but it is so cheap and so high protein i will cover it in mustard and eat it.
    i also hate hate hate HATE greek yogurt. but i keep trying all the millions of brand/flavors convinced i will find one i like.

    if the pros of the food outweigh the cons of my tastebuds...i'll hold my nose and choke it down.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Why do you feel you need to eat foods you hate? So many foods in the world to choose from, if you truly don't like something I don't know why you need to force yourself to eat something you don't enjoy.

    This. End thread...
  • Former_chubby_momma
    Former_chubby_momma Posts: 686 Member
    Once I tried to make myself eat fish... Still hated it. I've had a strong distaste for seafood my entire life. I wont be trying that again both because fish tastes gross and I'm a vegan now anyway. I also don't see myself ever enjoying tofu, but maybe I'll force that into my diet idk.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    I try things as an adult that I did not like as a child and I find I like most of the stuff I did not. Recently I tried olives and I found I like them. I tried a gizzard and did not like it's texture so I will not eat it again. Expanding your pallet is good but if you find you still don't like those things they why continue to eat them?
  • goingtobefit2015
    goingtobefit2015 Posts: 408 Member
    edited October 2016
    I don't eat foods I hate or don't like...there are plenty of other choices of foods that are healthy and taste good! Choose those! Even though through time of changing your food lifestyle your taste buds change and you end up "liking" a lot of foods you once "hated".
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I am just curious - what is the conversation in your head that creates the negative judgement about a food? I know that I dont like the taste of most fish, so thats why I dont eat it, other than salmon or tuna. I dont like celery because jeepers, you can chew and chew that stuff and it is so fibrous that it just doesnt seem to want to go down. Is it texture? Smell? Someone said mushrooms are slimey - I have never had a slimey mushroom, so its difficult to relate to that. I dont like organ meats or brains or stuff, but I wasnt raised on them, and so I have a preconceived idea that I wont like them. I am just trying to understand the root of the aversion for some of these perfectly normal and everyday foods, other than the generic "Idontlikethemtheymakemegag".
  • sy_19440
    sy_19440 Posts: 55 Member
    No, if I don't like a food and I don't like a food and won't continue to try and make myself it. There aren't many foods that I don't like so I don't feel its the end of the world that I won't eat nuts or seafood. I have always tried something before deciding one way or or another.