Being a picky eater
“You’re hard work,” I’m told by my eye-rolling friend when we’re out having lunch. They shake their head in embarrassment. If you’re curious about what it is that I’ve done, I’ve just asked the waiter who took our order that I didn’t want cheese or pickles on my burger.
Does this really make me ‘hard work’? Is it a fair cause for the embarrassment for said friend? What’s the problem?
Picky eaters can be given a bit of a hard time and I get irritated by this attitude. I mean – it’s me who will be eating it, so what concern is it to anyone else? Is it really going to be such a hassle for the chef to exclude cheese/pickles/whatever sauce I don’t want? What does it matter?
You see, I don’t like cheese (except mozzarella on pizza, obviously!) and this is not very well understood by others. “How do you not like cheese? I LOVE cheese!” I’ve tried it many times, thinking ‘maybe I’ll like it now’, as tastes do change over the years, but I just don’t. I can’t decide what my taste-buds accept as yummy. It’s not a conscious choice; nobody can decide what they do and don’t like; surely this is understandable.
I’ve always been quite fussy about my foods and would be a fairly plain eater. I used to not want to try new things, but I’ve got better – I’m more willing now and have discovered lots of foods I never would have dreamed of eating before. I enjoy what I do eat, I love fruits and many vegetables, so I don’t feel like I’m compromising too much on nutrition by leaving some things out of my diet. So please don’t go on at me just because I don’t want mayonnaise – let me enjoy my meal!
Katie says
Girl I feel your pain I am such a picky eater! For me it’s fruit, I can’t stand the texture. My biggest issue is when people get personally offended when I don’t want to try their food, I don’t understand why they need me to like it.
http://www.beautyfromkatie.blogspot.com
Sarah says
Yes! Oh gosh texture is a big thing for me too.. e.g. I hate food to be swimming in sauce, but apparently to others this translates as I like my food ‘dry’?! *face palm*
Jane says
I’m the same as you, I’m a really picky eater and my friends tease me about it sometimes. I try not to restrict where we can go to eat, so I don’t really see the problem!
Sarah says
I know! Same here!
Victoria says
I feel your pain! I was a ‘picky’ or as some would say ‘fussy’ eater during my younger years but as I age with every year there is something new that I have learned to enjoy and my tastes have completely changed. Despite fish being the only food I can’t get on with (despite still dabbling and trying mouthfuls here and there) I’m still called ‘fussy’ by some when I say ‘oh I don’t like risotto or similar. It’s infuriating.
Victoria x
FlorenceandMary.com
Sarah says
It is infuriating, as I, and I’m sure you too, wouldn’t pass comment on other people’s tastes in food! Oh and this is so me, too – when younger I was even more of a plain eater, and not so willing to try new things – now I love some foods that years ago I never would have even dreamed of trying, like Indian food. Fish is something I can’t eat either (except for “fish and chips” fish! hehe) but I did try salmon recently, which was okay, but it made me very ill, so I’m even more put off now! I want to like fish as it’s so good for you, but I just can’t! x
Holly says
Admittedly I have become an easier eater as i’ve grown up (now being able to eat eggs, all cheeses, olives, and bunch of other things i’d screw my nose up at). Still, there are a bunch of things that I don’t want to eat. My biggest pet peeve is when people make a big deal over me being a picky eater, like is it really a big deal if i’m not keen on eating seafood? !
Glad to know there are others out there like me haha. Sometimes I feel so uncultured not eating many “lavish” foods but if my taste buds don’t like it..they don’t like it!
Holly x
Sarah says
Well said girl! It’s not fair when people make a big deal out of it, we can’t help it if we don’t like it! x