Overcoming a Food Aversion

i have had the same issue with chicken, now currently with pork. the best i've come up with is.....

*to minimize my portion size (go for a 3-4 oz portion so there's less of it to choke through)

*change the texture of it (shredded chicken/pork is easier for me to stomach than a cutlet of some kind)

*or, very simply, try to stay away from it for a while (switch to something else, like very lean red meat, fish, or meat alternatives.)

not the greatest suggestions i know, but it's the best i've come up with so far. ugh. just thinking about a pork chop right now makes my stomach turn over. i feel for ya!!!

Well hell, if you really don't like it, don't eat it.

I'm this way with pork chops and I think I figured out that it happens when they're overcooked. They're so tough and tasteless that I can't even deal with chewing them. So I've tried a few things and they help out a bit... Be cautious when cooking, just cook until almost done then let them rest a couple minutes on the stove top and they'll finish cooking off on their own. I also can't seem to managed the darker porks like sirloin chops because that darker meat just looks off to me. Also, bone-in are MUCH better than boneless - more tasty and less likely to overcook.

Also, I second the recommendation for trying dark meat chicken. I mostly buy boneless skinless chicken thighs because they're so much tastier. There's not that much of a difference in the fat, especially if you remove any excess left by the butcher. I now only buy chicken breast to use in recipes where they're cut up (like soup).

I have always been a picky eater. I have a food aversion to a lot of things that I try to overcome. I hate having a food aversion to common foods because it makes life harder for me and I hate that way more than I hate the food!

I am with you on the I Hate Chicken. I get over it by cutting my chicken VERY small or shredding it. Shredded chicken is the best way for me to eat it. I also spend more on the good stuff which I notice improves the taste and texture that I hate so much. I only buy Bare Naked chicken breasts and it works out ok.

Greek Yogurt was a really big problem for me. Another one of those "I want to like it" items that I just didn't. I managed to get over that by getting a higher quality brand and adding chopped almonds or granola to it. After forcing it on myself for a few weeks, I grew to really like it. Now I have it almost every day. Yumyum.

Recently I read Jillian Michaels Mastering Your Metabolism. It has a lot of good information in it for people with thyroid issues (which I have.) She repeatedly gives "best foods" advice, many of which I don't like. So I've been working to incorporate a few of them into my diet and it's been a bit of a struggle but I'm getting there. I'm working on getting over my berry aversion, particularly blue berries. It's not going great, but I'm getting them in even if they gross me out. I want to like them, so that helps. I'm also incorporating spinach (which I, so far, enjoy sautéed with a little EVOO and a LOT of garlic), beets (not going so hot), and cooked broccoli (so far so good.)

I honestly don't think that anyone needs to FORCE themselves to like something they don't like. I'm trying to grow my good food list so I want to try to get over some of my issues. That's the only reason I'm working on some of them and I'm already accepting that beets and blueberries will probably never be my thing, but I've found a way to enjoy broccoli and spinach. Don't push yourself beyond what you're willing, but definitely work to find a way to like some things that you want to like. Good luck!