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Honestly, I am surprised there are so many picky eaters on this forum. As a child, I always ate whatever was for dinner, and I don't really understand how all these picky eaters came to be.
I just don't get it.
I was a very picky eater as a child, but now I'm not. I just used to get grossed out by my own imagination. Spaghetti turned into worms and rice looked like maggots. I'd read about botulism, so I was afraid to eat canned foods for a long time. So, there's one example about how a picky eater came to be!
I'm not so sure it is clear what defines a picky eater. I will eat most ingredients. Will I eat all those most ingredients if they're covered in a cream of soup? No.
Fortunately I don't have this problem, I will at least eat a little from everything when invited, I'm not a little kid anymore that can't sacrifice some taste for the benefit of a relationship.
I've encountered some really picky eaters lately. It makes it hard to make a meal for them because I'm concerned they won't like it. I tend to not cook meals for picky guest but rather just order pizza to save myself the grief.
Maybe the picky eaters I know are bit extreme but how do you deal with these people? I always thought it was rude to refuse food without even taking a bite? Am I wrong?
I don't generally cater to picky eaters, but I wouldn't serve somebody something I knew they hated, either. IMHO, a polite "no, thank you" is acceptable, but a request for something different or complaints isn't.
Right after my husband passed away a friend came over to visit me and brought me a hamburger. My friend didn't know that I didn't eat beef...But it was such a nice gesture that I decided to eat the hamburger...It was the first hamburger that I'd eaten in decades. I did ok! My son was at my house at the time and he was really surprised that I ate the hamburger. I told him that the hamburger was all about "love." My friend really cared about me and this "warmed my heart!"....I haven't gone back to eating beef but I'll never forget that hamburger and how my friend wanted to bring me a special treat that day! I didn't tell my friend that I didn't eat beef because I didn't want to spoil her gift for me or embarrass her.
If anyone takes the time, money, and effort to make a meal for you and you flat out refuse (especially without trying it)... you are rude in my book or at least a food snob (and I'm obviously not alone here). Excluded are people with allergies of course/religious reasons. I have had people cook me meals that were not prepared well. But guess what, I chocked it down and smiled about it because I'd rather suffer thru a bad meal than offend the cook who tried to please me. That's how I roll.
Yup, ITA. I have eaten food I didn't particularly care for - it's called being a grownup. And we are invited out quite a bit and I can't remember ever anyone ever asking me or my husband our preferences in food. And I don't ask guests either normally. I would always make an exception for allergies and religious reasons.
My husband has a friend who is a vegetarian, which I didn't know and my husband didn't know. He happened to come at dinner time and I invited him to join us. I had a venison ragout. He ate and sometime later, it came out that he was a vegetarian. I immediately offered to get him something else, but he said his philosophy was simple - he didn't expect people to change their dining habits to accommodate him. He ate what was put in front of him and was grateful that there was food.
Then I have a girlfriend who is a very picky eater with a very picky kid eater. A summer ago there was an impromptu BBQ at my place because a lot of people showed up with kids on a hot summer day to use our pool.
Personally, I really don't like hot dogs but hot dogs was the simplest thing to prepare for so many kids whom I had not expected to begin with. I did not feel like defrosting and making hamburgers.
My friend's little kid informed me that he didn't eat hot dogs and wanted hamburgers. I said with a smile, "Oh, is that so?" and kept on putting together hot dogs for all the other kids. Then he decided he would take a hot dog after all. Then I asked if he wanted onions on his hot dog. His mother said yes, but only red onions and looked at me like she thought I was really going to go and pick up a red onion from the grocery store 30 minutes away.
I just kept on smiling and said to the boy that in that case, I wouldn't put any onions on his hot dog (I had sweet white onions). He waited for a while thinking I was going to cave in. Finally he asked for the white onions.
Some things are just ridiculous, whether you are a kid or an adult.
I'm a vegetarian. All the people that I hang out with know, and it hasn't ever really been a problem. If I'm going to a dinner I let the host know in advance, and usually there is something for me, but if not there always seems to be plenty of side dishes and snacks. It's much easier when dealing with more ethnic foods like Italian, Asian or even Mexican. American food seems to be really meat centric compared to most other things.
Yup, ITA. I have eaten food I didn't particularly care for - it's called being a grownup. And we are invited out quite a bit and I can't remember ever anyone ever asking me or my husband our preferences in food. And I don't ask guests either normally. I would always make an exception for allergies and religious reasons.
My husband has a friend who is a vegetarian, which I didn't know and my husband didn't know. He happened to come at dinner time and I invited him to join us. I had a venison ragout. He ate and sometime later, it came out that he was a vegetarian. I immediately offered to get him something else, but he said his philosophy was simple - he didn't expect people to change their dining habits to accommodate him. He ate what was put in front of him and was grateful that there was food.
Then I have a girlfriend who is a very picky eater with a very picky kid eater. A summer ago there was an impromptu BBQ at my place because a lot of people showed up with kids on a hot summer day to use our pool.
Personally, I really don't like hot dogs but hot dogs was the simplest thing to prepare for so many kids whom I had not expected to begin with. I did not feel like defrosting and making hamburgers.
My friend's little kid informed me that he didn't eat hot dogs and wanted hamburgers. I said with a smile, "Oh, is that so?" and kept on putting together hot dogs for all the other kids. Then he decided he would take a hot dog after all. Then I asked if he wanted onions on his hot dog. His mother said yes, but only red onions and looked at me like she thought I was really going to go and pick up a red onion from the grocery store 30 minutes away.
I just kept on smiling and said to the boy that in that case, I wouldn't put any onions on his hot dog (I had sweet white onions). He waited for a while thinking I was going to cave in. Finally he asked for the white onions.
Some things are just ridiculous, whether you are a kid or an adult.
Your husbands veg friend is a great person, imo. Those type you keep and invite often. I wish more people cared as much as he does. It's about the visit.
Thanks to parents who let their kids dictate what they're going to eat, coupled with the popularity of fast food meals at home, a lot of the current under 25 population is going to be having some massive health issues as they go through adulthood.
Well, as long as you don't expect the menu to be planned around your picky eating, that works out great!
I absolutely do not. Most of my friends have no idea I am a picky eater. There is a certain art to pushing your food around on your plate, eating the bread, drinking the wine, and having everyone enjoying your stories so much they don't even notice you haven't eaten the things that just don't appeal to you. Like sushi. Or Greek food. Or anything with raisins in it.
I'm always a "secret spy" when it comes to paying attention to what guests "eat" or seem to "like" or "don't like" etc...I may not say anything if they don't but I use this information to plan meals for their next visit...I make a "mental note" about all of it...If something I make "goes fast" then I'll make a bigger serving of it the next time. If something doesn't seem all that popular with certain guests I may try something else the next time I invite them over etc...I don't want to put someone "on the spot" but I do try to pay attention to what guests seem to "like" or "avoid." How about you?
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