we are planning a trip to Italy next summer. My husband is concerned about food. He is the pickiest person ever about food. he is worried he won't find enough to eat and would rather do a cruise. I would rather not do a cruise. Is he going to be able to find enough to eat!!! : )

I think you and I are married to the same man. He will not starve in Italy.

that made me laugh!!!!!!!

The idea that you won't find enough food in Italy is crazy!

he doesn't eat fruit or veggies...he hates anything spicy and actually doesn't even really like tomato sauce. He is BEYOND picky

Welcome to Fodors. OK -- What WILL he eat without kicking and screaming??

How about cheese? He can eat fettuccine. Spaghetti carbonara is good too. Steak and fish are good in Italy.

If all else fails, fails, send him to McDonald's or Burger King while you go anywhere else in town to enjoy some of the world's best food.

We went to Spain with my brother and SIL and discovered what picky eaters they were! As we were enjoying tapas, they were searching out lasagna and pizza in every place we went. They didn't starve but neither did they enjoy the food culture that we reveled in.

Many years ago, the first trip to Italy we took we did not like the food, but that was because we didn't know enough to research where and what to eat. We would just drop in to any tourist trap we saw when we were starving. I still find Rome a little challenging, but even google maps ratings are not bad these days, and the menu and opening times are available by touching a fork/knife icon. If all else fails, does he eat pizza? There are many variations, depending on where in Italy you will be vacationing.

Reminds me of my (now ex) husband when we honeymooned in Paris. He was (is) horribly picky, to the point where basically the guy only ate about three things on rotation. We ordered a simple meal in Paris at a street vendor towards the end of our trip and while I spoke some French, was not fluent. He rattled off a list of things for me to tell them to eliminate. Out of frustration, told him, "That is beyond my French. If you don't want it, you tell them. Or don't eat it!" He ate the thing that had everything he didn't want because he was unwilling to tell them or at least point with a "non."

OP, not saying you need to do that tactic. But perhaps him learning a few phrases to accomodate his preferences might be in order.

With that having been said, there is so much good food in Italy. Some of it is regional. You may not find ravioli on every restaurant menu for example. Pizza generally is very available, but will be different than what you might get in North America. Is there something he normally might order when you go out to an Italian restaurant? That might help give you more suggestions.

You can always stay in rental properties or aparthotels and self-cater. You can even bring lunches with you so you you don't have to buy food while out. It seems kind of a shame for you because you might miss out on some nice dining experiences, but if he really can't / won't eat a wide range of things this might be one way around it.

Lavandula

I'm a picky eater and I gained weight in Italy

But I do eat fruit and veg, love spicy food and love tomato sauce.

Does any of this appeal to him?

We're finding Italy very dangerous...

The food in Italy is so good I think even a picky eater will be fine. Maybe if he tries some of their incredible fresh produce he might change his mind about fruit and vegetables.
Do a little research on food in Italy, I think a lot of people are surprised it isn't all pizza and pasta. On a restaurant menu there are usually appetizers (antipasti) then the first course (primi)which is either a soup or a starch like pasta or risotto, and not the huge portions we are used to. Next is secondi- typically meat or seafood and not usually served with anything else, sometimes there might be some potato or a bit of vegetable, but there is another category called contorni and those are your side dishes to order with the second course, then dolci (dessert). Italians eat salad at the end of the meal not the start. You don't have to have all the courses.
Bread is brought to the table but not with butter as we are used to, butter is considered just for breakfast. Also olive oil and balsamic to dip bread in are not really Italian, it's an American thing, you might see it at restaurants where they get a lot of tourists but it isn't really Italian. If you have salad don't expect dressings, you will be brought olive oil and balsamic to dress the salad with.

As someone else said the food varies by region, each region has their own dishes or way of preparing food. There is not a ton of spicy dishes, and surprising to a lot of people there is not a lot of garlic used either.
I hope your husband is pleasantly surprised!

I had to laugh at this. This Italian doesn’t like pasta or tomatoes. Shocking I know but I still love Italy. Talking about vegetables what kind? I won’t eat anything that looks like a tree, bush or grass. I didn’t starve yet had some good and bad meals there. He can really get the same type of food as at home if he just looks around. I always look at menus before sitting down because if I can’t find something, I am not going to waste anyone’s time.

I come from a family with a lot of food fears. My father did not eat many things we take for granted as being safe and approachable. My eldest brother still 'jokes' that he does not eat vegetables with more than one syllable.

However, my father had a good attitude. He traveled the world by asking for some very simple things he would eat. It sounds to me like maybe your husband has both a very limited diet and a negative disposition.

Everything will be ok. There is no other possibility. Just ask for some accommodation.

if your husband can’t find food to his liking even Italy won’t satisfy him. Good luck!

no fruit or veg.
how does he feel about chick peas and lentils?
does he know a lot of meat is raised on veg?

I would hate to think what you are made to eat on a cruise, sugar, fat, high in anti-biotics and growth hormones and of course they then dump your processed food into the sea to damage marine life, for you to eat.

We spent 2 weeks in Italy in October and there were many options. Fish, pork, chicken and beef, etc. Many were plain or the sauces could be eliminated. More simple pastas or potatoes are options for side dishes. What does he eat at home? It sounds like he is limited there, too. Cruise food is not close to being the same. I think it would be a shame for you to visit one of the best food countries in the world and not experience it.

Can we assume that you have taken a cruise? We have taken quite a few with many of the main cruise lines. While we both enjoy them for relaxing, going to beaches and stopping for a few hours to see one place, they are no substitute for actually spending days and nights in a country, enjoying the ambience of evenings in towns with people strolling about, sitting outside in plazas or piazzas and eating in local restaurants and waking up to the sounds and smells of a city or village. If you want to see just a place or two, a cruise is minimally OK. If you want to see a country, stay in that country. It would be almost criminal to miss out on the smell of fresh breads and coffee wafting up from cafes in Aix or the sounds of boats bringing in fresh fruits, flowers and clean laundry in Venice.
I am quite old and have regretted compromising on some important things, thankfully not travel as DH does anything I like in that regard, but I say this to you and hope it is taken as kindly as I mean it. It is honestly, IMHO, beyond selfish to try to persuade you to give up a dream trip to accommodate a picky eater. He is not a toddler. A couple of weeks is a very short time for a picky (no medical issues) eater to grow up and survive on a different diet. A trip to Italy is a lifetime memory for you.

If you have not cruised, it is fair to take one another time, to a place or country where just stops are fine or do a nice cruise to the Caribbean in winter.

Depending on where you're going in Italy, you might not find many dishes that involve tomato sauce and/or spicy food. In the larger cities, you're not even limited to Italian food only.

Nope, so sad, he will starve in Italy.
Just kidding. I wanted so much to support you in my first response that I failed to provide positive advice for your husband about food.
You can get absolutely anything you want in supermarkets for if you do apartment stays. Good hotels that have nice restaurants will offer a continental breakfast, and also eggs, toast, and many other options. Their homemade rolls and breads, jams, etc. are wonderful. Besides interesting pizzas, there are quick shops selling delicious roast chicken, potatoes, etc. plus fast food and all kinds of ethnic foods. When we did not want to go out, we picked up chicken and had dinner in our room. Restaurants will have anything you might like to eat: potatoes, breads, rice of different kinds, polenta of different kinds, meats and fish, pasta of all kinds, not just with tomato based sauce. Does he eat cheese or cream sauces? He is in luck! Does he like pot roast? Good luck again. Lamb chops? Yep! Just do a little bit of research and get a few recommendations to find things he will enjoy.

There will be a few differences in how things are done. For dinner, always make a reservation, even in neighborhood restaurants and even just an hour or so before. They will then have a table ready and welcome you. It is considered a bit rude to just walk in. Bread usually costs extra. If you do not want it, let the waiter know. Once it is on the table, it is yours. There will be a charge for water, served in a bottle unless you specify differently. They will ask if you want with gas or still. You may already know these things and there are a few more others might mention. I bring it up because I had a friend argue with a waiter about charges that were standard, and I was mortified. He just did not know, and would not calm down to listen.

I hope you go to Italy, that your husband eats lots of gelato, grows fat and you have a lovely time.