Any Super Picky Eaters/People with lots of food issues out there?

I've said this before, but I am a very picky eater.  I also tend to eat very redundantly.  I think it's safe to say it isn't going to change at this point.  So, I was wondering if there are any more on here.  Apparently it came be caused by a lot of things & a lot of us exist. 

I'd be curious to hear from anyone else with this.  I'd like to know what other picky eaters are eating, & won't go near, especially since most of us here are trying to limit calories.  A lot of times the things most, or the style they are prepared in, tends to mean I have to avoid them almost all the time in order to try & lose weight.

(Btw, I'd ideally just like to hear from picky eaters/people with a lot of food issues & if any respond I'd like it to be a safe place to discuss it, without others telling us to change things we already know about, & can't help)

I never think that I'm a picky eater until I place an order in a restaurant or deli...I seem to have to make a modification to everything!  It really seems to confuse people working a cash register, even though the options are actually posted.  BTW, I can taste the difference between coke and pepsi, I like my coke over ice and my pepsi from a cold can.

lol Well when I go out I'm not so bad like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, but that's because i normally order what I like most.  Normally it's 1 or in some cases a couple of things in each place I'll have.

I've got all sorts though.  No seafood, meat with bones.  No baby animals (like Veal) No meat that actually looks like it's meat.  I have all sorts.  :)

Oh! This is me to a tee...
I like everything very plain.  No cheese on anything, no seafood, no veal, no breading on anything, veggies: peas, corn, applesauce (okay not a veggie but on almost any veggie menu - no cinnamon or chucky either), only potatoes I like are mashed & they can't be lumpy or I won't eat them, PB & J must be cut into 4 squares or I don't eat it... think I qualify?

Usually I avoid the diet plans because I only like 1-2 things on the menu... not a recipe for success.  I remember being a teen & eating grapefruit for 5 days because it was the only thing I liked on this fad diet.  Needless to say, I was sick as a dog afterwards. 

I too eat redundantly, especially if I have a taste for something.  Typically I've been eating dry cereal for breakfast - though at the moment I'm stuck on animal crackers (must be Barnum crackers).  Lunch is usually fruit.  Here I like quite a few so I'm lucky.  These are usually good for snacks too.

I save most of my calories for dinner.  Being picky I tend to eat my cooking - it?s safer.

I know what you mean about being told to try it anyway or choke it down.  Well for me if I choke down something I don't like it usually comes right back up. Can't see where that's healthy. 

Nice to know I'm not the only one here. 

Your definitely not the only one. I drive my friends and family insane because i will never try anything new and i dont like anything

I don't like dairy for the most part. I'll have a little cheese here and there because i know i need proteins, but american only. Not in chunks, sliced or shredded. Some shaker cheese on pasta is ok too, buttered pasta makes me sick, tomato sauce only.

Meat. ew, nothing red. No bacon, or pork of any kind. Chicken is ok once and awhile, grilled not fried,baked it ok too i guess. and turkey is only ok on a sandwich and cut extreamly thin. Don't get me started on beef....

When it comes to restraunts i have my useuals and thats all i ever get. Never change. Drives my friends insane.

Vegtables. For the most part i like them all except peas, chick peas, beans of any sort and corn. Nothing makes me want to be sick more then those slimy little excuses for food. I dont like onion rings tho, if they were meant to have that much fat they'd be grown that way. Plain & organic all the way. I use a lot of mustard on  vegtables too, im weird i know.

Fruit Ill basically eat any of. I love it! But give it to me plain, no yogurts or anything on top, that just kills everything!

.......ill never understand why im like this =) haha

Interesting topic...

For me its not so much what I'm eating but how its done.

I don't eat seafood (not even tuna, people like to ask that for some reason) or pork but I like pretty much every vegetable and fruit I've ever met except for grapefruit.

Ok so what I'm really picky with is if I think the food is safe and clean. If I didnt cook or prepare it for myself I'm usually really cautious.

Other misc things that are weird: I LOVE strawberries but don't like anything strawberry flavored - not even ice cream or candy. I LOVE oranges but can't stand orange juice. Yogurt HAS to be plain. I'll eat it with fruit, but no fruit flavored yogurts.  I LOVE eating barbecue but hate anything cooked with BBQ sauce or with BBQ sauce on top of it.

There's other stuff I'm just not thinking of right now lol. Anyone know what I mean?

ah, this is good!  Yes, I think everyone here qualifies, so far.  :P

Hmm, most of you guys seem to have an aversion to dairy though.  Unfortunately if there's one thing I tend to not be at all afraid of it's cheese.  lol  Cheddar, Meunster, you name it.  Just not bleu cheese or others I deem as "not normal" cheeses.  lol    It's hard enough dieting when you eat a good range of things. 

When you don't, it's a heck of a puzzle eh?

I don't like fat.  Gristle makes me sick & if I get anything chewy...  not only can I not get it down but ugh (getting sick just thinking about it) it's like I don't ever want to even see that food again.  Ugh & those greyish things I could swear were worms in chicken! 

I don't tend to like grilled chicken because I can see icky, chewy things in it.  I like Perdue thin sliced chicken cutlets, after I "clean" (cut) them more, bread them & fried in olive oil.  Then they're like butter.  (Fattening, of course)  I also love potatoes.  In almost any form.  Except for some that are too messed with.  I don't like gravy on meat or potatoes.  I like the taste by itself.  I don't like steak.  Even really good steak.  Give me a burger instead any day.  I gotta have at least a little cheese though.  The only burgers I have eaten willingly without it is Wendy's singles.  Don't ask me why.  Probably the salt.  lol 

I like cold cuts, but I tend to get them sliced in a vey mutilated way.  They taste better that way, I have no idea why.  lol  It also hides any ickiness a lot better.  It's like super shaved.  I don't like pork in general, but I will eat bacon (VERY crispy) & boar's head deli ham if it's super shaved.

My husband doesn't care too much about it.  He's used to it, although he loves sea food.  My family however continues to be a pain about it still to this day whenever they have the chance.  They eat a wide variety of stuff & all love sea food.  It is hard though because people often want to go to places where I can't eat anything & I kinda resent having to "find something" on the menu.  The company is generally NOT worth it.  :P  People don't realize how many places cook non seafood things with the seafood, in the oils etc.  They'll often admit it.  I can't get near it either, undertherainbow.  When I pass that section in the supermarket I actually have to cover my nose.  It's sickening & it kinda upsets me.

As far as sauce, my favorite is Tomato Alfredo.  (again, fattening, of course)  Like Pink Sauce.  It's nice because It's like red sauce, only it's creamy too and it cuts down on the acid a lot.

I totally know what you mean about getting a taste for something.  When I get one it can turn into all I want for a while until I move on.  Recently for like a week straight for dinner I ate some Ian's chicken nuggets (no preservatives etc.) & a can of no salt added string beans.  EVERY NIGHT!  lol  Sometimes I'll get on this kick where I'll be into Turkey Clubs.  (this happens frequently) and that's all I want.  Suddenly I'm buying tons of lettuce, tomato, turkey & bacon.

When I was a kid my mother was always trying to make me eat stuff I didn't want to.  Some idiots will try & say I'm picky because I wasn't exposed to a variety of good foods, blah blah.  As if my family is comprised of a bunch of uncultured twits who eat nothing but hot dogs & macaroni & cheese.  Well, this is one thing I can't blame on them.  I just never liked the stuff, and once I was given a choice I stopped trying to choke & gag down stuff I find gross.  One time in particular, that I remember my mother made dinner.  I think it might have been steak.  I liked the side dishes as usual but refused to really eat the meat.  Well, she made me sit there literally all night.  It certainly didn't get more appetizing as time went on.  I believe I finally woke up on the floor under the table.  I'm assuming she got that from Mommy Dearest.  She always did seem to miss the point that that movie was not supposed to be a GOOD example!  That's mom for you.

I love animal crackers, btw.  But knowing me it's the cuteness and childlike appeal of them.  I tend to like stuff in small packages, especially if marketed to children.  lol  I even buy zoopals plates!

I really thought this best fit the weight loss forum, since it was most about trying to lose weight with these issues, but I guess I was wrong.

Nothing compares to real strawberries, I agree.  I don't like strawberry candies & things.  I think I'll eat the Ice Cream & I used to like strawberry Quik, but I haven't had either in a very long time.  Real strawberries are so good.  I call them "God's Candy."  lol

Btw, cshammas00, I don't know what it is about that tuna thing.  I've always gotten that.  I started saying in a funny fake exasperated voice, "nothing from the sea!"  I got that from a movie or tv show from years ago where they kept asking some guy about various sea foods in case he was wrong the first time, but I can't remember where.  Only problem is I've been known to eat Sea Weed.  Although not recently.  I guess it was mostly during my vegany "phase".  More like experiment, I suppose.  One place by me in NY had these chocolate iced donuts that were all sorts of weird things like sea weed, etc. & they were incredible. 

Vegetarian with celiac disease (can't have wheat, barley, or rye, in any amount), and then my doctor told me to cut out dairy. So now I'm vegan - skipping eggs isn't that hard for me anyway so my diet would seem limited. It doesn't really feel that way, though.

Rice is the grain that I use the most. It's the cheapest, easiest to find one that's safe for me to eat, and I like it anyway; I've been buying mostly brown rice, and once I'm done with the bag I have I'll probably try a different kind of "whole" rice. I've also experimented a bit with millet and amaranth - if there's a natural foods store nearby and you don't mind paying a little more, there are plenty of grains to choose from even if the gluten-containing grains are out.

Most fruits and vegetables are good. I don't care for citrus fruits or melon, and avoid avocado because of the fat content, but almost all the others work. As for vegetables, I'll eat anything but okra (find it gross) and spicy ones that bother my stomach. There's a wide variety of plant products even at most supermarkets, so I don't get too bored.

Soy products (tofu, soy milk and soy yogurt) are another thing I include, and things like lentils and various kinds of beans. I often add in a little bit of flaxseeds for fiber and to get my fat intake up since without it it's typically around 10% - I don't like using any fat in cooking, and this means that I don't get enough unless I supplement somehow. I feel a lot better about having a spoonful of seeds than about putting margarine on my food. I'll probably include more kinds of seeds when my calorie count is higher, but for right now, any more than just a little bit to alter percentages will take up way too much of my daily counts.

I also like fruit-based baby food as a snack. Don't laugh :) It's portioned out and all-natural, and I figure if it's safe for a six-month-old, it's probably safe for an adult with a sensitive digestive system. I won't touch the vegetable baby food, though - I remember trying some of them when my youngest sibling was an infant and it was just nasty.

I always cook for myself; I don't eat things that other people have made because of the possibility of contamination with flour, not to mention that I wouldn't likely know the calorie count. Even though I seem to have a relatively high threshhold for getting sick from gluten (I wasn't noticeably symptomatic until last winter), I don't want to take any chances. If I have to eat with others, I stick with fruit and vegetables and other plain things that I can be sure are safe.

Tell me if you think I belong to the picky eating club lol! I have always thought I was a pretty picky eater, I do eat more foods than some people I know, but I tend to be really picky about what brands they are or versions of how they are prepared. I think it may have gotten worse since I started losing weight. Now, I usually only like to cook things for myself, since I know what's in it. I hate eating things that I don't know how they were prepared. If I have to I will go out to eat, but I take FOREVER to choose something suitable from the menu. If at a restuarant and they bring me a food that's obviously been soaked in oil/fats as it is floating in it, I will usually send it back - only if it was something that I ordered because it seemed healthy - if it was something made to be fatty, then I know its my own fault for ordering the wrong thing, then sometimes I blot the whole dish with my napkin, and usually using 3 or 4 napkins to do this if they get saturated with the oil (I don't know it this helps or not, it makes me feel better though lol). I hate eating oily things or foods that have an oily texture. I may eat some, but I get a sick feeling so usually stop before I'm halfway done and give it to someone else.

Hmmm let's see...for foods: I agree with you all who said strawberry flavoured things are a no. Real strawberries all the way, I will not eat fake strawberry anything. I like most, if not all fruits, again, I agree that nothing should be on them though. If I want yogurt with my fruit, I will eat it seperately. The one exception is pretty much any fruit with peanut butter. But the peanut butter must be smooth, I absolutely refuse to eat chunky. I will eat toast with peanut butter (and nothing else), but absolutely refuse to eat peanut butter with just raw bread. And the peanut butter must be applied to the toast within about 10 secs of it coming out of the toaster or it will not melt properly and I will probably give the toast away and try again.

Eggs must be hardboiled or in an omelette. No sunnyside up. I like tomatoes, but hate tomato soup and tomato based soups. Tomatoes must not be cooked. Except I will eat spaghetti sauce and chili. Vegetables cooked should not be soggy, but still slightly crunchy. I hate celery. If possible, it should never be in anything. Mustard must be no name brand only, no other kinds. Pickles must be Bicks (the extra garlic kind minis, not regular size), no other kinds. If I must eat ham, it has to be black forest, usually I don't eat it though. I hate white bread with a passion, unless it is in roll or bun shaped. I do love seafood and will eat it pretty much any way...I'm not too picky about meats, but I like them to be lean as well. No gristle.

As far as eating goes...everything on the plate must be eaten separately, veggies first, then meat, then whatever else there was. It is preferable if the components do not touch/mix together. Hmmm ya...This list could go on and on, but I will end this super long post here lol!

Oh yes, and I do tend to eat the same things over and over again. Ex: everyday for lunch I have the same thing, and every day for breakfast the same thing. I mix it up for dinner. 

Ya, I have to wait until I finish the thing I'm eating until I taste something else as well. Usually take a drink of water in between as well. It's ok if things are mixed together before they are on my plate (certain things....spaghetti, casseroles, etc) but once on the plate, I don't like them to mingle.

My doctor has placed me on a low-tyramine diet.  For those of you who might not know, tyramine is a chemical that is produced in foods from the natural breakdown of amino acids.  Tyramine levels increase in foods when they are aged, fermented or are not fresh.  I also can't eat MSG and I am allergic to cinnamon.  LOL.  Basically, this means that I can't eat anything--especially anything that I myself have not prepared.

The hardest part of the low-tyramine diet that I have found is regarding meats.  They have to either be very, very fresh before being cooked or have been frozen and just thawed out.  I can't eat any leftovers that are more than one day old.  I've found that it is so hard to determine these things about meat when eating out.  Especially fast food.  I have all but given up on eating meat outside of my own home.  Most times, when asked about if the meat was frozen or is fresh, I get a blank stare and an, "I don't know" and that's it.  How difficult is it for the person taking the order to go back and find out if the chicken strips were frozen before they threw them in the oil to cook them?  Apparently, very difficult.  The restaurants that have gone out of their way to help me figure out what I can eat are few and far between.  I did, however, go to an O' Charlie's one time and the manager came out to the table and answered every question I had until I found something that I could eat.  I was very impressed.

On my low-tyramine diet, I also can't have anything pickled (and I looooove baby dill pickles :( ), aged, dried, fermented salted or smoked.  No lunch meats, hot dogs or ham.  I can only have cheese that is not aged, so no blue cheese, brie, cheddar, swiss, mozzarella or feta (I loooove feta), etc.  I can't have beans, olives, raw onions, or ANY soy products.  No citrus fruits, bananas, peanuts, seeds or nuts.  Absolutely no alcohol and no homemade yeast products.  And very, very small amounts of sugary foods and candies, chocolate and caffeine.

I can't have MSG either, like I said, and it seems like it is in everything.  It is in most salad dressings--especially ranch dressings.  It is on almost any kind of flavored potato chip or cracker or basically anything with seasoning on it. 

On top of all this, I am kind of a picky eater too.  I hate cooked vegetables, except corn ON THE COB--no corn off the cob.  I don't care if it has JUST been taken off the cob seconds before I eat it.  I want it ON the cob.  I can't stand the sight, smell or taste of peas.  I don't like to even be in the same room as them.  I also don't really like cooked fruit--too mushy!  I can't just eat yogurt--I don't like the texture in my mouth.  I also don't care for celery--it just tastes bitter to me, no matter what.

I have all these restrictions on my eating that sometimes it seems like I can't eat anything at all.  And yet I still have managed to make myself overweight! LOL!!!     

I definitely belong in the picky eaters club! I don't like cheese, turkey,  chocolate, soda, the majority of breakfast foods (except cereal, bagels, muffins etc) sandwiches (no lunch meat) sweet/sugary foods, all condiments (except ketchup). I have such a hard time finding foods I like! I definitely prefer to cook my own dinner, so I at least know I'll like it. I always try new foods, rarely like them, and always end up altering them- I prefer them plain.

I definitely agree with those of you that can eat the same foods over and over again. I wish I could eat pasta every night. It's my favorite!

Does anyone else out there have this problem too? I don't have a sweet tooth, I have a "salt" tooth. I love salty foods. I would prefer a bag of chips over a candy bar anyday!

My mother had the salty tooth.  I'm pretty sure I'm more a sweet tooth.  I didn't used to be this way but since 23 or so,  I NEED chocolate & Ice Cream.  Really, I do, I might not live otherwise.  :P

But, a lot of my favorite things seem to be loaded with salt... so perhaps I have both.  If figures!  :P

lol This is cool.  I'm glad I finally posted this.  Can you imagine if most of us went out to dinner together?  The waitress might end up hanging herself! 


Ok, here's a question for you.  Of the people that eat meat at all, obviously...  how many of the picky eaters here like of all things, Hot Dogs?  My husband & others have marvelled at the fact that I'm soooo picky & have so many food issues, yet I'll eat those!  I even know they're pretty gross...yet I like them.  Seems a lot of picky eaters I've met do.  It's a tiny bit ironic,

I have a friend with celiac by the way, but she's not all that disciplined about it.

Being this picky & trying to lose weight is bad enough.  I fear getting some condition where I'm even more limited because I really might end up in trouble.  I've thought of this at times.  I already eat so little, narrowing it down any more would be a disaster!

Years ago, my grandfather got all his special diet recomendations listed on these papers.  I read through them all & realized that they all contradicted each other & he followed them all to a tee he can't have anything!  He even had to limit his water!  And this was a man who spent his life doing everything in perfectly controlled moderation to begin with.  Yikes!

I was going to change the title of the thread to "Picky Eaters Club" but it won't let me anymore.

LOL, funny you should mention tuna... I always thought I liked tuna fish (from a can only!).  I tried to cut down on the mayo to cut calories... turns out i only like the mayo.  Don't think i'll be eating that anytime soon.  It tasted like fish, yuck!

I am laughing so hard about all these food issues!

I didn't think anyone else would feel the same about strawberries...

robinsue74, yes, whenever it comes up that I don't eat seafood, People either say 1. 'not even tuna?' and/or 2. 'not even shrimp?' maybe they are just the maryjane of seafood or something...I don't know.  I just usually say 'not if it lived in the water' lol I am laughing so hard about the waitress if we all went out to eat together!

laurenmh I have a salt tooth too, but I am also slowly developing a sweet tooth -  uh-oh.

"I tried to cut down on the mayo to cut calories... turns out i only like the mayo."  LOL  Tuna was the last sea food I ate.  Willingly that is.  Yes, mayo makes everything nicer.  :P 

On my 30th Birthday (literally( I went to the Biergarten restaurant in Epcot/Germany.  It's a Buffet.  I got some of what I THOUGHT was potato salad.  When I got back to the table I tried eating it along with other stuff on my plate.  It was oddly chewy & i'm like wtf.  Then... the taste hit me.  AAAAAHHHH!  Herring!  My dopey friend said she was watching and didn't see me take any fish.  Well thanks!  lol  That night I walked around feeling, if not looking a bit green faced, & I kept muttering "I ate herring.  I ate herring."  Everytime I think of it now I go "I ate herring"  and I make a face.  lol  I LOVE potato salad.  What a cruel, cruel trick that was.  lol

oh yeah & why someone who knows me even a little thinks if I was going to eat ANY fish, it would be something that looks at me while I'm eating it and as an added bonus, has it's entire corpse served on my plate.  *shivers*

Years ago my family all went out for this all you can eat king crabs leg thing.  I was eating baked ziti.  This was still during the poofy hair hairspray on top days.  A piece of crab meat flew into my hair & was sitting up there & no one wanted to tell me.  lol 

I was a very picky-eater growing up  - it was actually quite troublesome for me at times.

I've done a little research and recently wrote up a cursory overview of picky eaters on BlogSoop.