Can you help a picky eater?

KimR87

Those of you who are saying OP needs to just get over it are being pretty rude.
I also don't eat most veggies, or most fruits. It's not because I don't want to try them. It's a sensory issue, and I only recently realized that's my problem after dealing with my kids' sensory issues. If a food smells the least bit unpleasant, I literally gag while trying to make myself try it. If the texture is "wrong", same thing. Cooked produce a sure fail. I cannot help it.

I have the exact same problem so I am really bad about getting my veggies in. I manage by sometimes getting the V8 Fruit and Vegetable juices or in place of pasta ill use the ronzoni garden delight pasta which gives you a serving of veggies. I've also been trying something new each month. This month I tried spaghetti squash for the first time. As far as my normal eating habits since im so picky I spend alot of time looking up recipes and ive found some great healthy alternatives to my favorite foods and ive really liked them. I have a few recipe websites that I check every single day that have provided some great healthier alternatives if you would like to know them feel free to send me a message.

Heaven71

Look for recipes that will incorporate what you do like with what you don't like. I used to steam cauliflower, mash it like potatoes and make a brown gravy to put over it. It was just like mashed potatoes and tasted great.

Luckily Cauliflower is probably the only veggie I don;t care for but will eat it now.

Get creative, look for recipes. I bet if you google it there are sites dedicated to learning to eat veggies and ways to mask the flavor so you still benefit.

If I can learn to run (especially at my age), you can learn to eat veggies.

beckys19

Fellow picky eater right here. :happy: I am not as picky as I used to be, however. My foods I didn't like fell into 3 categories: those (like tomato anything) that would make me gag- literally. 2. stuff that sounded wierd/gross that I just never tried or gave a chance. 3. stuff that I never liked eating because the way it was prepared didn't do it much good.

After over 13 years of working on me to get me to like anything with tomato in it, my hubby finally got me to the point where I can eat some really good/flavorful chilis, some bbq sauces, and I even found 2 maranara sauces I could eat at nice Italian restaurants. So, it may take some time, but work on it and see what happens. I have a feeling though, that I will never be able to enjoy a tomato straight, a BLT, or regular pizza.

What veggies do you like, and which can you eat if it's in with a lot of other stuff? Post what you do like here and I'm sure we can come up with meal ideas based on those. I like fruits more than veggies, and so I find myself drawn more to the sweeter veggies - winter squash, carrots, sweet peppers, sugar snap peas, etc. Start with veggies that have similar charasteristics to those you like and those that pair nicely with those you like (I enjoy stir-fries with onion, bell pepper, and zuchini).

If you like salads, go for more than just the iceburg lettuce. Get mixes of red and green lettuces. I was surprised to find that I liked baby spinach in salads too. Veggies that grill or sautee well (I use cooking spray) such as asparagus or zucchini are WONDERFUL with granulated garlic and a touch of salt. Get some whole wheat or veggie-based pasta (elbow, rotini, etc), use light italian dressing, and add finely chopped cukes, onion, and bell pepper. Shredded carrot also goes nicely in there.

themedalist

Give raw veggies a shot.

I'm not a big fan of cooking vegetables. I always thought I hated spinach, but I hate COOKED spinach. I love raw spinach leaves in a salad and have it almost everyday.

I love raw veggies (typically carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers, broccoli, and red peppers) with a tablespoon of high quality dip. I look at the bowl of mixed veggies and think "This is the best chance I have for avoiding cancer" and it's true. But now, I really love the taste of almost all vegetables.

mjbrenner

There are so many great suggestions in this thread! My wife was a notoriously picky eater when we first met, and though she is still much pickier than I would like, she has learned to enjoy a much wider range of foods than she used to.

The best advice I have is for you to take the time to identify the specific flavors you do not enjoy, and then learn to cook in ways that mask or eliminate those flavors.

My wife thought she hated onions. The sharp taste was borderline painful to her. She found that she enjoyed onions when I caramelized them. She now LOVES onions, so long as they get cooked long enough to break down the chemical that gives them a sharp flavor.

My wife is also one of those people for whom broccoli tastes bitter. Most people who hat broccoli can taste a bitter flavor in it that the rest of us cannot taste, or at least do not taste to the same extent. Once I realized this, I began roasting or stir-frying broccoli for her. Dry heat (like roasting or frying) breaks down the bitter chemical, whereas wet heat (like steaming) does not.

I could not serve salads with dinner, because my wife found them boring, and many of the veggies carried flavors she disliked. I now keep a few hard boiled eggs, as well as some crumbled bacon in the fridge at all times. Chopped egg and bacon on a salad really turns it into a completely different meal, and there is no harm done so long as you account for it in your meal planning.

Good luck in your quest to become a less picky eater! With time, I am betting that you will rediscover all sorts of foods that you at one time disliked.

AngelsDream4Peace

You can learn to like things so you may want to try some vegetables that you haven't had in awhile - you may be pleasantly surprised. I taught myself to like cottage cheese by trying it a couple of times a year and adding various things (fruit, savory). If that won't work, you can hide vegetables in things (sauce, meatloaf, etc). There are a couple of cookbooks that are made for parents trying to get their kids to eat veggies - they could work for you too - the sneaky chef is one. Good luck!

Being a life long picky eater, I agree with this as well as trying them prepared in different variations! My world of food has opened up so much, you just have to find a way that you will eat the things you "think" you do not like! Good luck

sbfreak17

Thank you to those who have offered actual advice as opposed to the "suck it up" approach. It's not that I don't eat any vegetables, I just don't like most. When I say I don't like them, I don't just look at them and say "ewww" like a child does. I have tried them repeatedly...hence me asking for SUGGESTIONS on what to do.

sbfreak17

Hi everyone. I'm relatively new to the site & I'm really trying to get some ideas for healthy lunches/dinners/snacks but the problem is...I'm a picky eater. I dont eat most veggies which makes it really hard. Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried & tried to add different things into my meals but I'm having a hard time finding foods I'll eat. I'm willing to try pretty much anything so any suggestions will be of help. Thanks a bunch!

Quit being picky.

Problem(s) solved.

Wow. That's brilliant. Wish I would of thought of that first.

sbfreak17

You can learn to like things so you may want to try some vegetables that you haven't had in awhile - you may be pleasantly surprised. I taught myself to like cottage cheese by trying it a couple of times a year and adding various things (fruit, savory). If that won't work, you can hide vegetables in things (sauce, meatloaf, etc). There are a couple of cookbooks that are made for parents trying to get their kids to eat veggies - they could work for you too - the sneaky chef is one. Good luck!

Thank you.

sbfreak17

Hi everyone. I'm relatively new to the site & I'm really trying to get some ideas for healthy lunches/dinners/snacks but the problem is...I'm a picky eater. I dont eat most veggies which makes it really hard. Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried & tried to add different things into my meals but I'm having a hard time finding foods I'll eat. I'm willing to try pretty much anything so any suggestions will be of help. Thanks a bunch!

Quit being picky.

Problem(s) solved.

I've gotta agree with Eric. If you decide you want to get in shape you need to make some concessions to your eating habits. I hated yogurt before this, refused to eat certain leafy greens, stuff like that. I eat yogurt most mornings for breakfast, I eat spinach salads, and enough broccoli a week to choke a buffalo.

What's more important to you... eating things you like, or being healthy? Unfortunately they don't always go hand in hand with each other.

If you want to do things like you would with a child who was a picky eater, you find ways to "hide" the food. Such as making lasagna /w spinach in it, or smoothies with greens blended in... sorry I don't have better suggestions. I realized I just needed to adult up and eat the things that were good for me.

Actually eating things I like and being healthy are BOTH important to me and that's not really THAT far-fetched of an idea. I understand the concept of "adulting-up" per say but I'm not going to GAG food down every day. That's purely insane and no, not every "healthy" person does that...just saying.

sbfreak17

It time to grow up and try some new foods. What are you 5 years old?

Ha! Thanks.

sbfreak17

What do you like to eat? That's a good starting place.

Why do you think you don't like veggies? I used to think I hated veggies, but then I started having them when they were prepared better than what I was used to. When I was growing up, my mom would stick a frozen birds eye mixed veggie (usually corn, peas and carrots) into the microwave and then serve it to us plain. No salt or pepper, nothing. Gross.

I've learned to cook veggies with more flavor and use other methods than microwaving.

A few ideas:

When you're having spaghetti or anything else with red sauce - put a carrot, celery, onion, cauliflower florets in the food processor and pulse them until they're pretty finely chopped. Add to the sauce. Also, you can add frozen spinach.

Use the same trick when making turkey meatloaf or meatballs. Add some very finely chopped veggies.

Roasting - we love roasted cauliflower. Cut into florets. Toss with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Sprinkle on some thyme. Roast at 425 until they're starting to turn brown on the outside. They're a little crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. So good. My 3 year old will eat half a head of cauliflower if I cook it like this.

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer to legit suggestions. I really do appreciate your time and I'll definitely give your suggestions a try.

sbfreak17

I was thinking about this a bit and thought of something I wanted to add. In the beginning especially, it's a mind over matter thing. I don't fill my plate 1/2 way with broccoli because I prefer broccoli over lasagna (or whatever we're eating). I do it because I know I should and I know the nutrients in broccoli are what my body needs. I also didn't like most veggies when I was younger - they're an acquired taste. The human palate naturally prefers things that are sweet or salty than the slight bitterness that most veggies have.

If you decide you are going to add more veggies to your diet, you will probably have to force yourself in the beginning. Convince yourself somehow. If there's a veggie I don't care for on my plate (asparagus, lima beans, kale) I usually make myself eat it before anything else. I will eat every bit of whatever I don't like first and then finish the meal with the meatloaf or chicken and rice or whatever.

I had a similar discussion to this with my mom recently and she said something to the effect of "it's easier for you because you like vegetables, you're so lucky". I'm not lucky. And it wasn't easier for me in the beginning. I worked at it. If it's something that's important to you, you can change your palate preferences, but it'll probably be hard at first.

Thank you. And yes, I've noticed that sometimes repetition is the key to being able to "stomach" certain things but I was basically looking for suggestions on how I could add certain things into my diet without the torture of eating things I'm not fond of. Yes, I understand some things are just a must but I should still be able to enjoy my food while eating healthy.

sbfreak17

I'm also a pretty picky eater when it comes to vegetables, but I agree with everyone that you have to keep trying things. I hated peppers for the longest time because I got the stomach flu right after eating stuffed peppers as a kid and they made me want to throw up. But that was so long ago that I tried them again recently and actually don't mind them. I also notice that the vegetables I don't like raw (IE onions and tomatoes) I don't mind when cooked in soup or something. The things that make you literally gag to try and eat (avocados for me) aren't really worth forcing down as long as its just a few things. Everyone has stuff they don't like, its natural. But you need to find the veggies that fall into the "I can eat this and neither enjoy it nor hate it" category and try cooking them in different ways and such so that you can learn to bump them into the enjoy category. I don't think I'll ever love vegges as much as I love pizza, but that doesn't mean that I can't have the willpower to choose the right option.

Oh, as you people who are being insulting about being a picky eater, 1) that's not really going to help, people have been rude to me about it for years and it only encouraged me more to be picky to show them that they didn't affect me with their rudeness and 2) people actually do have different levels of taste buds as well as some people having the genes to taste or not taste certain molecules found in various foods and veggies, so for some overcoming being a picky eater is a lot harder than others. And while I'm happy that I'm overcoming some of my aversions because it will make it easier to eat healthy, as long as you are getting the nutrients you need and finding food that helps you stay within a healthy diet, I don't think it really matters if you like every veggie out there.

Anyways, good luck its always a frustrating thing to deal with!

Thank you. You're post provided some encouragement and I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

sbfreak17

We are kindred spirits. I wish I liked certain foods. Tomatoes for instance - they are so beautiful and juicy and I've tried them over and over and I don't like them I imagine there are people who can gut it up, but I have found that you're not going to last long if you aren't enjoying the process which I believe means enjoying the things you are putting into your body. Apples are okay in my book and so I try to eat them slowly and pay attention to the flavors and remind myself that this is a positive step for health. I do not like pomegranate and I will not force myself to eat them. Give me a banana and I'll scarf it down The same holds true for me with vegetables (not my favorite) I love doing zucchini on the grill in the summer and picking green beans from the garden. Peppers aren't great for me, but when I grow them I'll slice some up for lunch with my family and eat a few slices now and then.

We picky eaters can do this!

Someone who understands! That's great!