Adult with “kid food” diet

[DisneyKoyote]

I don't think I could ever date a picky eater, especially one as bad as the OP described. I love traveling and can guarantee a majority of countries will not have chicken fingers/mac&cheese. And even if they do, it's just such a huge shame to visit a place like Morocco but eat mac&cheese the entire trip.

I wonder ...do really picky eaters like to travel?? I feel like I'd just be so anxious everyday about what I would eat if I were abroad...especially Asian countries since they have such a different cuisine

 

[SaintsManiac]

I don't think I could ever date a picky eater, especially one as bad as the OP described. I love traveling and can guarantee a majority of countries will not have chicken fingers/mac&cheese. And even if they do, it's just such a huge shame to visit a place like Morocco but eat mac&cheese the entire trip.

I wonder ...do really picky eaters like to travel?? I feel like I'd just be so anxious everyday about what I would eat if I were abroad...especially Asian countries since they have such a different cuisine

I used to have high anxiety about traveling with my picky kid. I had to bring snacks on every trip we took to any destination.

 

[traviesojmt]

My DS is six years older than my DD. Our son was the absolute easiest child. He would try anything you put in front of him and even if he wasn’t a big fan of something, he would still eat it. I think we got cocky and God took notice, because then came my daughter.
She is now 16 and holy cow has been a test. Lol. She is a very ”plain eater” for the most part. Plain noodles, no sauce. For the longest when we would eat Japanese, she would only order the clear soup and plain white rice. Casseroles are her Kryptonite. She might like the individual ingredients but the Minute you mix them up together, she is done.
As she has grown, she has improved but she is still very picky. I think the saving grace is that we didn’t cater to her and we travel a lot. We also stopped pushing. Once she could try foods without us insisting on it, she discovered she likes some sushi, crab legs and sweet potatoes.
So, I will shamefully admit that I was a very ”judgey” toward others parents until my DD came along. I learned that I raised two kids the same way and it didn’t matter. She was perfectly ok being hungry rather than eating what she didn’t like.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

My kid used to be like that. Mac and cheese only for a year. Nuggets for a year, etc. But she ate everything they served at daycare and summer camp. She has eaten PB&J every day for lunch since kindergarten. She is now in 4th grade. She's slowly started adding to her menu, but lunch will never change. I figure there are worse things, so I don't push the lunch issue. She has been sick once in 5 years.

And for the people who asked about getting sick and/or vitamins/supplements: My kid has always taken a multi-vitamin with iron or a probiotic multi.

My oldest was like that too, he'd eat stuff at daycare that he wouldn't touch at home. The ladies that worked there said all the kids were like that, I figured it was peer pressure. As in "Ms D told Susie she did a great job when she at her green beans, better eat mine, too."

His friend, on the other hand once went 3 days without eating at scout camp because there wasn't anything served that he would eat. The scoutmaster finally went and found him some bread and peanut butter and he lived on that for the rest of the week. He's at boarding school now and having the same issues, they have to take him to the store once a week to get his own food since he won't eat anything served at the regular meals.

 

[shh]

i never comment or judge on what another person will or won't eat - as it's not my place. It's definitely a sensitive topic. However, I do believe that poor eating and exercise habits across the U.S. population do impact me and others directly. Many (although certainly not all) of the most expensive chronic illnesses and resulting skyrocketing medical and care costs are heavily influenced by or even accelerated by meat-heavy, high fat, high sodium, high sugar diets and lack of exercise. All of us pay for that in the form of higher cost health insurance and overtaxed healthcare systems.

 

[Hikergirl]

Buttered coffee is actually a diet trend. It's pretty much what it sounds like - putting a pat of butter into your coffee.

"Butter coffee is said to slow the spike in energy levels associated with normal coffee-drinking, and to make drinkers feel full for as long as six hours. Fans of the drink claim it’s a brain food, improving mental acuity and focus. It supposedly curbs appetites, assists in weight loss, and can even improve skin tone and complexion. "

That is a bunch of BS, it is no different than putting cream in your coffee.

 

[cvjw]

Just curious if those of you who are picky eaters are over weight, under weight or average weight for a person your size?

My almost 21 year old son who is the picky eater is 6’1” and wears a 29 waist pants. He would probably wear a smaller size (if there is such a thing) except he has giant muscles in his legs from a lifetime of soccer and mountain bike riding

He has always taken a daily multi vitamin and fiber pills. He sees the same dr every year that he has seen since he was born. She is the one who told me to feed him chocolate milk with carnation instant breakfast. He is healthy even though he is picky.

And to those who wonder if it is because of the way he sees his family eat. The answer is no. We eat a diet of lean meats and lots of vegetables. Nothing fried and very little sweets. His is due to the way foods feel in his mouth and taste.

He threw up at dinner one night when he was a little boy because the broccoli felt weird in his mouth

 

[skyblue17]

I mostly find it interesting that people won't eat green vegetables because they are "gross" but a chicken nugget isn't gross. I enjoy chicken nuggets sometimes too, but if one is gross, the other certainly is as well. At least you know what's in a vegetable!

The only food I refuse to let pass my lips is blue cheese. I hate it. There are a few other foods I don't prefer but will still eat and even enjoy based on preparation. My palate evolved quite a bit as an adult. Things I didn't like much, or just wasn't exposed to, are now favorites (sushi & sashimi, beer, etc.).

 

[Moliphino]

I wonder ...do really picky eaters like to travel?? I feel like I'd just be so anxious everyday about what I would eat if I were abroad...especially Asian countries since they have such a different cuisine

I was actually a little worried about eating in Italy (of all places!). Not that I wouldn't have found anything I'd eat, but more that I wouldn't really enjoy the food. I'm not a fan of most Italian food around where I live because it's so tomato heavy. Turns out in Rome they aren't so big on tomatoes and I had a wonderful time eating all the pasta carbonara and alla gricia I could fit in me.

 

[brockash]

I have a family member with a 33 year old son that lives on (what I consider) a kid’s food diet. He only eats Kraft Mac & Cheese, Minute Rice, chicken fingers, steak & Capri Sun juice pouches. He will have an adult beverage if he goes out to eat. No vegetables. None.
His mom is a great cook, so it’s not like he wasn’t exposed to different foods.
I was thinking how limiting this must be to be the wife/GF of someone like this, especially if you are someone that likes to cook. I guess it could be compared to someone that is a vegetarian, vegan or has other dietary restrictions. It just seems so limiting.

Everyone has different preferences. Not sure why you care what another adult eats/doesn't eat...especially one that doesn't even live with you... It seems so odd.

 

[brockash]

Good for your teenage son. I'm glad that doesn't hold him back.

This thread isn't about a "barely an adult". It is about a grown man. And I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying I absolutely would think that someone who refuses to expand beyond toddler food is not someone who not be likely to dip their toes in unknown water. Again, not saying I'm right, just what my initial impression would be.

I know lots of picky eaters and in general have never found it to mean it limits their ability or want to try new experiences. I'd say one has nothing to do with the other. And really this thread is about judging what an adult chooses or doesn't choose to eat.

 

[morgan98]

I was actually a little worried about eating in Italy (of all places!). Not that I wouldn't have found anything I'd eat, but more that I wouldn't really enjoy the food. I'm not a fan of most Italian food around where I live because it's so tomato heavy. Turns out in Rome they aren't so big on tomatoes and I had a wonderful time eating all the pasta carbonara and alla gricia I could fit in me.

In most of Italy they are not as into tomatoes as Italian American cuisine. People don't believe it until they see it.

Even if they service tomato in a sauce it is lighter, fresher and there is less of it.

 

[Flowers12]

Offended? Not me, not at all. I'm just enjoying the discussion. FTR, I don't care what people eat either, besides those I'm responsible for feeding.

I’m not offended either. Just offering a different opinion.

 

[brockash]

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.

100% Honestly in this day and age I'm kinda shocked there are so many ppl. so willing to be extremely judgmental. They must be overweight, unhealthy, not adventurous in every other area of their lives etc. I'm a counselor at a school and I'd say 95% of our kiddos on the spectrum have a limited diet due to preference. I can't think of 1 that's overweight or who's drs are concerned about their diets...some of the extreme ones do take supplements but so what? I also know a number of adults who are kinda picky eaters and again I've never known it to limit them in any way but what they choose to eat. Some are overweight, some are on the skinny side, most are aboug average...so what? and again why is it anyone's business?

 

[Hikergirl]

We all judge people every single day.
That includes all of you reading and posting here.
The OP didn't say anything to her family member, she started a thread here.
And for some of us, we actually do care about our friends and family and how their unhealthy habits can lead to problems. For those of you that don't care about yours unless they are under your roof or under a certain age, you certainly are in no moral position to pass judgement on those of us who do

 

[mrodgers]

Everyone has hang ups. There is a huge difference between having hangups, or a limited selection of foods you like and existing on chicken tenders, Mac & cheese, and steak, etc.

Also a big difference between someone having a hangup or 2 as you said or being a picky eater. I don't like onions in dishes. Never did. There are how many other aromatic foods and herbs to put in dishes besides onions, but I'm labeled as a picky eater because one knows I don't like 1 specific item.

 

[CdnCarrie]

100% Honestly in this day and age I'm kinda shocked there are so many ppl. so willing to be extremely judgmental. They must be overweight, unhealthy, not adventurous in every other area of their lives etc. I'm a counselor at a school and I'd say 95% of our kiddos on the spectrum have a limited diet due to preference. I can't think of 1 that's overweight or who's drs are concerned about their diets...some of the extreme ones do take supplements but so what? I also know a number of adults who are kinda picky eaters and again I've never known it to limit them in any way but what they choose to eat. Some are overweight, some are on the skinny side, most are aboug average...so what? and again why is it anyone's business?

It's a discussion on an anonymous message board. We're not talking about people in front of them.
You can just skip this thread if it's so troubling to you.

 

[mrodgers]

For those who don’t eat fruits and vegetables do you take vitamins to compensate?

I should. I should eat vegetables but being by myself I don't. I do eat baby carrots or raw broccoli as a snack, but most vegetables I don't like and I don't have the discipline to force myself to eat them.

I keep thinking I need to start taking a vitamin, but then I get home from the store and think, dang, I didn't buy vitamins.

I'm a mess trying to buy groceries. I don't plan anything as once I'm home, I don't like to go back out. So it's usually driving past on the way home and whip into the grocery store because I think of something at that moment I need to get. Then when I get home, I realize there's about 30 other items I should have gotten.

I do like to eat salad with every prepared meal that I cook. It's loaded with radishes, green onion (yes, I don't eat onions, but do love green onions), purple cabbage, carrots, sometimes cucumber, etc. The basic fully loaded rabbit food salad.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I should. I should eat vegetables but being by myself I don't. I do eat baby carrots or raw broccoli as a snack, but most vegetables I don't like and I don't have the discipline to force myself to eat them.

I keep thinking I need to start taking a vitamin, but then I get home from the store and think, dang, I didn't buy vitamins.

I'm a mess trying to buy groceries. I don't plan anything as once I'm home, I don't like to go back out. So it's usually driving past on the way home and whip into the grocery store because I think of something at that moment I need to get. Then when I get home, I realize there's about 30 other items I should have gotten.

I do like to eat salad with every prepared meal that I cook. It's loaded with radishes, green onion (yes, I don't eat onions, but do love green onions), purple cabbage, carrots, sometimes cucumber, etc. The basic fully loaded rabbit food salad.

I get it. I probably eat veggies more out of duty and as an example to the kids then because I like them.
I buy bagged salads and pick around the purple cabbage.

 

[Moliphino]

BUT you've got me beat because I'm not at that point that frog legs or elk is something I would even consider eating lol.

The elk was a burger. I could definitely tell it wasn't beef, but it was still close enough to not weird me out. The frog legs we ordered for the table and we all tried one. Just like chicken, though the bones were kinda weird.