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Basically I feel picky eaters are like petulant toddlers and they should grow up so I try not to surround myself with them as I have no desire to be surrounded by toddlers. If I wanted children in my life I am quite able to have my own.
I have always found picky eating to usually be a very good gauge as to whether I will truly become friends with someone. Picky eating usually reflects other traits which I do not find that appealling like a like of a sense of adventure, and curiosity about life in general.
Boy, that's some serious generalization! I'm a picky eater for a variety of reasons, mostly having to do with stomach issues, cultural hangups, and dietary restrictions (I lost 60lbs & have kept it off for 5-6 years)... but I don't expect people to accommodate me, and it certainly doesn't reflect on my "sense of adventure" or "curiosity about life." I've literally traveled around the world, and have done things most people my age could only dream of - I also have a WIDE variety of hobbies, from performing classical music to collecting exotic reptiles. So the fact that I can't eat red meat & pork, and dislike a bunch of other foods, has little to do with the rest of my life.
It's rarely an issue for me anyway, since my jobs don't often involve the sharing of food... we typically take lunches on our own, and I either bring food or go to a nearby restaurant. And when I eat at somebody's house, I just quietly choose to eat what appeals to me. No big deal, IMO, but apparently some people have to be nosy about everyone else & what they eat.
I get the sense, too, that picky eaters probably aren't very fun to travel with.
I've traveled a ton in my life, and it's never been much of a problem. I'm also fine with eating the same thing over & over, like when I was in Costa Rica... I had "arroz con pollo" almost every day, and it was yummy enough not to bother me! Most semi-developed countries also have a variety of options these days, even in places where food is very cultural. Ever heard of "McDavid's?" It's the Kosher version of McDonald's, and I ate there a few times while traveling around Israel.
Your taste buds change as you age. As a boy I found certain foods, like Swiss cheese or cranberry juice, very painful to eat. The flavors were just too strong. When I tried them later in life I thought they were delicious.
Many people base their food preferences on experiences they had when they were 8 years old. I think everyone should occasionally try and reevaluate foods that they think they don't like. You may be surprised how your tastes have changed.
That is true, and I've tried a few things in recent years that I used to "hate." When I was a kid, I thought onions were the devil... now I LOVE them, especially when they're grilled or caramelized. I was also raised by a mother with serious food allergies - she can literally die from eating a bell pepper, or anything else classified as a night-shade plant. So I always thought spicy food was a no-go, until I started trying it on my own. Now Indian food is my absolute favorite!
Always an easy choice when it comes to survival and cannibalism though, the most squeamish , the first to go.
I often wonder how quickly hunger would change all those picky eaters ?
Obviously if I were starving, I'd eat whatever was available... but thankfully I live in the United States of America, where even the poorest of poor people have some food options. If I were a starving child in Africa, however, I doubt I'd have "food hangups" to begin with!
Funny how people rant about obesity in this country, and then complain when somebody has dietary restrictions. Sorry, but I've been obese and don't want to be there ever again - my food restrictions helped me to lose 60lbs & keep it off, so screw anyone who tries to "force" me to eat something! I haven't eaten a steak or hamburger since I was fat, and I'm pretty sure eating them again would pile on the pounds rather quickly. I do miss a good cheeseburger, but turkey burgers are almost as good (and so much healthier).
Dang, now this discussion has made me hungry!! But it's cold & rainy outside, and I have nothing decent in the kitchen... methinks it's time for an Indian food delivery.
Me too. Only my choices include ONLY "Take it" or "Leave it."
I ALWAYS tell a potential guest what we are having. They can take it or leave it. My feeling is that if they don't show up, just means I have more for lunch tomorrow. Few picky eaters ever accept my offer for dinner. This week (since Sunday) dinner has been served 4 times in my house. Sunday, we had smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, baked escargot with melted brie, Italian bread, crab dip, and tortilla chips with wine. Monday we had breaded venison chops with fluffy mashed sweet potatoes, Tuesday we had lamb shanks braised in red wine with couscous, Wednesday we had a meatloaf......a really nice blend of ground venison, american bison, and pork served with a brussel sprout/broccoli/cheese casserole. I had a nice mixed drink with each meal....tonight it was a dirty martini, a decent burgundy, and a brandy aperitif. Tomorrow will be steaks. Friday will be a Chinese restaurant in the city. Saturday, it being close to 75 out, I am planning on smoking a goose.
I doubt the typical picky eater would be interested.
Could that be a cultural/religious thing? It is with me (I'm Jewish), and it's pretty bad when people aren't even sensitive to that... I've had co-workers order ONLY pepperoni pizzas, and then they're shocked when I decline. Even if they know I'm Jewish!
That's just inconsiderate. I would never expect an observant Jewish person to put aside their religious dietary restrictions.
One of my coworkers is a Jain. He can't eat potatoes. I would switch religions, lol. Mashed potatoes are my favorite food on the planet! My coworker does get upset when people use the microwave at work and walk away and leave a meat dish inside when he needs the microwave for his lunch. I found him standing there once in a panic saying, "She left her food in the microwave again, and I cannot touch meat! I cannot touch meat!"
I don't consider religious dietary restrictions to be "picky", though.
I think the reason we have picky eaters is because their parents allowed them to be picky eaters when they were little and they got away with it . thus causing them to be picky eaters when grown up . I detest picky eaters .
Completely agree.
I try whatever someone offers me, because I never know what it'll taste like. I just wont eat scorpion or things that Bear Grylls eats. haha
I've been an on/off again vegetarian during my life and my husband enjoyed eating meat. We never turned any of it into a "power struggle." It made me happy to see him enjoy a steak or pot roast or ground beef in a taco etc...He was happy when I made or found tasty vegetarian dishes to eat...We didn't try to "convert" each other or force each other to be a "carbon copy" of "who we were" etc...He didn't view me as a "picky eater" and I didn't view him as a "picky eater" either! It was ok to have differences in our relationship and we worked around all of it. We had 24 happy years together before he passed away.
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I'm a picky eater for a variety of reasons, mostly having to do with stomach issues, cultural hangups, and dietary restrictions (I lost 60lbs & have kept it off for 5-6 years)... but I don't expect people to accommodate me, and it certainly doesn't reflect on my "sense of adventure" or "curiosity about life." I've literally traveled around the world, and have done things most people my age could only dream of - I also have a WIDE variety of hobbies, from performing classical music to collecting exotic reptiles. So the fact that I can't eat red meat & pork, and dislike a bunch of other foods, has little to do with the rest of my life.
