Picky Eaters (S/O from Snow Flake thread)

[rain]

when my DS was little he didn't like trying new fruits ... for me.  He'd eat stuff at Day Care and at my neighbors.

Once I snuck a teeny, tiny piece of pineapple in his cottage cheese - it litterally made him gag (& I never ever did anything like that again)

[Venus193]

This was not the best way to handle this.  Are you aware of any allergies he has?

[CrochetFanatic]

I mentioned in the SS thread that my brother only wanted to eat chicken nuggets for dinner when he was really young, though it wasn't every night.  Some nights our parents could get him to eat what the rest of us were eating, but many nights he would refuse to eat anything unless he could have his nuggets.  I remember my feelings were hurt because the chicken nuggets in the freezer were just for my brother most of the time, though I do get the reasoning behind it now.  Money was tight, I wasn't picky at all, and this was something he would eat.  We actually had to leave a restaurant once because he threw a tantrum when there were no chicken nuggets on the menu.  I'd been looking forward to spaghetti, but my parents were (understandably) too embarrassed to stay, and we went somewhere else.  Younger bro got the time-out chair when we got home.  The whole chicken nuggets business left a very minor scar on my psyche (Overly sensitive?  Probably.), but I actually think it's kind of funny now.

When I was younger, I couldn't stand to eat scrambled eggs unless they were slathered in ketchup (My dad thinks that ketchup on eggs is gross, by the way).  They looked too much like the foam rubber you'd find in a couch cushion, and if there were any slightly brown bits?  No, I couldn't make myself eat them without ketchup.  I like them now, though.

[The TARDIS]

I can't make myself eat Cheetos.  I never have and never will. Reason why is in white below.

Cheetos look like orange dog poop to me!

I'll try ANYTHING else, but please don't offer me Cheetos.

[Piratelvr1121]

I'm not picky but I never have liked pickles and I admittedly am not real crazy about cooked veggies.  I giggle when watching Nanny McPhee, the second one, when one of the guards admits that "broccoli presents a problem" and she advises him to eat it with cheese cause that's one of the things that makes it palatable for me.  That or sprinkling lemon pepper on them, which is how my parents got me to eat veggies.

I don't mind cooked carrots, and have found that asparagus, baked with some oil and sea salt can be quite tasty. So for me it's not a total aversion as it depends on how it's cooked. But I do prefer some veggies raw...with dip.

[rose red]

I'm more picky now than when I was little.  There was no such thing as "children's food" back then.  I'm Asian and happily ate salted fish, chicken feet, snails, pickled veggies, etc.  When I came to the US, I had no problem trying exotic foods as meat loaf and pizza.  Now my taste buds are more limited.  Weird.

[Outdoor Girl]

I'm much better now than when I was a kid.  My Dad was (is) a meat and potatoes man, for the most part and my Mom catered to him, mostly.  But then she'd try something more innovative for herself and my brother and I wouldn't eat it.

Now, I eat sushi, Thai, Mexican, Greek, Middle Eastern and other ethnic type foods.  I still don't each much Indian food.  I can't take something in the curry blend.  It binds to my taste buds and doesn't let go for about three days.

Most of the foods I don't like are because of the texture.  Liver, mushrooms, melon, broccoli florets, canned veggies, peas in particular, raw tomatoes, especially grape and cherry.  Some of these things I will eat because I know they are good for me but some of them, I can definitely do without.

Mom did what she called a 'No thank you helping'.  You'd get a tbsp of whatever on your plate and you had to try it three times before you were allowed to say you didn't like it and weren't going to eat it.  I never would have eaten rutabaga if it weren't for this.

[Amava]

I had somewhat the opposite problem. I wasn't a picky eater as a child, and I don't have children who are picky eaters, but I was the child of a picky eater!!

Or should I say, the child of a very traditional eater. My mom (dad was not in the picture when I was little) would only cook what she had learned to cook from her own mom, and not even all of that, and hardly ever try something new, even when eating outside of the house!

This meant:
for warm meals:
plain boiled potatoes every day, except very sometimes mashed potatoes or fries.
to go with that: vegetables, but also always choosing from a very small range.
traditional meat could be pork chops, steak (overdone shoe-sole style), sausages, chicken, beef stew
Very sometimes fish, but then always the same fish: cod.

Never ever ever spaghetti or rice. Nothing exotic such as curry, pizza, etc.
No casseroles, no lasagna, etc etc (let's just say: she had an oven but very seldom used it).

For breakfast: ALWAYS bread with chocolate. My grandmother who lived with us: always bread with strawberry jam.
For the third meal of the day (could be either lunch or dinner, depending on when it was convenient to make the warm meal): bread with cheese (almost always the same cheese) or some deli meat (again choosing from a very small range).

For me, this seemed normal. This is how I grew up, I had never seen otherwise (I was a bit sheltered, too), and I thought everyone ate this way. 
But then I started having friends and sometimes visiting them over meal time.
Not to mention, I went to live on my own at 18. In one of the most multicultural cities of my country. 
And a culinary world opened up to me.

I have become a very adventurous, versatile cook and eater, and Iove to learn and try new things still, all the time. 

[bloo]

I was a picky kid. I would try things but it was difficult if I didn't like the way it looked or smelled and Deity help us if Mom put more than 3 things on my plate and "O....M....G...is that beet juice going to touch my mashed potatoes?!!!!!! Nooooooooo..." And I had 'rules' for how I ate certain foods.

Since I was a cooperative, quiet sort of kid, my parents humored what a PITA I was at the table. But they never stopped offering all kinds of foods, some pretty exotic because my mom is Asian. And I would usually try a bite of something and be surprised when I liked it. I came to find that there were a lot of things I liked.

Two things helped me to evolve into someone who will eat anything you put in front of me:

1) When I started cooking meals as a teenager, I was chagrined if a family member complained about it. That helped me to stop complaining and not make a big deal of trying something new.
2) Having kids and not having time to eat. Seriously, a chicken nugget covered in dog hair that my toddler threw on the floor looked pretty good when you have forgotten to eat all day. I never say no to anyone that offers me food!

Now that my kids do some of the cooking, they are also FAR less pickier than they used to be. My son has never been picky and compared to some of my friend's kids, my daughter is not picky at all!

[squeakers]

My youngest son won't eat my chili even though it has all the stuff he loves to eat any other time: meat, onions, tomatoes and chili beans. One time I made waaay too much so I sent it over to my sister's.  He happened to spend the night that night and ate 2 bowls of the chili. And loved it.  The same chili he turned his nose up at for lunch.

That was the last time I worried about whether he liked something or not.

My oldest boy won't eat eggs: he ate them a lot up until he was about 6 or 7 and then just got burned out, I guess.  He doesn't mind them cooked into stuff like cakes and cookies but if he can see them he won't eat them.

The only things I can think of that middle son won't eat are pickled stuff like meats or eggs.  he loves cucumber pickles but is not interested in pork hocks or turkey gizzards that have been pickled.  The other 2 like them.

Oh, just remembered the only thing all 3 turn their noses up at: Braunschweiger. More for me!

I do have great/nephews and great/nieces who turned their noses up at anything but mac and cheese, chicken nuggets or hot dogs.  Whether because they had actual aversions or because they did not know better/parents didn't feed them more variety, I don't know.  I do know that a few of them never got over it and didn't like coming to my house because my boys liked snacking on things like raw potatoes, tomatoes, fruit, greens and salads.

My husband won't eat fishy fish but does like shrimp.  He used to turn his nose up at black olives, Italian dressing and sour cream.  He likes all 3 now.

Me? I didn't have the choice to be picky.. we were dirt poor so any food was always eaten. Siblings with allergies or aversions just ate less.

[Venus193]

There really was no "children's food" when I was growing up; you ate the same stuff as your parents or went to bed hungry.  There was nothing wrong with that.  Why on earth is that no longer true? 

[DottyG]

Sweet potatoes or white? That's not safe, is it?

[MrsVandy]

My younger siblings were both picky eaters and were often made to sit at the table until they at least tried what they were served. I was never picky and always finished my plate.

One time I was served too much rice a roni and was forced to eat it. To this day I hate it and I was never made to eat it again.

As I've gotten older I've discovered I can no longer eat many foods that I love because they make me ill. I miss red meat and tacos and junk food in general.

[Emmy]

I was a pretty good eater and ate most foods my parents put in front of me.  I didn't like any type of soda and snack foods with that neon orange 'cheese' stuff on them.  I remember going thirsty at several kids birthday parties because all that was available to drink was soda.

I think having a picky eater would be frustrating.  However, if my child becomes a picky eater, I will teach her manners and that she doesn't get to demand something else if she doesn't like what's for dinner or say 'ewww' to food that is offered.  DD is 17 months now and is a fairly good eater.  She does not like potatoes in any form or eggs, but is good with most other things.  DH and I give her bites off of our dinner plates to let her try new things.  We are counting our blessing now, but realize this may not last.  Many parents say pickiness comes on suddenly. 

DH and I grew up in a house where our parents were less adventurous than we were, especially DH.  His dad was meat and potatoes all the way.  DH recalls his mom would try a new chicken dish that DH would like, but his dad would request that not be made again and that was it.  DH's brother (BIL) is very picky.  He is the opposite of his dad and prefers no red meat at all.  His son, DH's nephew is equally as picky, but has opposite tastes as BIL.  SIL says cooking is a frustrating experiences because somebody will always not like something and she doesn't want to be adventurous because she'll be the only person eating it.

[snowdragon]

DH and I grew up in a house where our parents were less adventurous than we were, especially DH.  His dad was meat and potatoes all the way. DH recalls his mom would try a new chicken dish that DH would like, but his dad would request that not be made again and that was it.  DH's brother (BIL) is very picky.  He is the opposite of his dad and prefers no red meat at all.  His son, DH's nephew is equally as picky, but has opposite tastes as BIL.  SIL says cooking is a frustrating experiences because somebody will always not like something and she doesn't want to be adventurous because she'll be the only person eating it.

are you my long lost sister? That is legend in my family. I am fairly adventurous, so are my brothers and mom.  Dad never was.