Adult with “kid food” diet

I am in my early 50’s and am very picky. I don’t choose to be this way. My biggest issue is vegetables. I can’t stand them. They taste so bitter to me and make me gag. So any dish with vegetables in it, I have to special order. And I can’t just pick them out because I can still taste them. I also don’t eat salad. Only veggie I eat is corn, but my DH insists that doesn’t count as a veggie. I like chicken, beef, pork, seafood, pasta, sauces, spicy foods, etc. Just nothing with veggies. And I don’t like potatoes either, except very skinny French fries. They also make me gag. I like a few fruits but honestly didn’t eat them that often. I have one teen that is extremely picky, pretty much like the OP is describing, and my two other ones are okay.

Weird thing is that I am literally never sick. I might get a cold every 3 years and the stomach bug every 5. And oddly enough people always ask this.....I am very regular. And until my 50’s started catching up with me, I’ve always been underweight and in good shape.
 
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I am in my early 50’s and am very picky. I don’t choose to be this way. My biggest issue is vegetables. I can’t stand them. They taste so bitter to me and make me gag. So any dish with vegetables in it, I have to special order. And I can’t just pick them out because I can still taste them. I also don’t eat salad. Only veggie I eat is corn, but my DH insists that doesn’t count as a veggie. I like chicken, beef, pork, seafood, pasta, sauces, spicy foods, etc. Just nothing with veggies. And I don’t like potatoes either, except very skinny French fries. They also make me gag. I have one teen that is extremely picky, pretty much like the OP is describing, and my two other ones are okay.

How about carrots and cucumbers? They have such a mild taste. Or does every vegetable taste bitter?
 

Unfortunately, all taste bitter and literally make me gag. Even when I don’t know there is a vegetable in there, I gag. So it is not a mental thing.
I can eat things like tomato sauce, but can’t eat the chunks of tomato. Same with pizza.
 
Curious what your mom fed you growing up?

She did feed us a little more than what she herself would eat, but still not nearly as varied a menu as what I suspect most families get. Our dinners mostly rotated between spaghetti, tacos, hamburgers, pancakes, and hot dogs. I was still a pretty finicky eater by the time I went to college, as a result. One of my first dates with (now) DH was to a Chinese restaurant - I was too embarrassed to admit to him that I had never eaten Chinese food before, and had no idea what to order. So I just asked for whatever he got, lol! He was amazed when I later admitted this to him. Also never had seafood, and the only meat we ever bought at the grocery store was ground beef. I really had no idea what the rest of the meat department was for growing up. Over the years, I have worked hard to overcome a natural distrust of new or different foods, and have done relatively well, considering. My mom, btw, is personally offended by this and constantly complains that I wasn't "raised on food like that", lol!
 


She did feed us a little more than what she herself would eat, but still not nearly as varied a menu as what I suspect most families get. Our dinners mostly rotated between spaghetti, tacos, hamburgers, pancakes, and hot dogs. I was still a pretty finicky eater by the time I went to college, as a result. One of my first dates with (now) DH was to a Chinese restaurant - I was too embarrassed to admit to him that I had never eaten Chinese food before, and had no idea what to order. So I just asked for whatever he got, lol! He was amazed when I later admitted this to him. Also never had seafood, and the only meat we ever bought at the grocery store was ground beef. I really had no idea what the rest of the meat department was for growing up. Over the years, I have worked hard to overcome a natural distrust of new or different foods, and have done relatively well, considering. My mom, btw, is personally offended by this and constantly complains that I wasn't "raised on food like that", lol!
When I met my DH he was living on ham and eggs. He grew up on mostly meat and potatoes. He was very open to new things though and eats all kinds of food. One year we were at his dad’s and I made Chicken Scampi. Everyone was practically licking their plates but FIL. He was clearly offended by my meal, lol.
 
My hubbie is a picky eater, the only veggies he will eat are green beans and cucumbers. He will eat corn but that's a starch and every once in a while a salad with lettuce and cucumbers and lots of vinegar. He doesn't like sauces on his meat but will eat good old fashioned southern gravey. We learned early on to just cook our own foods. He used to only eat fried meat but his Dad had a heart attack last year so at least now he eats grilled, baked or broiled instead of fried. We actually put our fryer down in storage. I did get him where he will drink the V8 vegetable juice, so while not the best solution, he is getting veggies. I don't eat fried food, love veggies and eat mostly chicken for protein. It can be hard to go out to eat because I have to find menus and make sure there is something he can eat. He won't even eat a burrito if it has onions in it. Thankfully, most restaurants have steak and baked potatoe and you can tell the server to make sure nothing goes on the steak. He is good at most fast food places but it gets fun at places like Taco Bell because they don't actually have a beef burrito on the menu. We have to order a bean burrito, add beef, leave off the beans and onions. Basically, beef, cheese and sauce. Oddly enough, he will eat Krystal burgers (it's a southern thing) and they have steamed onions on them.
 
Look, there is picky, and there is rude. Travel companions who insist on dictating a choice of restaurant every single time you eat are rude; it's just that simple. Considerate travel companions take turns choosing, and make the best of it when a particular restaurant is not particularly to their taste.

Here's a wee secret for you: unless the menu is strictly prix-fixe, restaurants will almost always prepare off-menu if you ask politely. They will charge you for it, certainly, but they will do it. All that the "picky" person has to do to manage that is to look at the menu's full ingredient list, and then politely request an off-menu basic dish that is is made from something on that list.

I recently went out to a F-t-T American-cuisine restaurant that was very creative in their cooking (and was EXCELLENT, btw); a person who wanted "familiar" would not have found a single dish listed that fit that description.. However, it would have been very simple to look past the creative way they were using some very "normal" ingredients, and to ask for a serving of one of the ingredients prepared in a completely basic way. That's what people who want to back away from certain things culinary need to do in order to be considerate of their friends and family.

Oh, and I absolutely agree with the previous poster who would not allow disparagement of foods. Picky people who have manners know that our diet selectivity is about us, not about the food. If you order off-menu in a restaurant because you restrict your diet, it behooves you to make it clear that while you really appreciate that you're missing something by not eating the chef's original preparation, you nonetheless have to pass it by, and you are grateful for his or her understanding.
 


For many people who voluntarily limit their diets, texture is often a huge issue. Many people consider me a very picky eater because I won't touch salads, but that's a texture issue. I also eat a lot of things that many "normal eaters" won't touch (organ meats, for instance.) Either way, I choose from what is available that I'm comfortable eating, and I don't whine about what isn't there. If there is nothing I can stomach, then I politely fake not being hungry and make myself something later, when I'm alone. I'm an adult, and what I eat or do not eat is up to me alone. If you like to cook, then cook -- it isn't anyone else's responsibility to cater to my limitations.

Dietary limitations also tend to go hand in hand with the autism spectrum; almost everyone who is on the spectrum will limit diet in some way, most often due to texture or odor. Also, sticking with the "safe" when eating in front of strangers is often a defensive action for people who are socially awkward; they don't want to have to deal with possibly embarrassing themselves if confronted with something that they will not know how to properly eat. If you eat familiar foods in such circumstances, you are free to concentrate on other parts of the interaction.

FWIW, my DS22 once ate something new at an extended family holiday dinner, and it disagreed with him -- violently. He was 10 at the time, and he made a mess that distressed everyone quite a bit. Guess what he will no longer do at a formal dinner? That's right, eat ANY unfamiliar food. Twelve years later, that humiliation has stuck with him, and he will not take a chance on a similar incident ever happening again.

I think it's rather bizarre to extrapolate that just on the basis of one "childish" meal (your implication, not mine), that a person must be childish or timid in all aspects of life. I really think that's taking if-then reasoning a wee bit far.
You hit the nail on the head with the autism thing. I have Asperger's and have some diet issues because of that. I can't eat raw bananas but like banna bread and strawberry banana smoothies. The smell of sea food makes me gag and I can not help it.
 
You hit the nail on the head with the autism thing. I have Asperger's and have some diet issues because of that. I can't eat raw bananas but like banna bread and strawberry banana smoothies. The smell of sea food makes me gag and I can not help it. i to have aspergers syndrom
 
I wouldn't say I am picky but maybe I am to others. I stick with what I know I like and that a restaurant can't screw up - Chicken fingers they generally can't screw up lol! That is my go to and I am 48 lol! My friends make fun of me but chicken fingers have never done me wrong. If we were at a steak house I wouldn't order them, I am sure I could find something I would enjoy. I would probably even look the menu up online to be sure. I will try new foods and there are only a few that I really don't enjoy - asparagus, mushrooms, talipia (do you know how that stuff is raised/fed????!!! - ewwww) certain brands of food that I have read are raised a certain way I won't eat. I don't only eat chicken fingers, but I enjoy them ;-)

My middle son is very picky. He is 23 and had sever reflux as an infant and I think that really shaped what he will and won't eat. He does not like cheese, hot dogs, tacos, pizza with a lot of sauce and cheese. He is very meat and potatoes when he eats but at 23 and traveling for work he eats out A LOT. especially fast food. its cheap and convenient for him as he lives alone and is out of state for 2 weeks at a time then comes home.

My dh will pass on most veggies unless they are fresh from the garden. He rarely eats any fruit and isn't a huge potatoe guy with his meal. He would just eat the meat. Wow he is picky guy lol!
 
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I am in my early 50’s and am very picky. I don’t choose to be this way. My biggest issue is vegetables. I can’t stand them. They taste so bitter to me and make me gag. So any dish with vegetables in it, I have to special order. And I can’t just pick them out because I can still taste them. I also don’t eat salad. Only veggie I eat is corn, but my DH insists that doesn’t count as a veggie. I like chicken, beef, pork, seafood, pasta, sauces, spicy foods, etc. Just nothing with veggies. And I don’t like potatoes either, except very skinny French fries. They also make me gag. I like a few fruits but honestly didn’t eat them that often. I have one teen that is extremely picky, pretty much like the OP is describing, and my two other ones are okay.

Weird thing is that I am literally never sick. I might get a cold every 3 years and the stomach bug every 5. And oddly enough people always ask this.....I am very regular. And until my 50’s started catching up with me, I’ve always been underweight and in good shape.

serious question have you seen a specialist on the food texture issues? You may have a condition that you can get help with. No judgement.
 
I know someone who allowed their child to keep eating noodles dishes. well the Dr. told her he was on his way to being a diabetic. I think to many adults use every excuse in the book to not eat healthy. There are a few veggies I don't care for, and I won't eat sushi. But I will try most things.
 
I’m not who you were asking, but I can answer the first question for me. In my case, I was starving (she ate junk all day) by 6 PM and was ready to go for dinner. I was checking for ADRs while waiting for ROL. (I’m not a snacker, and won’t eat junk food.)

She nixed every single choice at DS (where we could easily Uber) or AK (where we were) and suggested salad or peanut butter and jelly.

I told her she could get salad at any restaurant, including an Italian place, and they all had ADRs.

This was our conversation from there:
Her: Nope. Not going to try ANY of them, because “what could I eat?”.
Me: Um, you had 9 Mickey bars last night and everything that wasn’t nailed down today in AK, and you won’t go to ANY restaurant at all?
Her: No. There is NOTHING I can eat there.
Me: They have plain salads at all of them, with no dressing. I promise.
Her: No. I can’t! There is NOTHING I can eat there.
Me: But you’ve eaten all day long. Maybe you’re not hungry, so a light side salad will do. But I haven’t eaten, and need a meal. I need real food.
Her: NOOOO. It’s bad if you eat after 7 PM. And I”m tired!
Me: I’ll take you back to the room. Then, I’ll go without you- you can go to the room and eat the peanut butter and jelly you want. I’m starving.
Her: NO, you can’t leave me!!! Please don’t leave me. It’s not my fault that I can’t eat anything at restaurants.

It gets really old for the travel partner.
2 choices:
Wait for me in the room while I go out to eat
Find something to eat at the restaurant we go to or sit there and drink water without any commentary on what I am eating.
 
Also you would think not eating any fruits and veggies would resault in a very slow moving digestive system.

We were discussing at work yesterday the amount of sick people around and I commented that I rarely get sick, I haven’t missed a day of work since I started the job over five years ago. Someone said it’s probably because I’m vegan and I said it’s most likely because I consume such a high amount of fruit and veg, they are natural immunity boosters with all those vitamins.
I don’t eat nearly enough fruits & veggies. I hate most fruits. But, I never get sick either. But, I’m also hyper vigilant about hand-washing & I make sure to get at least 7-8 hours a sleep at night most nights.
 
Adults can do whatever they like. If they want to live off of spam and twinkies, more power to them. What I don't think is right, is picky parents putting their limitations on their kids. Kids should be exposed to as many healthy food items as possible. Kids can't be relied on to make smart decisions. They need the right nutrients to grow their mind and body, especially at the toddler stages. If I was the supreme being and able to make the laws, I would ban items like chicken nuggets and mac and cheese from children under 6. Who wouldn't want to eat processed and salty food all the time. If all they knew that existed for food was fruits, veggies, and lean meats, then that is all they would eat. You can't crave what you don't know exists. There will be some things that they won't like and that is OK. For example, you might not like carrots but will eat green beans. Nobody likes every single type of food and we all have things that we don't eat. But having a good base and variety of foods is all that is needed.
How your parents approach food makes a big difference. I grew up learning that you never take food for granted and that you should be grateful for what is in front of you. My parents went hungry as children. My dad was a kid during the war in Poland and he was very hungry because there was no food. He would get scurvy in the winters because the lack of vegetables. He still has the scars. So it was very important to my parents that we were fed the veggies every day. To them, it was more important for us to have the nutrients then to be concerned with our taste buds. I know some people would see that as abusive, or bad parenting. But eating something that you don't like, is much better then the alternative that they experienced. There has been a resurgence of scurvy in this country in little kids. Which is something that should never happen.
 

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