Picker Eater Syndrome

jessmarrieee

Hello!
So I've only been signed up on this lovely little site for a week, and all is well, but the hardest thing for me is figuring out what to eat. I've ALWAYS been a picky eater, but the things that I have become accustomed to aren't the best and I feel they will slow down my progress. What are some suggestions you have to help me expand my taste buds? I want to eat healthier, but I cannot stand "plain" tasting items.

All suggestions are welcome.

Ryhenblue

Nuts, Fruit, Vegetables, Hummus, Popcorn, and Cheese are some good things to try.

marii92

Adding cinnamon to 'plain' tasting items can help. 1tsp in things like in green tea or oatmeal or whatever it's possible to it in =P

robin52077

i couldn't stand the thought of yogurt before I joined here (because it's ALIVE.....lol) but I've gotten over that and decided I LOVE it, there are SOOOO many awesome flavors to choose from!

sareebellum

I was about to post something about how picky I am and saw this. I don't eat most foods, and I'll even pick through my favorite foods! It's hard to eat the right stuff because all the "good" stuff for you is gross to me! If you find something healthy but still good to a picky eater, let me know!

MysterriGal

I used to be a very picky eater, but I've kind of trained myself to eat new things. For instance, things like pasta are easy places to hide good for you food. Heavy sauces are good for that. So I just started with low amounts of veg I didn't like, and slowly increased the amount of those things, decreasing some of the other bad things just as gradually. Eventually I acquired the taste for the new things, and started using them in different ways. Some things I wouldn't even touch before are some of my favourite foods (ie spinach. Cannot eat enough now!!!)So, long story short, be sneaky and trick yourself.
Also, a good idea if your going for natural foods (which are best), try the ones in season. In some cases, that means a completely different taste experience.
And experiment with spices!!!!!

courtney_love2001

Spice it up!!! Just because you are watching what you eat doesn't mean everything is flavorless. Say if you want to eat veggies, steam them and add garlic, onion, salt/pepper, chili flakes, lemon pepper, whatever you like. Don't be afraid to try different things. I'm a big fan of chili powder and cumin, too. Or you could even add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a dab of butter. Add different sauces to your chicken or fish. Make your own vinaigrette to add to things. Vinegar is your friend! As long as you measure your ingredients out and don't go overboard, you can use those things. I am a living testament to that....

jennylynn84

Oh, wow, they don't have to be plain just because they are healthy! I didn't know what to season with at first because I was trying to not use salt. I found some recipes that use things like garlic pepper. I had never even heard of this seasoning before, but it was great on my healthy fishsticks (made with tilapia). Lemon pepper is also yummy in cooking.

I made some chicken breasts in mushroom sauce from eatingwell.com (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mushroom_cream_chicken.html) - There is very little seasoning in it but it was still spicy somehow! Maybe the mushrooms? Or using shallots? I think they are more flavorful than plain old onions.

I cook with a lot more red pepper flakes and chili powder these days.

I was really used to cooking with just Tony Chachere's (I'm from good ole Louisiana) and I didn't know what to use when I took that out because of the sodium levels. But now that I'm integrating all these other seasonings into my food, I find I've got a lot more variety than I'm used to.

Not sure what being a picky eater omits from your diet because you don't like them. This is just my advice on "plain" food. Check out cookinglight.com or eatingwell.com for really flavorful food!

ComfortFoodAddict

I was really used to cooking with just Tony Chachere's (I'm from good ole Louisiana)

lol Jenny you are fabulous! I was just about to say Tony's makes everything taste great!!!! It is very high in sodium though... I think them make a low sodium version. May be hard to find depending on where you live though. Not to worry... it can be ordered online! haha

Otherwise, I would follow a lot of the tips previously posted. For me I have a hard time eating things with weird textures. I cant eat soggy foods at all... like sloppy joes, anything with ketchup on it, gravy on stuff... make me cringe at the thought

then there are just plain weird tastes/textures like mashed potatoes, mustard, yogurt, flan. Now, I will not lie. It took 22 years for me to come to like mashed potatoes, mustard, and yogurt... as for flan I am sure I will never like it!

Just try one or two new things at a time. If you dont like them... move on. Come back and try them about 6 months-1 year later.... like I said it takes a while for some things... Cheese always helps too

jennylynn84

I was really used to cooking with just Tony Chachere's (I'm from good ole Louisiana)

lol Jenny you are fabulous! I was just about to say Tony's makes everything taste great!!!! It is very high in sodium though... I think them make a low sodium version. May be hard to find depending on where you live though. Not to worry... it can be ordered online! haha

Ooh, I'm looking into that! I used to read "salt and pepper to taste" in a recipe to mean "add some Tony's." LOL!

sareebellum

For me I have a hard time eating things with weird textures.

texture is my problem too!