Picky Eating - It's Not Just a "Kid" Thing

After my sons went to college, our household food routine changed. We were able to cook a more diverse array of foods at home. We no longer had to go to restaurants that the boys would eat at because they were EXTREMELY picky eaters and would only eat certain things at certain places (pizza, pasta, chicken strips, etc.). Once they started eating chicken strips more often, it actually took a LOT of stress off our family food dynamic.

Then in college they started to branch out a bit more and have been willing to try a few more things – seafood, burgers, more types of vegetables, etc.

Now we are faced with a new dilemma and that is picky eating for Hubs. Let me preface this by saying that this is not his fault. Due to medications, there are certain foods he can’t eat at all or things he must be really careful about so they don’t interact badly with his meds.

But regardless of HOW it happened, we are still in the situation of having a limited set of options for him to eat.

Some of the reasons for picky eating can be the following:

It can be because of genetics – Hubs hates cilantro, I don’t have a problem with it. He thinks it tastes like soap, and I think it’s earthy. His taste buds are different than mine and that’s a genetic thing.

It can be because of environment – where you live and what is available, but that’s getting better with the world-wide market available. I know we live in a very rural area so the ability to try different types of cuisine is seriously limited here. There are no Vietnamese restaurants within 100 miles of where I live, but I really like Pho and other than making it myself, wish I could have it more often.

It can be because of upbringing – what your parents ate, what was available, foods that traumatized you as a kid, etc. I won’t eat grilled cheese sandwiches to this day because of a babysitter who ONLY knew how to make grilled cheeses. My dad couldn’t eat pancakes because he stuffed himself sick as a kid, literally. Hubs grew up in an area where Mexican food was prevalent so that is his preferred cuisine whenever possible.

Or, like in Hubs’ case, it can be medical reasons causing picky eating.

So, if you’re the one who does a lot of cooking in your household, picky eating can cause some problems.

One of the biggest problems caused by picky eating is nutrient deficiencies, which can cause health problems if not monitored. The Western world is actually becoming very deficient in a lot of areas we didn’t used to be 50 years ago because of the low nutritional value of highly processed foods and the low consumption of nutrient dense foods. Meaning people are eating too many candy bars, chips, frozen pizzas and French Fries, and not enough vegetables, fruits, lean meat, or whole grains.

It can also cause problems in relationships (spouses, parents and children), or in the workplace (a co-worker who refuses to eat at certain places or insists on eating their food of choice if ordering in). When you are the parent of a picky eater, it’s tiresome to constantly be making the same foods OVER and OVER and OVER again. Same thing with a spouse. You want to try the new place in town, and your spouse just wants to have their regular burger and fries (or whatever it is). This can get frustrating and lead to resentment towards your family.

Picky eaters CAN start liking new foods, but you have to be willing to TRY something new first. I’m still not a fan of lettuce but I will eat it. I prefer spinach and used to hate that. Didn’t like bell peppers before, still not a fan of the green, but I LOVE the others.

Hubs told me the other day that out of “desperation” he tried my Greek Yogurt with a little flavor packet to go with it and actually LIKED it. He’s now on board any time I want to buy Greek Yogurt for us. He’s willing to eat scrambled eggs now, as long as they are VERY well cooked. He hates cabbage most of the time, but if I’m making certain recipes that contain cabbage he’s willing to try and sometimes really likes them.

I fully admit there are things I am NOT going to try. There are things I would CONSIDER. There are things I like but ONLY cooked certain ways (eggs). And there are things that I will try when the opportunity presents itself.

Dealing with picky eating can be difficult, but if you (or your family) are willing to be brave, be creative, and start experimenting, it’s possible to shift into new food territory with less pain and fussing.

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