So, for years, my kids have called me a 'picky eater' because I don't eat sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, rice, smoothies/milkshakes, rolls . . . I guess the list is fairly extensive. I prefer to call myself a 'choosy eater,' because it's not that I think those foods taste bad, I just prefer to use my calories for good, not bad. I used to stick with salads when eating out, until I realized that all the toppings were full of fat. I'm basically down to fish tacos or salmon with vegetables these days, which most restaurants have.
Now, if you want to know what a truly picky eater is, let me tell you about a houseguest we had a few years back. She was here for two FULL weeks. If she would have been vegetarian, vegan, GF or any other food allergy, I would have understood. However, she was none of those things. Rather than tell you what she didn't eat, it would be easier for me to list what she was willing to eat:
1. Hamburgers (but no fries, because she didn't eat potatoes in any form)
2. Pasta
3. Plain chicken (meaning, no sauce of any sort)
4. Cheerios
5. Turkey sandwiches with one slice of mozzarella cheese (white bread only)
6. Cheese pizza
7. Lettuce (her one vegetable)
8. Red delicious apples (I believe this was the only fruit she would eat)
9. Steak
10. Any dessert (this killed me)
You may be thinking that this person was a 5 year old girl; you would be incorrect. She was in her early 20's. Since she was covered for breakfast (Cheerios) and lunch (turkey sandwich/apple), I was only worried about making dinner. The conversations would go something like this:
Me: Ok, since you like pasta/hamburg, how about I make lasagna. You eat that, right?
Her: Yes, I like lasagna, but not ricotta cheese.
Me: (Oh, for crying out loud . . . )
Me: Will you eat a salad with dinner?
Her: Sure
(Actuality: She took 2 leaves out of the salad and put them on her plate. No need for a bowl since no dressing was applied)
After a week of this nonsense, I was ready to lose my mind. I'm not about to eat pasta every night, and my husband wasn't going to be grilling a steak in the middle of winter. I finally told my son that he had to just take her out to eat every night, because I couldn't deal with it.
His current gf eats everything, including chicken feet and seaweed. It's been quite a change.
I'm not a picky eater at all. But Ken and I often will have different things for dinner because I don't like hamburger all that much and would rather have chicken. Plus I'm not supposed to eat a lot of carbs so I will make him rise, noodles or potatoes and I'll have roasted vegetables or salad with my chicken while he has hamburger and carbs. lol
ReplyDeleteThat's the way I feel; I'm not picky but I'm trying to avoid carbs and fat!
DeleteSounds like you are more healthy than picky.
ReplyDeleteNow, GF1, that is a bit rude, probably the result of over indulgent parents. Problem is these days, it is not that hard to make multiple meals for picky kids, back in the day mom's slaved a bit over every dinner and they dang well were not going to make something different for everyone.
Finally, chicken feet...yuuck!
It was really rude. I never met the parents, but it sounded like they were control freaks, so maybe that was her way of rebelling?
DeleteMmmmmm. . . Ah loves me some burgers. But put 'em on a multigrain bun (real multigrain, that has the texture of pumice-stone, not the weak pillow-bread stuff that's like white bread with brown dye). Bacon-bleu, or mushroom-swiss, or something vaguely California, with tomato and avo. . .
ReplyDeleteWe aim at eating healthy, but burgers are my guilty pleasure (except, you know, I don't feel all that guilty). . .
I never really cared for them, even as a kid. The only time I eat ground beef is when I make Cincinnati chili once a year. Now that stuff is goooooooddddd.
DeleteI like to think of myself as a "healthy" eater, too (and then we get to the desserts and snacks, and that entire theory goes to pot). But I try a lot of different things.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is somewhat picky, but it's things I can work around easily. He doesn't like seafood, pears, mushrooms.
I like desserts, too. Definitely my weakness. I've never understood the mushroom problem because they don't have any flavor to me. Pears? That's funny, is it because of the texture? I've always hated apricots because of that, but I like their flavor.
DeleteI too am a 'choosy eater.' I've always been that way because I've always known (even when I was a kid) what foods were good for me. My family LOVED all kinds of meat - pork, beef, chicken, liver, ham - which I never liked. I don't even like seafood. But again, I like what I like because I know what's good for my body. However, I'm not fanatical about things being organic, vegan, GF, dairy-free, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe list you made of your houseguest's "willing to eat" is hysterical; especially 10. Any dessert (this killed me), LOL!
I don't know how you kept your cool because I wouldn't have been able to hold my tongue when she said, "Yes, I like lasagna, but not ricotta cheese." OMG...she is BEYOND picky, she's a FREAK!
" I finally told my son that he had to just take her out to eat every night, because I couldn't deal with it. "
A-MEN!
And I'm glad to hear that his new girlfriend is easier to cook for.
X
I'm not fanatical about organic, etc., either. I just try to steer away from processed foods as much as possible. Omg, Ron, do you remember me e-mailing you at the time of that visit??? I was sooooo irritated! But it was a lot more than the food. Lol!
DeleteHappy belated birthday to your husband! I like burger bars, we have several here and they are pretty tasty for hamburger joints so to speak. I don't think you are picky. I think you are wise to make sure you are eating healthy and within whatever calorie range you want to be eating at. Boy that girl indeed was picky with her choices! Glad the current girlfriend isn't so. It is hard to try to plan meals around someone that picky like the first one. So little alternatives and pretty much everything she ate wasn't the most healthiest to eat in the first place.
ReplyDeletebetty
Thanks, Betty! It was a trying experience, that's for sure. I couldn't understand it, but maybe her entire family ate that way.
DeleteYeah, take it from a veteran of a family of picky eaters, you're an HONEST picky eater. And that's just fine, so long as honesty is at the forefront.
ReplyDeleteMom and her side of the family have a bunch of dishonest picky eaters. Mom fakes allergies to try and dictate where and what she'll eat and will even go so far as to fake extremes to get her way. Growing up we'd have popcorn shrimp every month or two as our one treat meal. Now she lies and claims she'll go into anaphylactic shock if she so much as touches shell fish. Claims she's ALWAYS been that way. Cause they don't appeal to her anymore .....
.... and older brother is always claiming something placed before him will cause him gastric distress for days and refuses to eat it. Until next year or the year after when he'll request (demand) that self-same destructive force as it's "the only thing that doesn't cause distress right now". 1
Mom's sis made similar claims over the years.
Thanks for being honest!! ;-)
Honesty is always the best policy! Yes, I've known people who claim to be allergic to things that I'm 99% sure is fabrication. I don't know if it's for attention or what.
DeleteSometimes for attention, sometimes to get their own way on a gathering menu, sometimes to sway an outcome, sometimes to avoid people, sometimes to be mean, sometimes because they can.
DeleteThose are the games my family plays.
hahaha and you talk about me. Geez, picky eater and you don't want to admit it. But yeah, I'm even worse than your guest. Mostly because I'm allergic to friggin everything and don't want to end up in the emergency room.
ReplyDeleteI knew you were picky, but didn't know it was from allergies. Surprised you are able to have cats!
DeleteHappy belated birthday to your husband....
ReplyDeleteI like plain chicken..
Have a great day
Thanks, Tanza.
DeleteThat's a picky eater all right. No wonder you asked your son to take over! As you know I'm a vegetarian, but other than that I'm not a picky eater. As long as it doesn't include meat or fish, I'll eat anything at all.
DeleteLots of good recipes out there for vegetarians these days. I'd have no problem with you, Nick!
Deletevery nice post my dear :D
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI will eat almost anything (just don't give me watermelon or sprouts, please), which makes being married to a "choosy eater" frustrating at times. But she is not as bad as your houseguest!
ReplyDeleteHere's a great recipe for your son's new gf. https://yangsnourishingkitchen.com/chicken-broth-seaweed-egg-drop-soup/
She actually made us that soup at Xmas, down to the dried baby shrimp! She brought everything with her from a Chinese shop, so I'm uncertain if that was the exact broth that she used. Also taught us how to make won tons while she was here!
DeleteI think I might actually tell someone to leave my house if they said no ricotta cheese in lasagna. That's insane!
ReplyDeleteI understand being picky to a certain extent, but that's just over the top. Can you imagine that girl at some kind of business lunch?
LOL, I thought it was insane, too! The potato thing was ridiculous as well. She claimed to not like the texture, but I don't see how mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or French fries have the same texture!!!! And yes, good luck at a business lunch!
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