Are picky eaters born or raised that way?
Aug 15th, 2006, 11:43 AM
#61
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BTilke,
Your food hates rang a bell with me. There are things I had offered to me as a child that I hate. I was never forced to eat anything or clean my plate. I still hate those things - raw onions, boiled beef or pork, potatoes cooked in or in the same pot with greasy meat. I like and will eat pot roast. However, I hate those roasted/whatever meat grease flavored potatoes/onions that often go with it.
As others said, I was not raised on soft drinks, cookies or frozen pizza.
My mother once told me how amazed she was that I rarely eat apples, oranges etc. since I ate them all the time as a child.
Does anyone else see a relationship between how they ate when they were poor and living away from home for the first time and how they eat now? My sister and I had a conversation where we both realised we developed some really bad eating patterns from when we were really broke (like never getting expensive grapes, melons, whatever that may or may not be good for a high price when we had to watch every penny).
I find peoples food preferences interesting. My SO does not like (will not eat)anything that has skin or bones on it (chicken, fish, steaks). Also, no visible fat that has to (by preference) be taken off. SO definately did not have parents who set the example for or coddled picky eating.
One last thing, I love lots of different veggies. However, I rarely make them since my SO only likes a few (and likes them very plain and from the tin). That is really silly and born of laziness of not bothering to make several dishes in a meal.
Your food hates rang a bell with me. There are things I had offered to me as a child that I hate. I was never forced to eat anything or clean my plate. I still hate those things - raw onions, boiled beef or pork, potatoes cooked in or in the same pot with greasy meat. I like and will eat pot roast. However, I hate those roasted/whatever meat grease flavored potatoes/onions that often go with it.
As others said, I was not raised on soft drinks, cookies or frozen pizza.
My mother once told me how amazed she was that I rarely eat apples, oranges etc. since I ate them all the time as a child.
Does anyone else see a relationship between how they ate when they were poor and living away from home for the first time and how they eat now? My sister and I had a conversation where we both realised we developed some really bad eating patterns from when we were really broke (like never getting expensive grapes, melons, whatever that may or may not be good for a high price when we had to watch every penny).
I find peoples food preferences interesting. My SO does not like (will not eat)anything that has skin or bones on it (chicken, fish, steaks). Also, no visible fat that has to (by preference) be taken off. SO definately did not have parents who set the example for or coddled picky eating.
One last thing, I love lots of different veggies. However, I rarely make them since my SO only likes a few (and likes them very plain and from the tin). That is really silly and born of laziness of not bothering to make several dishes in a meal.
Aug 15th, 2006, 11:54 AM
#62
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LoveItaly, aren't food allergies the worst?! The food allergies that I do have are difficult to avoid. While they aren't really severe, the reactions are painful enough to leave me bedridden...certainly not a fun way to spend a vacation. It seems like the few things that I do like I can't even eat!
I may be picky but I do love food, and I appreciate a really great meal just as much as the next person. I just like to say that I am more "selective" than others.
Tracy
I may be picky but I do love food, and I appreciate a really great meal just as much as the next person. I just like to say that I am more "selective" than others.
Tracy
Aug 15th, 2006, 12:09 PM
#63
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Exactly cd, same here. Food was never mentioned; just not an issue- because when we had little left of anything at the end of the month, well then almost anything looked delicious. Fruit, vegetables and bread I bought more often, but the main groceries were once a month.
I remember one boy in particular who was a friend of my oldest son in those days "without". His Mom never cooked and worked long hours. He was a rough kid and loud, had no refined matters whatsoever, and tended toward a potty mouth.
He ate a very regular meatloaf dinner with "smashed" potatoes at our house. He almost made me cry, the way he talked with flowery language about that dinner for an hour afterwards etc. His Mom was a pretty good friend, we went to Parents Without Parners together a couple of times, and then he asked me to show her how to cook it.
Honestly, I never saw a picky eater in any of the foster kids I had either.
Regardless of it being inborn or whatever, given the "choices" and discussion kids have gotten over this issue within the last twenty years or more- well, now it is just so different. Parents want to please the kids and the marketing is to please the kids.
I've seen a family (not all that dysfunctional- very nice people and I thought they were great parents in some other ways) actually re-wrap hamburgers in the "right" commercial paper wrappings so that their boy would eat them.
I cooked one supper- one way. If you didn't like the onions or beans, you picked them out. If you didn't like it further, there was never an argument. I never made anyone eat or clean their plate. Never even looked to see how much was gone. There was absolutely no microwave anything or snacks in or out of the house available.
When she was two, I don't think my daughter ate much more than Cheerios and a few other mouthfuls a day. She's healthy and almost 40 now. As a teacher, she can't understand what kids eat at school for lunch. All processed or worse. She's very close to vegetarian, but not completely. She will eat chicken once in awhile. While traveling she will sometimes "try" something different.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard students from 18-22 go, "ooooooh, what's that??? Yuck." And they don't even know what it is.
We did have allergies too. I still cooked one thing for everybody and dropped the culprit, altogether. And that went even if the allergy culprit was a dog or pet. But that's another issue. THAT WAS/IS the big issue. People who do not understand and bring pets to your home.
I remember one boy in particular who was a friend of my oldest son in those days "without". His Mom never cooked and worked long hours. He was a rough kid and loud, had no refined matters whatsoever, and tended toward a potty mouth.
He ate a very regular meatloaf dinner with "smashed" potatoes at our house. He almost made me cry, the way he talked with flowery language about that dinner for an hour afterwards etc. His Mom was a pretty good friend, we went to Parents Without Parners together a couple of times, and then he asked me to show her how to cook it.
Honestly, I never saw a picky eater in any of the foster kids I had either.
Regardless of it being inborn or whatever, given the "choices" and discussion kids have gotten over this issue within the last twenty years or more- well, now it is just so different. Parents want to please the kids and the marketing is to please the kids.
I've seen a family (not all that dysfunctional- very nice people and I thought they were great parents in some other ways) actually re-wrap hamburgers in the "right" commercial paper wrappings so that their boy would eat them.
I cooked one supper- one way. If you didn't like the onions or beans, you picked them out. If you didn't like it further, there was never an argument. I never made anyone eat or clean their plate. Never even looked to see how much was gone. There was absolutely no microwave anything or snacks in or out of the house available.
When she was two, I don't think my daughter ate much more than Cheerios and a few other mouthfuls a day. She's healthy and almost 40 now. As a teacher, she can't understand what kids eat at school for lunch. All processed or worse. She's very close to vegetarian, but not completely. She will eat chicken once in awhile. While traveling she will sometimes "try" something different.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard students from 18-22 go, "ooooooh, what's that??? Yuck." And they don't even know what it is.
We did have allergies too. I still cooked one thing for everybody and dropped the culprit, altogether. And that went even if the allergy culprit was a dog or pet. But that's another issue. THAT WAS/IS the big issue. People who do not understand and bring pets to your home.
Aug 15th, 2006, 12:55 PM
#64
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Loveitaly & tcreath - I'd like to pass along info about an allergy book. I used to have horrible food allergies/intolerances too. I went through the program in Dr. Braly's Food Allergy & Nutrition Revolution book and am doing SO much better now. Here's an Amazon link to the book:
http://tinyurl.com/h2c22
It takes a whole lot dedication to do this program, but the symptoms I was having made it worth the effort.
http://tinyurl.com/h2c22
It takes a whole lot dedication to do this program, but the symptoms I was having made it worth the effort.
Aug 15th, 2006, 01:12 PM
#65
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Kswl: LOL. I loved your post! It's so accurate!
My husband is a stay at home dad and our cook. My daughter and I eat what he makes us for dinner. It's hard to complain when you don't have to do the cooking!
Our daughter's two and not very picky. If she doesn't like what we're eating then she doesn't eat it. But we don't prepare different meals for her (with a few exceptions -- brie makes her puke).
My husband is a stay at home dad and our cook. My daughter and I eat what he makes us for dinner. It's hard to complain when you don't have to do the cooking!
Our daughter's two and not very picky. If she doesn't like what we're eating then she doesn't eat it. But we don't prepare different meals for her (with a few exceptions -- brie makes her puke).
Aug 15th, 2006, 01:13 PM
#66
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It seems that our 5 kids were each born with a lot of their personalities and tastes for food (and other things) already in place. No amount of coercion would get the majority to love mushrooms the way I do!
Aug 15th, 2006, 02:28 PM
#67
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travel_addict, thanks for the website and info..I will read that later this evening.
And Tracy, I know what you mean..believe me dear one I truly do.
I have found restaurants in my city that I can eat at (hardly any of the chain restaurants needless to say). And there are SF restaurants that work for me. Right now I am trying to find a restaurant east of me where a friend and I can go to..one she will be happy with and one that will have "something" on the menu I can eat.
I have such an easier time eating in restaurants in Italy..one of the many reasons I love to be in Italy.
And Tracy, I know what you mean..believe me dear one I truly do.
I have found restaurants in my city that I can eat at (hardly any of the chain restaurants needless to say). And there are SF restaurants that work for me. Right now I am trying to find a restaurant east of me where a friend and I can go to..one she will be happy with and one that will have "something" on the menu I can eat.
I have such an easier time eating in restaurants in Italy..one of the many reasons I love to be in Italy.
Aug 15th, 2006, 03:07 PM
#68
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I am a foodie. Love to cook, will eat almost anything, as will our younger child. Our son hates everything. This began when he was 6-8 months old and rejected both home prepared babyfood and store-bought (although it was usually homemade). Same parents, same person cooking. I used to think picky eaters were made, but think there is a larger genetic component.
Aug 15th, 2006, 09:22 PM
#70
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This has turned out to be an interesting thread.
All of the picky eaters I know are good cooks. Even my sister who will never use an onion manages to be a really particular cook and excellent baker.
What surprises me are the picky eaters who like chicken nuggets and hamburgers. It just seems funny that they're not picky about eating good food.
All of the picky eaters I know are good cooks. Even my sister who will never use an onion manages to be a really particular cook and excellent baker.
What surprises me are the picky eaters who like chicken nuggets and hamburgers. It just seems funny that they're not picky about eating good food.
