Picky eaters ...

[Saddle bum]

I consider myself fairly tolerant, well perhaps not. Fussy eaters and "I don't like (insert item here)" bring me close to losing it.

It's not "dont like", it's "wont eat". Given that there is only one item that has the capacity to make me gag, (coconut in biscuit and cakes), those with a long list of dislikes are irritating in the extreme. It is really about control especially with children.

My son had such picky eating habits he now does not enjoy good health, mainly due to lack of basic nutrition as a child.

 

[Arch]

I consider myself fairly tolerant, well perhaps not. Fussy eaters and "I don't like (insert item here)" bring me close to losing it.

It's not "dont like", it's "wont eat". Given that there is only one item that has the capacity to make me gag, (coconut in biscuit and cakes), those with a long list of dislikes are irritating in the extreme. It is really about control especially with children.

My son had such picky eating habits he now does not enjoy good health, mainly due to lack of basic nutrition as a child.

Sometimes it's about control. But many of us would say "Coconut? What on earth's wrong with coconut? Silly man."

Also, tastes change, and generally increase, with age. As I said above, my mum didn't like olives, but kept trying them everyso often, and at 50, suddenly, liked them. But she could be bothered to keep trying something she disliked, not many people do. My sister hated tomato as a child, now she's fine.

I'd only be annoyed if I knew the person, adult or child, had never tried the thing in question, and even then I'm make allowances for some stuff that is culturally very odd to a Western palate - the more unusual offal perhaps, or insects. I like to think I'd give it a try if offered, but it's possible I might find it difficult. I've never had an oyster for example, and I'm not sure how well I'd manage one, I have an idea they are going to be slimy, and hence, like mushroom.

If someone wants to miss out on the huge variety of flavour out there, that's their problem.

 

[danphoto]

Both the Lady Wife and I are basically vegetarian though not pious about it. However, if invited to eat in somebody's home, we tell them we're veggie but are OK with fish or chicken. At the slightest hint of that being a problem for them, we avoid it by subsequently phoning and opting out on some pretext or other.

IMO it's unreasonbale for somebody to expect us to eat what they put in front of us. It would be just as unreasonable for us to expect them to go to great lengths to cater for our chosen diet.

BTW, I was once working at an upmarket wedding for a strict vegan bride and groom. The wedding breakfast was for 120 or so lucky people, all of whom got the full-on vegan experience all the way from the pumpkin soup starter through to the ersatz coffee at the end of the meal. A waitress confided to us that the restaurant staff were so appalled by "this crap" that instead of scoffing the same as they served the guests, two of them had been sent off on a McDonald's run and that's what they'd be tucking into during the speeches ...

 

[Arch]

The wedding breakfast was for 120 or so lucky people, all of whom got the full-on vegan experience all the way from the pumpkin soup starter through to the ersatz coffee at the end of the meal.

My god, they didn't try and serve Barleycup did they?

Hang on. How is real coffee (black) not vegan?

 

[Night Train]

I will try to eat what ever I am served but do draw the line at stuff that is still moving or insects.
I will try to avoid inhumanely treated animal products but equally I will not insult my host if at all possible.

Dairy makes me ill but it doesn't stop me lusting after it.

 

[montage]

Hmmm picky eaters or slow eaters.....not sure which deserves tasering more

 

[pepecat]

I'm not keen on rhubarb or celery (all stringy) or nectarines, peaches, apricots (furry). It's not just the texture - I"m not mad on the flavour of any of them either, BUT I will eat them if i get them at someone's house. Given the choice, they don't form part of my diet, but to be polite I can stomach them.

When it comes to coriander though......... urgh...devil's food!!

 

[Chromatic]

When we host, I don't mind if someone has the odd dislike of a certain foodstuff - if we know in advance we'll work around them. If the person in the OP's example is as picky as suggested I'd be tempted to go with the bottle of water and pack of Jacob's Crackers option. Or get a McDonald's in advance, and reheat it especially.

If he moans so much, why are you inviting him?

+1, if he so obviously doesn't enjoy good food, why do you bother inviting him?

 

[danphoto]

My god, they didn't try and serve Barleycup did they?

Hang on. How is real coffee (black) not vegan?

You know, I do believe that's what it was called. One of the guests certainly came out with that famous quote of Brunel's about the coffee served at Reading (?) station and badly roasted corn.

I still have no idea at all how black coffee might be construed as not vegan, but the groom assured me that it wasn't. He was very strange, though ...

 

[Jonathing]

I cannot understand people who don't like food. All and any food, it's all good. I avoid things which are unnecessarily bad for me, although I've had Burger King three times this week, damned half term and kids 'treats' (not my kids I might add) but even that has plenty of protein and carbs in it as well as the fat and 'burger sauce'.

I was raised on home grown fruit and veg and to an extent on home reared meat, I suppose when all food comes in packages it's hard to see the value in it but it's still nutrition. My flat mate is 'allergic' to every blasted thing, she only has to cough while eating something and it's off the menu, I don't know what she expects it to do, jump of the plate and strangle her!? Strangely I'm approaching 'race whippet' physique and she wouldn't get blown away by a force ten gale. Makes you wonder if these people realise food is for nutrition at all.

ETA: Great, now I'm hungry.

 

[Arch]

You know, I do believe that's what it was called. One of the guests certainly came out with that famous quote of Brunel's about the coffee served at Reading (?) station and badly roasted corn.

I still have no idea at all how black coffee might be construed as not vegan, but the groom assured me that it wasn't. He was very strange, though ...

I had Barelycup once. I file it mentally in the same bin as herbal tea, only worse.

I'm racking my brains about how coffee isn't vegan, and can't think of a reason, unless it's that terribly sought after stuff that is collected from the droppings of civets or whatever.

There are environmental reasons not to use instant coffee, especially decaff*, but that's not vegan.

* I think it's all down to the huge amount of extra processing involved in making 'fresh' coffee, and then freeze drying it.

 

[summerdays]

The most difficult person I had to cater for was a fruitarian - I hadn't come across that before so it involved a bit of research - and I was slightly worried about exactly what I could use - but actually it was very nice and I ate it rather than the rest of the general food. Only pity was I hadn't written down the recipe.

 

[Fnaar]

I thought this was going to be a thread about eating your own bogies.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I blame the parents, no, I really do blame the parents.

No no, having grown up with a big Brother who is a picky eater, it has NOTHING to do with the parents. He's just a fussy ****, and its the rest of us who suffer in the end (I would have happily strangled him MANY a time).
We have family friends and they have a daughter who is the same. They went on Holiday to France, and could only go to restaurants that served chips and bread (which admittedly isn't too bad, but it must still exclude some really classy French eateries).

My son had such picky eating habits he now does not enjoy good health, mainly due to lack of basic nutrition as a child.

My Big Brother had to be taken to the Doctors when he was young because he had malnutrition. You wouldn't think it now, he is built like a house, and appears to eat nothing but Peanut butter sandwiches.

If someone wants to miss out on the huge variety of flavour out there, that's their problem.

Oh but its not, the rest of us have to jump through hoops for these people - my Mum used to run herself ragged cooking something for us, and something different for my brother. To me its actually quite selfish to expect that everyone will automatically bend over backwards for you just in case you have a hissy fit over something, particularly if it is EVERY EFFING DAY!!

I have absolutely no sympathy for fussy eaters (allergies, fine, but not some stupid greeting faced fussy eater).

I will try to eat what ever I am served but do draw the line at stuff that is still moving or insects.
I will try to avoid inhumanely treated animal products but equally I will not insult my host if at all possible.

Insects are fine, I have eaten crickets before. As for the inhumane animal products, I have to agree, but at the same time, isn't killing them in the first place inhumane?

 

[swee'pea99]

It's too easy to just 'blame the parents', tho' I suspect there's something in it. My daughters' refusal to eat anything they're not used to/know they like drives me nuts, but I can't think of a better strategy than to outlast them and let boredom with fish fingers eventually force them into more adventurous areas. They get better with every year. But their default is still 'urr - what's that?' And it's *not* because we've pandered to their every whim or encouraged their pickiness - quite the opposite. But what can you do?

I suppose, on the other side of the argument, what you *could* do is what my parents used to do. Make you eat 'at least a bit', and/or give you no alternative. Which may be the reason I personally eat (and enjoy) just about everything. I always remember a comment of Julie Burchill's - that she along with her friends is constantly asking children 'what they want for tea'. "In my day, your mum just stuck a plate on the table - 'there's your tea'." I can't help feeling she's onto something there.