I eat like a toddler.

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2

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  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    This is a little beyond 'grow up and eat'

    Check into therapy. There are professionals out there who deal with sensory issues.

    My son has an aversion to some textures, and it limits what he eats. It's not so bad that he's missing out on nutrition though.. but if some veggies are too wet or mushy, he gags, and can't eat them (usually he's gagging before it even hits his mouth)
  • GnomeQueen84
    GnomeQueen84 Posts: 55 Member
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    Just stop complaining about it and do it. None of us are going to magically cure your "sensory issues" or make those foods taste different. You do a lot of things you don't actually like when you are being a responsible person.
  • Emmerz85
    Emmerz85 Posts: 8
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    Your tastebuds will change, you just have to give them a chance. Once you remove the processed items from your diet and eat only fresh healthy foods, that's what your body will crave. After a while, the other foods will not have the flavor you once thought you tasted. You'll actually be able to taste the chemicals. Give it a try!
  • mrspedey
    mrspedey Posts: 2 Member
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    Sensory issues are a very real thing! I don't have many sensory issues relating to food, but my sensory issues affect my ability to go to work and the gym (smells) and relate to my husband (sensitive to touch).

    ***
    While I don't debate sensory issues are a real thing, this one takes the cake! Next time I don't want to go to work or have 'relations' I'm going to say my sensory issues are flaring up!
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    I only eat chicken nuggets, fish sticks, french fries and spaghetti. I don't eat most fruit or vegetables because I don't like the taste or texture. I really need to eat fruit and vegetables and a variety of food, but I have sensory issues and I don't know where to start. Can anyone help me?

    I'm not sure what to suggest, but I sense you might be on the spectrum. You might want to talk to a doctor or nutritionist about this -- as I am sure you know it is not healthy and sustainable for the long run.

    Good luck.
  • chantelp89
    chantelp89 Posts: 590 Member
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    That's funny because my toddler eats like a grown up lol
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Just stop complaining about it and do it. None of us are going to magically cure your "sensory issues" or make those foods taste different. You do a lot of things you don't actually like when you are being a responsible person.

    Please, get over yourself. Sensory issues are a real thing for a lot of people, it's not am imaginary thing. Perhaps you should do your research before you ride in on your high horse, making yourself look like a fool.
  • kittyhasclaws
    kittyhasclaws Posts: 446 Member
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    I get you on the sensory issues. Texture kills me on some things, like bananas, yogurt, eggplant and tomatoes. I only take the first two in smoothies (the frozen fruits and veggies I put in helps it have a milkshake like texture instead), and I just don't bother with eggplant. On tomatoes, I take the time to remove the gooey stuff and seeds, then I'm okay with it. Try some strange veggies that you've never tried before. Find the veggies you do like and keep them on hand at all times.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    I picture you, sitting in a giant high-chair, eating dry Cheerios, one by one. It's creepy-cute.

    Honestly, you just have to try new things. Some of them will disgust you, but you will find some new foods you will like. Don't give up on yourself.
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
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    grow up and just put it in your mouth. :flowerforyou:

    I've heard this before.
  • Dr_Waffles
    Dr_Waffles Posts: 141 Member
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    Honestly this sounds like a psychological disorder. You are not alone when it comes to not eating something based on the dislike of taste and texture. Most commonly though, it's autistic children that suffer from this disorder. There may be some underlying issues with your dislike of fruit and vegetables. Until you can overcome this issue, you will never be able to enjoy more foods.

    BTW Google the question and you'll see tons of the same. It's called Food Neophobia.
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    OP, I agree with another poster. Are you on the spectrum? It is none of my business, of course, but you may want to look into it. Obviously you don't have to be on it to have sensory issues, I have sensory issues unrelated to food, so I understand to a certain degree, though I think yours are more difficult to live with. Find what textures don't bother you and try to see if you can match those. If you like crunchy, you're golden for quite a few fruits and veggies. If you like things more mushy, you can cook and steam things to get a softer texture. If you like somewhere in between, you can kind of half cook a lot of veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower to have a bit of a snap, but not too much.

    Edited for a couple of typos.
  • GnomeQueen84
    GnomeQueen84 Posts: 55 Member
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    Just stop complaining about it and do it. None of us are going to magically cure your "sensory issues" or make those foods taste different. You do a lot of things you don't actually like when you are being a responsible person.

    Please, get over yourself. Sensory issues are a real thing for a lot of people, it's not am imaginary thing. Perhaps you should do your research before you ride in on your high horse, making yourself look like a fool.

    When someone wants advice from the internet, they get it.
  • SarahDavs
    SarahDavs Posts: 161 Member
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    my 4 year old is autistic and we think because of sensory issues he won't eat a lot of different foods. We've resorted to getting most of his nutrition into shakes. We make him a shake twice a day. Have you considered a juicer? You could work a lot of fruits and veges into that and the texture would just be liquid. We don't have a juicer, but for shakes we do spinach, banana, peanut butter and honey with milk, or avocado and banana, milk and honey... Sorry you're having a hard time, my nephew also has sensory issues, it's very real.
  • knottyceltic
    knottyceltic Posts: 25 Member
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    It comes down to choices. Regardless of your sensory issues (both my preemies have oral and tactile sensory issues) you just "do it". My kids were not permitted to pick and choose their foods simply because of their sensory issues and as an adult you should know not to do it either. You just find things you think you can tolerate and eat it. I loathe "fish" but I eat it anyway about once a month simply for the Omega vitamins, protein and other health benefits. Sensory issues as you know are all about desensitizing yourself so the only resolution is to push yourself to succeed. If little babies can do it, then so can you.
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Just stop complaining about it and do it. None of us are going to magically cure your "sensory issues" or make those foods taste different. You do a lot of things you don't actually like when you are being a responsible person.

    Please, get over yourself. Sensory issues are a real thing for a lot of people, it's not am imaginary thing. Perhaps you should do your research before you ride in on your high horse, making yourself look like a fool.

    When someone wants advice from the internet, they get it.

    Yepp, no matter how ignorant, rude, and uneducated the responder is.
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 Member
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    P.S. my 15 month old eats everything and anything. :bigsmile:

    Don't get too cocky about this. :smile: My now 11-year-old son ate everything until about the age of 2: sweet potatoes, apples, melons, peanut butter, turkey (all of Thanksgiving dinner), dried apricots, hummus, cottage cheese, yogurt, on and on and on. Then he started eliminating one food after another, so that by the time he was 4 he ate almost nothing but bread and crackers. He hated the typical toddler/little kid food (yogurt tubes, chicken nuggets, French fries (!), mac 'n' cheese). He's much better now, but he still has a ways to go to have a normal, non-picky diet. For instance, he will not eat any fruit except for a few non-sweet botanical fruits (e.g., raw peppers and cured olives). He still won't eat peanut butter and doesn't like Nutella (WTF?). For him, it's mostly a texture thing, but taste also plays a role. He does like very umami-intense foods, like anchovies and dry cheeses (like Parmigiano Reggiano), and his favorite meat is lamb.

    Odds are, your 18-month-old will not go down this path, but don't be surprised if your good little eater goes through a picky phase for a while. Most of my parent friends' good eaters have done so somewhere between 2 and 6, as did my 7-year-old daughter, but then they go back to "normal." I just remember how proud I was of my little guy (and of myself) for his excellent diet, and then it all came crumbling down. It was a very hard 4 or 5 years.

    Thing is, my son did go through it. And sadly didn't gain weight like he was suppose to, he finally this past appointment is where he is suppose to be weight wise, which makes no sense when both his father and i are overweight. We went to an endocrinologist, a dietician etc and was told that he would grow in his own time and that everything i was giving him was appropriate. There were times when he didn't want the veggies or fruits or even breads (now he can't seem to get enough of them), nowadays, we have problems with him not wanting processed foods (which is fine with me, but my husband is not okay with it because he loves processed foods and fast food so we end up splitting hairs).
  • GnomeQueen84
    GnomeQueen84 Posts: 55 Member
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    Just stop complaining about it and do it. None of us are going to magically cure your "sensory issues" or make those foods taste different. You do a lot of things you don't actually like when you are being a responsible person.

    Please, get over yourself. Sensory issues are a real thing for a lot of people, it's not am imaginary thing. Perhaps you should do your research before you ride in on your high horse, making yourself look like a fool.

    When someone wants advice from the internet, they get it.

    Yepp, no matter how ignorant, rude, and uneducated the responder is.

    Glad you see my point. This person should go to a Dr., not ask for advice about a medical issue from an internet forum.
  • leeanneowens
    leeanneowens Posts: 319 Member
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    I feel for you. There are a lot of fruits and vegetables that I don't like the taste or texture of either. I don't really eat what is called "healthy" most of the time but have still managed to lose 50 lbs, 44 since I joined MFP and 6 before joining. I mostly try to find lower calorie versions of the things I do like and I usually bake my meats. I also try to get all my water in though I struggle getting it in on the weekends. Basically it has been a matter of making small adjustments a few at a time.
  • iKapuniai
    iKapuniai Posts: 594 Member
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    Try smoothies. Good way to get in your fruits and vegetables.

    I also drink SGN Emerald Balance Nutritional "Superfood" Drink every morning. I drink it straight up with water, tastes like *kitten* with a touch of mint, but it's not too bad in smoothies. Unfortunately, smoothies don't fill me up and are just a waste of my calories, so I just down the drink quickly in the morning and get it over with. But, for those that like smoothies, it's a great addition. :)


    Regarding your issues with taste and texture and such... there's nothing you can do but keep trying.
    I used to HATE oatmeal... LOATHED it, actually. The look alone was enough to make me gag, but the texture was awful. However, every time I smelled it as it cooked, especially with cinnamon or maple and brown sugar or something, I craved it, just by the smell alone. So one day I decided to try it. Still hated it. However, I still wanted it. (And no, I wasn't pregnant lol). So I kept making oatmeal in different ways until I found a TASTE that I liked, that was so good that I was forced to overlook the TEXTURE. Now, I love oatmeal. It still takes me forever to eat it because the texture isn't something I want in my mouth in big bites, but I no longer hate it lol.

    So maybe if you try making fruits and vegetables in different ways, with different flavors, different recipes, perhaps you'll find something that tastes good, that might either alter the texture or make you forget about it completely? I duno, just my suggestion. Worked for me! :)

    Love and Alohas,
    Ihilani Kapuniai

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