And you thought you were a picky eater!

My wife is also very picky. She would eat grilled cheese, chicken strips and mac & cheese all day. She is slooowwwllly expanding her palette because she knows she needs to and that is what I recommend. She finds some of the foods she thinks she hates are not bad.

To begin with, make sure you're taking a multi-vitamin. Second, make sure to drink meal replacement drinks, like Ensure, try even mixing it with ice cream, it improves the taste and gets it down easier. Third, you've acknowledged your problem, so you can start to fix it. Start off with just trying lots of foods, start near your comfort zone, like different types of grains, whole grains, go from potatoes to sweet potatoes or other roots. If it's been a long time since you've tried a food, try it again, maybe prepared differently since the way the food is prepared changes the taste, your taste preferences may have changed. Also the way the food is presented can affect the eating experience, so if you do cook, or have a meal prepared for you, try to plate it in an appealing manner that's nice to look at, it can help make it nice to eat too somewhat. Definitely talk to a registered dietitian. As long as you're open to trying new foods, I'm sure you'll find some new foods that you actually like. My bf is a picky eater, but I have hope for him because he's willing to try new foods, and he's been surprised at what he likes afterall!

Wow, very, very nice to come across another person who is just as picky as me. I hate being like this, so embarrassing
Bumping, 'cause I want to see suggestions too. Sometimes a few of my relatives will be like, "Since you like (so-and-so), you'll definitely like this, trust me!" So, whomever knows your habit well, may be able to provide suggestions.

My views on this are probably very unpopular but you choose what you eat. You can eat healthy if you choose to or you can continue as you are and probably lose whatever weight you want on a calorie deficit. And then still be unhealthy.

Expand your horizons and try something new. If you don't like it try it cooked a different way. You can eat the food if you want to.

I found I didn't like a lot of stuff until it was prepared in different ways. I now love certain vegetables I used to hate. The problem for me is my parent's got everything out of a can never fresh when I was a kid. Therefore I wanted mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, chips, pizza, french fries, etc. etc. because that other stuff was yukkkkk.

Now that I've learned how to cook I love experimenting and trying new things.

I was very picky as a kid. I'm still working through some of my issues. I suggest being a little harder on yourself and telling yourself to try something new every week, or month. Go at your own pace, but make it happen. And try to have a positive attitude. You can learn to like new things, if you give them a fair shake. Sometimes it takes more than one try, but you just have to keep trying.

Since you seem to like carb-rich foods, I would suggest "masking" some of the things you dislike by adding it to your pastas or sandwiches. Try it a little bit at a time. Barely any. Then add a little more. Then once you get used to that, try finding other recipes that feature that food item in a different way. Also, you're probably better off starting with "bland" food items than those known for being strong. You'll get there, if you put in the effort and come at it from the right angle and be optimistic with it.

As I am sure that you probably know, year after year your taste buds change...I am also a very picky eater and when I find something I like I will eat it daily...Check out my diary, I eat the same things every single day for months sometimes...But, I have realized that now that I am older I have tried quite a few things that I hated when I was younger and found that I now like - Yogurt was something I did not like and now love...Also, I have found that I don't like some things that I used to love, like spinach...I used to LOVE spinach and I ate some a couple of weeks ago and I really don't like it at all now, and meats - I used to love ALL meats and now I will not eat most of them b/c of texture and taste....So, what I am trying to say is take a small bite of things that you don't think you like and maybe you will now like it...It never hurts to try..At the very least you may find that you like more food than you think....

In the meantime drink protein shakes to get some protein in your diet and make sure to take a multi-vitamin to get some nutrients that you may be lacking in right now....Best of luck to you...

i have one son with multiple food allergies and another son who has Asperger's Syndrome and is very picky about foods because of that, plus we have some religious dietary restrictions, so i deal with picky eating all the time... I was pretty picky as a child, and am somewhat picky now, though no where near as much. Here are some thoughts:

Did you know that your taste buds completely change within every 7 years. Maybe some things you have tried in the past could be tried again. I know its hard. TRUST ME. Maybe start out trying the things that were OK, but not favorites, to see if you like them a little more this time.

You can make things cauliflower in a way similar to mashed potatoes. Sounds gross, i know, but i hear its good.

You can try the zucchini tots recipe thats been very popular here on MFP (search the forum for the recipe). Its similar to tater tots, so if you like those, you might just like the zuke tots.

One of my favorite snacks might be something that would work for you: a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, 4 or 5 crackers, a clementine (like a tiny, sweet, orange if you're unfamiliar) and a cup of mint tea.

You can try things like homemade sweet potato "fries" (oven baked) which are similar to something you already like, but are healthier.

You can also try adding in cooked/pureed carrots, zucchini, squash, peppers, etc into soups or spagetti sauce.

Freeze berries and fruits that you enjoy when they're on sale then toss them in the blender with a bit of water or juice and some greek yogurt for a smoothie. (If textures bother you, stay away from raspberries as they have a lot of seeds)

If you like peanut butter and strawberries or bananas, try making a roll-up sandwich with diced fresh fruit & pb -- like a pb & j but less sugar! -- makes great picnic food, btw!

Dice up some veggies into TINY TINY TINY pieces and add them to your pizza under the cheese.

Try some new spices and take note of ethnic cuisines you prefer and explore the cuisine further when you find something that is pleasing to you.

Find a quality whole-foods based multi-vitamin to help fill in nutritional gaps. (I recommend Nature's Way Alive!)

Look into protein sources that you DO like. If you up your protein, you'll have to cut back on your carbs, which will help your overall nutritional profile, IMO.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

My family have a saying when it comes to food...

"You don't have to like everything you eat, but you do need to learn how to EAT everything".

Basically, you teach yourself to become accustomed to food, even if it's not your favorite thing in the world. There are things I don't like, but I've learned how to eat them in small portions. It makes it easier on us and others if we have a meal at someones home and to get the nutrition we require.

I agree with others that slowly expanding your food options is a wise thing to do. It'll just make your life easier! :happy:

suggestion to revisit those foods that you think you can't eat/stand. Maybe some of the things that caused the food phobia are not present any longer.

Just to get the idea: Some kids develop food phobias because their parents forced them to eat certain foods. Some others are associated with particularly painful events. Maybe too much of a particular food/recipe.

Varying the recipe is a good way to test. Say the phobia is to the smell of boiled spinach, then try a smoothie with spinach on it.

Perhaps after a few years those thoughts/events/memories are not as strong anymore and your brain will cut you a little slack and allow for trying them again.

I force myself to eat things I don't like and eventually I begin to like them. Like raw carrots, I used to hate them, now I eat them a few times a week.