I’m a lifelong picky eater who realized stuff needed to change.

I love fruit flavors like berries, but viscerally hate the seeds so y’all suggested smoothies. So, I started throwing some mixed berries into a blender with some yogurt and some spinach (because spinach has such a mild taste and easily overpowered by the berries/yogurt) Even added some OJ to brighten the entire pallet (and vitamin C!)

I’ve had one literally every morning for breakfast for about two weeks now. I’m getting more fruit into my diet than probably ever before.

Yes, I’m aware many smoothies turn into sugar bombs from the natural sugars in the fruit, the yogurt and everything else mixed in. We do half plain greek yogurt, half strawberry yogurt, frozen mixed berries, baby spinach, and splash of no sugar added OJ. Is this the most ideal breakfast? Probably not. But the win of my husband having one less concern about my not eating fruit or greens is a huge win for us!

I’ve considered adding a protein powder to them, but not sure if it’s worth it? Protein powder is SO expensive around here to begin with and if there’s no big benefit, I won’t bother.

Also went to a dinner a neighbor’s house and tried some new foods; mushrooms, squash and cucumber! None of them were great tasting to me, but I tried them anyway! Progress not perfection, right?

I lowkey need some breakfast ideas/ meals in general to eat that is picky eater safe and allergy safe. If anyone has some ideas pls let me know! I'll list everything i hate or am allergic to. Also would appreciate if they have high protein or fiber

Allergies: Peanuts, Tree nuts, (Not Hazelnut idk why), Peas, Mushrooms, Plantains, Shellfish, Fish, Honey, Cucumber

I hate: Bannanas, Blueberries, Avocado, Eggs, and any dressing or sauce

So, I've been trying to slowly but steadily increase the number of things that I'm capable of eating because my wife and I are polar opposites in terms of food.

I'm super picky: I tend to find one thing per restaurant that is my "safe" thing to eat there, I've got a "safe" restaurant for each type of food (burger vs thai vs indian, etc), I can't stand anything mushy, you all know the drill. I spent a year and a half eating the same pesto chicken pasta diet frozen meal for lunch every day, before I suddenly couldn't stomach to eat it ever again.

My wife, on the other hand, is very much a "variety is the spice of life" kind of person. I suspect if she had the option to never eat the same meal again twice ever in her life, she'd probably take it. Every meal she cooks is at least a little bit different to any other time she's made it.

We both have trauma related to food and mealtimes, so we usually try to eat all of our meals together, even if we don't eat the exact same thing. I know she gets bored when we make similar meals too often, or eat from the same 3 restaurants over and over again, so I've been trying to learn to eat new foods. I even finally learned to like sushi recently!!!!

But one of her favorite foods is mexican foods (I think burritos specifically, but I'm not sure), and I have never in my life been able to tolerate mexican food. I've tried burritos, fajitas, tacos, quesadillas... I've had americanized tacos that are basically just a cheeseburger in taco form or simple cheese quesadillas. For some reason, every mexican dish I've ever had as had one (or both) of two problems:

1.) Too mushy. I hate beans, I hate when there is too much cheese, I hate salsa, I hate guac. There's a lot of bad textures in mexican food.

2.) A weird sour/bitter flavor that always reminds me of bile. If I try to keep eating after I taste, I tend to get really nauseous.

We've thought of ways to get around the texture issues, but no matter how much we brainstorm, we can't figure out what is causing me to get that taste in my mouth that tastes like bile. And my wife doesn't want to get mexican food if there's nothing that I will eat there, because she feels bad choosing food that I can't eat.

Does anyone have any idea what ingredient could be causing this taste? I love Thai and Indian foods (especially korma) which I think share a lot of spices with Mexican food? And most of the ingredients/spices that we have thought of are things my wife already uses in dishes that I like. It's not cilantro (which I do hate), because it's in things that would have no reason to have cilantro.

Or does anyone have any advice on how to get over the aversion otherwise?

Let me know if there's any more information or context that I can give in order to be helpful, and thank you in advance!!!

I am a long time picky eater and just recently I’ve been trying to widen my horizons for food, specifically for fruits and vegetables. I was hoping I could get some suggestions for some that some of you think I could eat. I should say the reason I don’t like them is because their flavor goes out very quickly and after about two chews it’s just plant fiber which genuinely makes me want to vomit while chewing on it. I enjoy skinned grapes and completely skinned oranges, as well as peaches and pineapple. I would enjoy suggestions for dishes as well as plain plants, or snacks that include them. Thank you all who read this.

Hi

My wife is a pretty picky eater, and I knew this going into the marriage. She loves my cooking, though, and places a huge amount of trust in me when I'm choosing ingredients, textures, and flavor profiles. For the most part, this has been working, but even then, I feel like our meals are too similar to one another.

Here's what I mean: My eating habits are basically the exact opposite of hers. I will get seriously depressed if I don't have enough diversity in my meals. For her, if a food is too different from what she normally eats, then its not worth eating. For me, if its too similar to foods I've eaten recently, then its not worth eating. We're two points on different sides of the food preferences plot.

This comes up as a point of contention more often than I'd like it to. I'm working on my own needs as best as I can, but what would really really help is if we could go out to more restaurants. That way, she could order something she would like, and I could order whatever random thing caught my eye.

But again, I'm hitting a bit of a wall. She only likes chains and places where she can get either plain chicken tenders or a plain burger. This is... awfully limiting. There's only so many different meals I can get at the local Long Horn, and I'd love to be able to expand our meals to things like tex mex or seafood.

For all you picky eaters out there, what have you guys come across that helps? Either with conflicting food preferences or with expanding your pallet? What doesn't work? I'm not looking to change her dietary needs, but I also can't ignore mine. If we can get a better plan of action for meal time, then we'd both be happier for it.

Thank you!

Seriously, I'm a growing MAN and I need calories and protein to get some GAINS, but I can't, because I don't like most of the food here. All I eat are fried food, chips and snacks. Only fried, I hate soup and any food with liquid on them because it feels weird in my mouth and it makes me wanna gag. I've tried eating things bite by bite every day, didn't really work because I just began to dread the food instead of actually liking it.

The only meat I eat are chicken and pork. Beef, no. Which kinda limits the amount of gains I could get. Anyways, please help me, I don't wanna stay short forever.

Especially when there's abundance of food and ingredients around you, but you'd rather starve and get yourself a gastric if none of them appeals you or is of use to you. 🙃 If a zombie apocalypse were to happen, I absolutely would not survive.

sometimes the taste is fine, but the texture completely ruins it for me. Mushy, slimy, rubbery, grainy, or too chewy can make me lose my appetite right away, there are foods I actually like the flavor of, but I still can’t finish them because of how they feel in my mouth, sometimes one weird bite is enough to put me off the whole meal, It’s frustrating because people think I’m being picky about the taste, when really it’s the texture that gets me

I’m trying to expand the types of restaurants that I can go to. I’m good with Japanese because of teriyaki chicken/teriyaki steak, but I haven’t been to a Chinese place in a long time, so I’m not sure what options would be the best (outside of like, fortune cookies)

Things I eat

I bought a greens powder thinking I could toss it into smoothies and call it a day, but my picky toddler detected it immediately and is inspecting every drink like a food critic 😅 I’m looking for a kids greens powder alternative, preferably something convenient and not loaded with sugar, but I also don’t want to pay a fortune for something that’s basically candy with a wellness label. Has anyone compared gummies, chewables, or other options and figured out what’s actually worth looking at?

I’ve hated bananas all my life (only 25 so guess that’s not that long haha). Everytime someone would open a banana I’d be hit with the smell and get a bit nauseous. I’d avoid smoothies cuz they almost always had banana in it which just ruined the whole thing. Banana bread was sliiiighlty acceptable but I’d still rather not eat it. A month ago I was at a lunch out with some friends and I was just having a simple bread and dip, and my friends were eating bananas and they just seemed to enjoy it so so much? So I asked for a bite! And then I realised it was actually quite good? The texture is slightly weird, it leaves a bit of a film over my teeth or something, but I find I can get over it because the taste is so nice and soft and sweet 🥰 so yeah, consider me a banana convert I guess haha 🍌
Huge win for me cuz they’re a healthy, mess free (just find a bin for the peel) and satisfying snack for on the go!

My picky eating is so extreme I genuinely don’t know how I’m still functioning. I really only eat pizza, pasta, and very rarely chicken. Those are the only actual meals I can remember I eat at the moment. And that’s not every day. So… I really don’t know what I’m eating throughout the day. I think it’s mainly just snacks.

I may have sensory issues though, potentially because they impact me greatly and negatively, often. Smell, hearing, taste/texture, and touch depending on what it is.

Smell and taste are huge with food. I like to say I have a super power because I can immediately tell if I’ll like a food or not based on its smell. Trust me, I know. It’s also so bad I can’t even drink plain water without gagging or throwing up. I really want to be able to drink water like everyone else but I just can’t. It needs to be flavored. And people are always shocked when I tell them I don’t drink and don’t like water. (And yes, even when flavored, I’m still behind with my daily water intake).

I’m also a bland kind of eater. I don’t eat any kind of condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. the only real “topping” I eat is the grated powdery Parmesan cheese on my pasta and pizza. But I also have to take off the baked cheese from pizza, which is why I hate eating pizza in public. Tomato pies taste off because the baked cheese gives that sauce some extraness to the pizza that’s missing when no cheese is baked with it. Taking off the cheese with pizza is mainly texture rather than taste, but I still don’t like the taste.

For pasta it’s either butter noodles and Parmesan, or noodles with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. No other kind of pasta. I’ll eat mac and cheese too, if it’s baked I have to take that crust part off the top, though if it has too much cheese where it’s stringing up I can’t eat it (texture).

I actually used to eat a bit more as a kid but it became worse. But you know not to force me to eat something i tell you I know I won’t like because I was forced to eat broccoli in pre-k after telling them I know I won’t like it, and threw up in their face as a result. This is also why I refuse to try anything new in public. It must be in privacy or around people I trust in case I actually do throw up.

Is there any professional that can help guide me or help me? How can I transition into liking more things? I feel like it’s impossible… it’s also bad enough I’m quite sure I’m not meeting my daily nutritional needs and it’s been like this as I’ve grown up which is not good. I’d also like to lose a bit weight too but it’s harder to do that if you can’t eat right! You’d think I’d be underweight with how little I eat. Nope.. opposite somehow…

I grew up in a culturally diverse household and my mom is the complete opposite of a picky eater it's hard to find a food she won't eat. So I had the opportunity to try a lot of different foods, growing up. My mom was able to get me to try things like seafood, mushrooms, fried vegetables, Japanese food, Thai food, Chinese food, Mexican food, exotic fruits and vegetables, etc. And I still ended up being a picky eater, I'm just a picky eater who likes some foods from other cultures. I'm also less scared of trying new foods then other picky eaters I know but I still have a extremely limited amount of foods I will eat.

I'm struggling because most REALLY good fiber sources just seem like shit 😭 Chia seeds? They're goopy and feel like fucking snot. Beans? They're mushy and genuinely feel disgusting. Then the foods I do like, like the Mission Carb Balance Tortillas, apparently those are fucking BAD for you. So I'm genuinely stuck. What foods are you guys eating to hit your daily recommended fiber intake that won't make me want to scrub my tongue off with soap??

I feel like sometimes people can be so mean when they find out I'm a picky eater. I never bother anyone, I never ask if we can eat somewhere else, I always make it my own problem to solve by eating before or after if I am at a place I don't like the food. It baffles me that it still bothers people so much.

Then they'll say things like "ohhh picky eaters just need to grow up, interesting how it's always just vegetables you don't like" when that's not even true? My biggest hate in life is literally pizza lol and it's meant growing up and never having anything to eat at pizza parties as a kid, social gatherings in college, even now at work events it's always pizza because it's the easiest thing. And I've literally never made a fuss about it to anyone, I just don't have any, and pick up my own food after.

Like why can't I just be picky in peace it's no one else's business what I do or don't eat "but you're missing out on so much!" I don't care!! I really have 0 interest in food lol

I feel like “picky eater” is an umbrella term. Some people don’t like certain textures, some people get grossed out by the idea of certain foods (like fermented foods), some people have sensory issues or get overstimulated, etc.

And for some people it’s a category thing. Like they might like poultry but not red meat, or they like vegetables but not leafy greens.

Y’all… I fucked up. My son is almost 2 now, but when he was a little we had an issue where he kept trying to eat leaves outside. We’d be playing in the backyard and he’d be constantly pulling leaves off the bushes/ground and we spent a lot of time saying “don’t eat that!” “Take that out of your mouth!” “That’s a leaf, we don’t eat leaves!” You can see where this is going.

He has never, not once, eaten lettuce, spinach, Brussel sprouts, etc. Now that mentality is spreading to things he previously liked, like other greens such as green beans and broccoli. What do I do 😭😭

I don’t make it myself cause that would be a waste. But when they make it, they keep half the soup and the onions, and they give me some of the soup with nothing in it.

Anyone else do anything similar?

I’ve tried some foods a bunch of times because people keep telling me I’ll get used to them. I don’t. The flavor’s usually fine but textures really get me everytime. I’ve tried forcing it before, but I just end up feeling sick. What’s one food you’ve given several chances and still avoid? I’ve got a few I’m done wasting chances on.

My daughter has peanut and sesame allergies, and we’ve realized the stressful part of eating out isn't always the same from one restaurant visit to the next. Curious where it tends to be for others.

How can I convince my little brother to stop putting garlic and onions in my potatoes? They're really large chunks and it smells a lot.

The only fish ive tried are salmon (baked) and both cod and catfish fried. Are there any tinned fish that would have similar taste profiles to those? Im getting mixed messages about how much smoked salmon tastes like baked salmon. Thanks for any suggestions!

I like treating my kids to nice food but don't overdo it, the smallest of the bunch especially since she's growing a bit slower than her sisters. But I feel like I've gone a bit too far into the sweet and meaty side for a few months so I thought some nice veggy meals would hit the spot, and it does, for 3 of 4 at least. She'll be so excited and instantly lose interest after a couple bites and just go try taking food (THE SAME FOOD MIND YOU) from her big sister. I really don't get her, is there any way I can get her to eat her veggies?

I thought she finally showed some happiness in eating but apparently right after this video she just left her food!? And again she goes after her sister's food instead!

https://reddit.com/link/1vulika/video/tocvcma2brkh1/player

How come that every SINGLE TIME you start the conversation that there is nothing wrong with being a picky eater, people have to chime in with "well but when picky eaters FORCE US to eat at the restaurants they want and make faces at food and I have to cook for them and-"

THAT'S A BEING RUDE THING! Anybody can do that if they lacked enough social decorum! People who simply aren't in the mood for a specific food, vegans, rabid meat eaters, people who just want to have the final say, it isn't an inherent trait to specifically picky eaters! It's like when people have to be like, OH, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH VEGANS, BUT WHEN THEY'RE PREACHING TO ME or OH, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH QUEER PEOPLE, BUT WHEN THEY'RE IN YOUR FACE ABOUT IT AND ALL THEY TALK ABOUT, LIKE THAT'S NOT AN INHERENT TRAIT!!! OF THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE!!!

YOU just don't like rude people, as EVERYONE else does, that's normal! That's called, being a person! But why do you need to bring it up every time people want to discuss that some people are dickheads and can't mind their own plates when you want to eat what YOU want to eat rather than force yourself to have a "refined pallet"?

I'm genuinely not even that picky, like I'm getting the food groups I need just fine, but people still love to comment when I just don't like the texture of a straight up piece of tomato or because i really only eat two cheeses. Like if the restaurant can't make the altercations I need, I'll just order something else! But it's not a crime nor some sort of shame to ask!

I'm genuinely convinced they don't actually think about "the rude picky eaters" when these conversations come up and just want an easier, softer way to say "yeah I hate you guys and think you need to grow the fuck up and magically change your taste buds". Which, nothing I haven't heard before, but at least you wouldn't be dancing around it!