Picky Picky!

Kellianne44

Is anybody else out there a picky eater?
I am HORRIBLE when it comes to trying new food and eating what should, because I don't like almost anything.
When it comes to picky people I have most beat, a lot of it is in my head, but I can not get around it.
This is not new for me I have been this way all of my life.... I am not sure what to do about it as I loose weight.
I am trying to eat healthy and putting better things in my body that will keep me strong but it is much easier said then done for me....

So if anybody has any advice or tips or support i would very much appreciate it!

Any fav foods that you thing are really worth trying? (no red meat for me!- yup haven't eaten that since I was 3 LOL)
Anything helps!

neanderthin

As a chef, that just doesn't compute. Personally there is no solution except try to understand yourself and your shortcomings, and start trying foods that you say you wouldn't eat, but have actually never tried, otherwise your doomed to food boredom.....on the plus side, no need to spend a lot of money on dem der fancy meals.

Derpes

I am VERY picky!

I always eat sandwiches plain and I hate all condiments.

I also have a tough time with veggies and trying new things, although, I have made progress.

My advice is do not be afraid to try something new and try not to focus too much on smell.

Firefox7275

I am still picky but I was super picky through my childhood and twenties - my sibling the same, I remember them spitting out normal foods mashed potato and carrot when a baby. I would not eat fish nor almost all fruits or vegetables. We didn't learn it: although my mother was super fussy as a child and didn't even like most meats let alone veggies but had totally retrained herself by the time she had children. My father will eat practically anything, even offal.

Getting sick enough not to be able to work tends to refocus the mind on taking care of your body. I thought about what I would eat (certain types of produce well cooked and smothered with a sauce), what I can't deal with (certain textures like cooked carrot, biting into a whole apple etc) and kept trying a bite regularly because I read it can take time to get used to a new food. I remember well the first time I opened a can of salmon and was literally gagging.

What are you not eating that you should be - oily fish, green veggies, blue/ purple produce? Can you eat any soups, tomato or meat sauce on pasta or smoothies? All of those you can hide veggies in with the right recipe and a stick blender.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

This doesn't compute with me, LOL. We weren't allowed to be picky growing up and ate what was put in front of us which was always very healthy.

We grew up on a pretty natural way of eating with lots of vegetables, farm raised dairy, meat and eggs and fruit that was in season.

One of few things I don't like is mushrooms and olives. I have tried to like them, but I just don't.

We only got cakes, cookies and such around the holidays when my mom made them fresh baked. We had cake for our birthdays and easter my mom always made a cake..............Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas was fresh made cookies and home made candy.

To this day I don't like store packaged stuff.

OP: It is said that it takes several times of trying a new food to change your taste buds. Just pick a new food and try it and try it again fixed another way.

Roasting vegetables is a great way to eat them. Roasting brings out the sweetness in the veggies.

Firefox7275

This doesn't compute with me, LOL. We weren't allowed to be picky growing up and ate what was put in front of us which was always very healthy. We grew up on a pretty natural way of eating with lots of vegetables, farm raised dairy, meat and eggs and fruit that was in season.

Same here. My mother, sibling and I all sat at the dinner table for hours until we had eaten the meal (or disposed of it somehow). My grandfather and my parents grew a huge range of vegetables and fruit in our garden and on an allotment, we also kept chickens and bred rabbits for food. Very little processed or junky anything, no soda we drank milk. Still picky.

shmoony

A question I have pondered of the years is whether this is an instrinsic predisposition or a learned behavior. I literally can not think of a food that I don't enjoy the flavor / texture of, but I have friends who have a long list of foods they wouldn't even consider eating. If it is a learned behavior, in theory it can be unlearned. If there is an actual defect in your taste buds than I guess you're screwed. My guess would be the former since I doubt the caveman (or the current day third world population) were turning there noses up at cooked carrots. So if you're really concerned about it, see a therapist, or just suck it up and force feed yourself some of the things you think you might not like until you like them.

My theory has always been, if someone out there likes it, then there must be something good about it. That goes with all things, not just food.

mnstrpc

Oh yeah, I'm picky! I AM better than I was as a child, though. I will actually try some new foods now. And my main issue is texture, rather than flavors. I'm super-picky about certain textures. I'll eat green beans but pretty much any other bean is out of the question; I HATE gritty textures. Or tapioca - yuck!

Once, when I was a kid, my parents tried the "sit at the table until you finish your food trick" - when the 11pm news came on they gave up and let me go to bed. They never tried that again, LOL. You really haven't met stubborn until you meet me. And I do think in some cases there can be an intrinsic disposition - my grandfather was also one of the world's pickiest eaters and he was born in 1910 on a farm in rural WV, so I'm pretty sure he wasn't exactly "coddled" about it as a child. Didn't make a difference; still picky. But he was always thin as a rail and lived to be 88, so I don't think it had much negative impact for him. I actually don't try to force my kids to eat anything. They get a protein, fruit, veggie with every meal, a starch with most. They eat what they want. I will ask them to try one bite of something they haven't had before, but if they don't like it, they don't have to eat any more than the one bite. I don't make special meals, so if they don't eat what they're given, they don't get something else, but I never try to force them to eat something they don't want, or to "clean their plates."

If you want to try to talk yourself into trying more things, I would try to think about exactly what you're picky about. E.g. for me, I know it's textures (and some smells) and I know there are somethings I'm just not going to try. So if you know you're picky about some flavors or textures, but like certain others, I'd suggest maybe looking for new foods that are in similar flavor/texture profiles to the things you already like, if that makes sense? Baby steps, you know? Try something that's not TOO far out of your comfort zone and if you find you like it, you might venture a little further out next time.

mnstrpc

Oh, things worth trying - couscous, pretty much all the squashes - spaghetti squash, butternut squash, zucchini, yellow squash . . . different kinds of cheeses . . .

But what are you looking for? More protein sources or more fruits/veggies? I've also found for me that how something is prepared and spices/flavors that are added make a big difference in whether I like a certain dish.