Troublesome picky eater
KechiiCoo
Posts: 72 Member
So yeah, I'm a picky eater.
I don't eat most of the vegetables, I don't eat sushi/sashimi, I don't eat oatmeal.
Last time I tried to eat oatmeal (w/c was just yesterday), I threw up after 3 spoonfuls. Such a waste.
I made a banana apple smoothie with greek yogurt, I didn't finish it all up. Probably just a half of my tumbler.
I've been searching, googling, lurking the web for cheap yet healthy and easy recipes (I don't cook) and most recipes include some ingredients that I just don't eat.
What to do, what to do...
Usually the reason why I don't eat such foods is based on what they looked like, next is how they smell. Some even make me really want to throw up when I eat them.
I don't eat most of the vegetables, I don't eat sushi/sashimi, I don't eat oatmeal.
Last time I tried to eat oatmeal (w/c was just yesterday), I threw up after 3 spoonfuls. Such a waste.
I made a banana apple smoothie with greek yogurt, I didn't finish it all up. Probably just a half of my tumbler.
I've been searching, googling, lurking the web for cheap yet healthy and easy recipes (I don't cook) and most recipes include some ingredients that I just don't eat.
What to do, what to do...
Usually the reason why I don't eat such foods is based on what they looked like, next is how they smell. Some even make me really want to throw up when I eat them.
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Replies
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Uhm, stop being afraid of the kitchen? Cheap, healthy, and something you like, and not cooking it, this is hard to solve. Start by things you like, google recipes with these ingedients, then choose what looks like a beginner could handle, and experiment. And by cooking, I do not mean preparing a 5 course meal with 20 different complicated sauces. Boiling or grilling things, using a microwave, mixing a salad, preparing a sandwich, slicing up some fruit, these are simple steps everyone can complete.
If in a recipe there are ingredients you do not eat, if they are not an important part of the recipe, just skip them or exchange them for things you eat. If for example a recipe for chicken calls for a sliced onion, and you hate onions, skip the onion, ti will still work.
Build meals based on the things you eat. If you hate entire food groups, like all vegetables, then there is a problem. For your health, not for weight loss. But if you like just 2 or 3, then eat these. If you hate oatmeal, then who cares, just do nto eat oatmeal.0 -
Learn to cook
It's a skill every adult should have
Try something new with each meal
Don't revel in the "I'm special! I'm a picky eater" mentality - work at it0 -
Uhm, stop being afraid of the kitchen? Cheap, healthy, and something you like, and not cooking it, this is hard to solve. Start by things you like, google recipes with these ingedients, then choose what looks like a beginner could handle, and experiment. And by cooking, I do not mean preparing a 5 course meal with 20 different complicated sauces. Boiling or grilling things, using a microwave, mixing a salad, preparing a sandwich, slicing up some fruit, these are simple steps everyone can complete.
If in a recipe there are ingredients you do not eat, if they are not an important part of the recipe, just skip them or exchange them for things you eat. If for example a recipe for chicken calls for a sliced onion, and you hate onions, skip the onion, ti will still work.
Build meals based on the things you eat. If you hate entire food groups, like all vegetables, then there is a problem. For your health, not for weight loss. But if you like just 2 or 3, then eat these. If you hate oatmeal, then who cares, just do nto eat oatmeal.
Well, kitchen scares me like what if I burn something or the entire house,or cut myself, or mix the wrong ingredient, or possibly just poison myself to death. BUT I think I'm slowly overcoming that fear (well, I have to or more like forced to since I live by myself). The problem is that if I see a recipe that I like and has my favorite ingredient and then I see something else with it that I do not like, I either discard the entire recipe or discard the ingredient but it wound't be healthy at all.
With regards to veggies, I like lettuce and cabbage. Carrots, raw. Cooked carrots, nope. Scratch that, I eat most of leafy veggies that you usually see in a salad. But that's it.
Have to follow your advice and just work on the foods that I like for now, then slowlyLearn to cook
It's a skill every adult should have
Try something new with each meal
Don't revel in the "I'm special! I'm a picky eater" mentality - work at it
My mom cooks for me or our former house helper cooked for us so I haven't had the chance to cook. I used to when I was in high school, but I always either mess up the food or hurt myself or both. So I had some kind of mini-trauma, I guess?
And I didn't think of it as special, I'm thinking of it as a burden but still I can't let go of this picky-eating habit of mine. My issue is that it's just not healthy. Sorry, I'm a whiner. yeah.0 -
Tell you mom you want to learn to cook and do it
Seriously as a fully functioning adult, and I assume you are one or you wouldn't be on this site, it is a skill you need to have
Yeah you might not be the best of cooks but it's a skill you learn with practice
You see ..in the real world, out there amongst the adults, you will miss out on lots of potentially amazing social events by being a "picky eater". You've realised an issue so use your intelligence to combat it
And yes, stop whining
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If you can use a knife and like salads, then you can start there. Add some canned fish or cheese or boiled eggs, and you have a meal. Or put some chicken, beef, fish etc, in a non-stick pan or the broiler to eat with your salad and you have actually cooked a meal
The worst that can happen, you burn the meat a bit, or undercook it and have to cook it some more. It happens to everyone. 0 -
Sometimes as an adult, you just do what you know is right or necessary. I would suggest that if the issue is texture, try things in different ways. And don't be opposed to 'cooking'. I am not good for much in the kitchen, I will admit, but simple things with simple ingredients I can handle. Keep it simple. And if it eases your mind, make sure the usual safety tools are available. Like a fire extinguisher should be in every kitchen.
Granted, there are some things that mentally I just can't work around. Sushi/sashimi is one of them. And mushrooms. Though if they were crispy I could probably tolerate!
The sense of smell is a strong one. This might sound silly, but try holding your nose closed? I recall in grade school an experiment where we were given apples and onions to eat. Eat a bite of apple, then hold our nose, then eat a bite of onion. The onion 'tasted' like the apple because we couldn't smell it and we'd just eaten the apple. Oddest thing!
You can also try blending things into a sauce. All you need is a handheld (immersion I think its called) blender. I do this with some things - like peppers & onions for putting into a sauce for making chili, sloppy joes, spaghetti, etc. It keeps it from being chunky (I'm a picky eater trying to reform myself) and makes the flavor more evenly distributed.
If you like carrots raw, nothing requires you to eat them cooked.0 -
What foods do you like to eat? Make a list.
supercook.com
If you eat the food your mom prepares can you just get her recipe or have her teach you how to make it and alter it to be a bit healthier?
Trying new things is good but don't stress about it so much you are miserable.
Do you eat soup? They are often pretty easy to prepare. My vegetable hating dd likes vegetables when they are in soup. Her favorite is minestrone.
Get a cookbook for kids or something like Better Homes and Gardens cookbook which has basic recipes and explains different terms and equipment.0 -
My mum didn't really teach me how to cook. Just like swimming, i learnt by being thrown in the deep end, and out of necessity if i wanted to live.
Honestly buy a beginners cook book with simple recipes, apply some common sense and you're good to go. No need to have the fire department on stand by
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Well, you're going to cut yourself at some point. And you're going to burn things, and use the wrong ingredients sometimes. Your mom did when she was learning how to cook too. If it's still edible and not poisonous, eat it and learn from your mistakes, because food is expensive and you shouldn't waste it. Every adult on the planet who feeds him/herself has gone through this to some degree. It's not a big deal, and you'll learn much more quickly than you think. I hate cooking and have made every stupid mistake in the book, but I can feed myself.0
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YouTube is a great resource for learning how to cook as well.
Want to learn how to poach salmon? Search it on YouTube and then begin the tricky business of deciding whether you want to learn it from Gordon Ramsay, Alton Brown, Nigella, or some kid just like you cooking in her apartment kitchen.
DH taught himself to cook entirely from YouTube, and he's now a better cook than I am, even though I had years of both informal and formal training.
I could still beat him ten times over in a baking contest though 0 -
No one taught me how to cook. But like my mom has always said, if you can read, you can cook. I too am picky when it comes to certain things. Onions, tomatoes, peppers, etc. But I just find recipes that sound great online and if it has something in there that I don't like, I omit those and put in some seasonings to amp up the flavor of the missing ingredients.
Start with basic stuff, chicken, rice, pasta, etc. and then start experimenting with spices to make it taste better.
There are still things out there that you aren't going to like and that's going to happen. I personally like vanilla Greek yogurt. I like Dannon but HATE Chobani. Found that out the hard way. Did I have to throw away a container of Chobani? Yeah, but it was all by trial and error.
And, you said you eat what your mom cooks, have her tell you how to make some of the dishes. My mom calls me all the time and says hey, threw this in the crock pot the other day and it turned out great, you should try it! And it's usually nothing more than a few ingredients and took hardly and effort to make it.0 -
I'm in the picky eater club, too.. lol Try to start off with foods that have low flavor (maybe raw spinach) and gently reward yourself with a food that you do like after you eat it.0
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You would be surprised by what you can do in the kitchen. If you don't like the ingredients in a recipe, sometimes you can get away with leaving them out completely or maybe just swapping them for something else.
Just because a recipe calls for mushrooms doesn't mean you have to use them. They may add some flavor and a slightly different texture but they're not 100% required.
I quick Google search got me this website: http://www.myfridgefood.com/
Check off the ingredients you think you wanna use, click Find Recipes, and there you go! You might find you prefer baking vs. stovetop cooking, too.
Most important things for me when cooking:
1) Read instructions carefully - and make sure you have the ingredients before you start!
2) Have good oven mitts - I burned myself baking cookies once and wouldn't go NEAR the oven for months.
And most importantly....see this as a bit of an adventure! Be prepared to screw up - just have something handy as a backup plan in case your cooking attempt doesn't go well the first time. The more things I cook, the better I get, and the more yummy things I can have
~Lyssa
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Take a class
Watch You Tube videos
Read a Cookbook
Be willing to try new things.0 -
I am the kluztiest person on the planet. In just the last year in cooking I have stabbed myself, cut my knuckles, burnt half my hand when it fell into boiling water. Truth is these things happen you deal with it and move on. Also I have burnt hamburger helper(long time ago), burnt my hand on the dishwasher, forgot I was boiling water and it was gone by the time I remembered. I am also highly picky. For me its a texture thing. If it is gooey or mushy I truly dont like it. If I can I dice what I dont like incredibly small and mix iT into sauces.0
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You could have your mom send her house keeper over to Cook for you ?? Or possibly hire your own housekeeper?? If that's not reasonable then you'll have to just suck it up ,be a big girl and try new foods and recipes until you figure it out. Being an adult isn't always fun , and yes we all mess up sometimes but you'll figure it out eventually.0
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Cool advice guys. And kind of a slap in the face (just a soft slap) .
Sooooo... last night, I found a recipe for making pancakes (German pancakes) and luckily, I have all ingredients listed in the recipe so I tried it. After an hour, it looks tasty, but it's not, terrible. whew. And then just this morning I tried to make eggs benedict, it didn't run out the way it's shown in the Internet (I even failed to make proper poached eggs) but it tasted good. Soooo... progress progress.
Mom sent me recipes and links on where'd she got some other recipes but living alone and on a tight budget, I know I won't be able to cook those recipes she suggested regularly.0 -
If you managed to do proper poached eggs, you've got a good and cheap staple! try them over a bed of spinach or a portobella mushroom or shredded potatoes....
Poached eggs give me LIFE. Nomnomnom.0 -
See, you CAN do it
When you're on a budget, it can be a bit tougher to cook. Good things to do (this may or may not be true depending on where you are...):
-Eggs are often pretty inexpensive (I can usually get them for $2/dozen or less), and there's bunches of ways to make them. Plus they stay good for several weeks so you don't have to worry too much about using them up quickly.
-Whatever veggies you DO like - try to buy them when they're on sale or buy them frozen when they're on sale. Don't necessarily go crazy and buy 10+ bags, but 2-3 or so is worth doing if you know you'll eat them!
-Make a batch of something, part it out into containers/single servings and freeze a good portion of it.
-Buy things like chicken breasts (again, buy when they're on sale if possible) and freeze them. I like to do 1 chicken breast in a sealed sandwich bag, then put as many as possible in a freezer bag. There are SO many ways to make chicken, and it's a nice lean source of protein They'll stay good for a couple months in the freezer.
Best of luck!
~Lyssa0 -
macgurlnet wrote: »See, you CAN do it
When you're on a budget, it can be a bit tougher to cook. Good things to do (this may or may not be true depending on where you are...):
-Eggs are often pretty inexpensive (I can usually get them for $2/dozen or less), and there's bunches of ways to make them. Plus they stay good for several weeks so you don't have to worry too much about using them up quickly.
-Whatever veggies you DO like - try to buy them when they're on sale or buy them frozen when they're on sale. Don't necessarily go crazy and buy 10+ bags, but 2-3 or so is worth doing if you know you'll eat them!
-Make a batch of something, part it out into containers/single servings and freeze a good portion of it.
-Buy things like chicken breasts (again, buy when they're on sale if possible) and freeze them. I like to do 1 chicken breast in a sealed sandwich bag, then put as many as possible in a freezer bag. There are SO many ways to make chicken, and it's a nice lean source of protein They'll stay good for a couple months in the freezer.
Best of luck!
~Lyssa
Yep, I did it. And idiot me was too proud that I decided o go on to the next level: baking. Haha, baked sweet potato brownies (Coz I love sweet potatoes and I love brownies). It turned so dry and powdery, but my friends consoled me that despite all of that, it still tasted good. Whew.
Yeah, well, for the past week I've been having eggs! I might turn into an egghead.
With regards to the chicken, whenever I buy chicken the expiration date is written on its packaging and it's usually just 2-3 days so I always panic and cook them all. But you did mention it'll stay good even if it's stored in the freezer for a couple of months. How is that possible?
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You need to overcome your own barriers otherwise you aren't going to go anywhere.
This is something that will always get in your way in the future. Good luck.0 -
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The trick with brownies is to get to know your oven ...it's down to timing ...when the top starts to crack and they're still wobbly take them out
Look on the web for cheap healthy recipes and try them ...0 -
macgurlnet wrote: »See, you CAN do it
When you're on a budget, it can be a bit tougher to cook. Good things to do (this may or may not be true depending on where you are...):
-Eggs are often pretty inexpensive (I can usually get them for $2/dozen or less), and there's bunches of ways to make them. Plus they stay good for several weeks so you don't have to worry too much about using them up quickly.
-Whatever veggies you DO like - try to buy them when they're on sale or buy them frozen when they're on sale. Don't necessarily go crazy and buy 10+ bags, but 2-3 or so is worth doing if you know you'll eat them!
-Make a batch of something, part it out into containers/single servings and freeze a good portion of it.
-Buy things like chicken breasts (again, buy when they're on sale if possible) and freeze them. I like to do 1 chicken breast in a sealed sandwich bag, then put as many as possible in a freezer bag. There are SO many ways to make chicken, and it's a nice lean source of protein They'll stay good for a couple months in the freezer.
Best of luck!
~Lyssa
Yep, I did it. And idiot me was too proud that I decided o go on to the next level: baking. Haha, baked sweet potato brownies (Coz I love sweet potatoes and I love brownies). It turned so dry and powdery, but my friends consoled me that despite all of that, it still tasted good. Whew.
Yeah, well, for the past week I've been having eggs! I might turn into an egghead.
With regards to the chicken, whenever I buy chicken the expiration date is written on its packaging and it's usually just 2-3 days so I always panic and cook them all. But you did mention it'll stay good even if it's stored in the freezer for a couple of months. How is that possible?
Freezing food halts a whole bunch of stuff (I don't know the science behind it all) so the food won't spoil if it's frozen. Think of it as pausing a TV show - it'll stay in the same spot until you resume it.
Here's a chart for reference: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html.
I generally freeze the chicken raw as soon as I buy it, leaving out 1 chicken breast. Then when I want another, all I need to do is take it out of the freezer & leave it on a plate to thaw in the refrigerator. I usually take it out the night before so it has about 16 hours to thaw.
I put each chicken breast in its own bag (this is assuming you're buying a package where the individual breasts aren't wrapped), then put all the bags in a freezer bag.
I would recommend freezing them before their expiration date, but I've cooked chicken that was technically expired and it's come out fine.
~Lyssa0 -
Start simple. So many of these big Food TV stars have been making shows for so many years, they're running out of ideas and making these recipes with crazy ingredients and combinations. My favorite cookbook to this day is the very first one Rachael Ray came out with when she looked like she was about 17 years old. Easy, tasty, and mostly pretty healthy because you're cooking from scratch and can control the ingredients.
Maybe start with a restaurant dish you know you like, Google until you find a recipe that looks close, and if there's a corresponding video then you're golden! I also like to make a simple sauteed protein (usually chicken breast or pork chop) then find a nice sauce to make alongside. It has the added benefit of looking fancy so it's good to serve to guests as well.
(PS I hate oatmeal too. It's not a requirement lol.)0 -
Eat what you did before, only in moderation.0
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The trick with brownies is to get to know your oven ...it's down to timing ...when the top starts to crack and they're still wobbly take them out
Look on the web for cheap healthy recipes and try them ...
Took them out when the top looks moist and there's nothing sticking on the toothpick anymore. But it still turned out dry. I don't have an oven but I do have a convection microwave so I used that. Maybe it's due to that, as well?macgurlnet wrote: »Freezing food halts a whole bunch of stuff (I don't know the science behind it all) so the food won't spoil if it's frozen. Think of it as pausing a TV show - it'll stay in the same spot until you resume it.
Here's a chart for reference: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html.
I generally freeze the chicken raw as soon as I buy it, leaving out 1 chicken breast. Then when I want another, all I need to do is take it out of the freezer & leave it on a plate to thaw in the refrigerator. I usually take it out the night before so it has about 16 hours to thaw.
I put each chicken breast in its own bag (this is assuming you're buying a package where the individual breasts aren't wrapped), then put all the bags in a freezer bag.
I would recommend freezing them before their expiration date, but I've cooked chicken that was technically expired and it's come out fine.
~Lyssa
Thanks for the link. I definitely need that.
Darn, I threw about 3 chicken legs last week because it's apparently past the expiration date. Such a waste.
knitapeace wrote: »Start simple. So many of these big Food TV stars have been making shows for so many years, they're running out of ideas and making these recipes with crazy ingredients and combinations. My favorite cookbook to this day is the very first one Rachael Ray came out with when she looked like she was about 17 years old. Easy, tasty, and mostly pretty healthy because you're cooking from scratch and can control the ingredients.
Maybe start with a restaurant dish you know you like, Google until you find a recipe that looks close, and if there's a corresponding video then you're golden! I also like to make a simple sauteed protein (usually chicken breast or pork chop) then find a nice sauce to make alongside. It has the added benefit of looking fancy so it's good to serve to guests as well.
(PS I hate oatmeal too. It's not a requirement lol.)
Yeah, I found a recipe that only included pork chops, eggs, milk, and bread crumbs. OM, it's tasty and easy. Will be trying things out from there. Google has been very helpful, but since I'm still new at this, I screw-up lots of time.0 -
Buy this book and keep going back to it until you know the basics: The Kitchen Survival Guide. My mom got it for me when I first moved out on my own. Some of the stuff is very basic and you probably already know it. Other things, like how to store food and how long to keep it, may not be obvious to you. There are easy recipes, and it's written with humor (or at least it was back when I received it).
As others have mentioned you can also do searches online for things you like. If you like spinach, Google "recipes with spinach." Bam, you'll get all kinds of hits. I like to search allrecipes.com because I can change the servings and convert to grams. Yes, you'll probably make a few mistakes, get a few cuts, and have some utter disasters. That's part of learning so just go with it and the next time it will be better. 0 -
Experimentation! Cooking shows! Recipes! Pinterest! When I learned to cook I had nothing really to go on. My Grandma was terrible and made me believe I wanted to be a vegetarian cause she cooked meat so badly, my Mom couldn't cook anything, my other family members did weird things that some were OK and some I just didn't like. I am not a picky eater. The point is, if you have things prepared the way YOU like them, they will no longer be an issue. So try things all the time, look at new techniques and recipes and challenge yourself to get over the mental piece of it, because that is 80% of it.0
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The Hairy Bikers have 3 books called 'Hairy Dieters'. They are brilliant, calorie controlled delicious meals. The recipies are easy, even my husband has attempted one or two of them and he hates cooking.0
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