We are not too picky in our house. There are a few things that each of us don't like. I don't care for tomatoes on their own. My son would eat a whole garden of them for a meal! My kids don't care for vinegar-based things.

The rule in our house is that no one makes a negative comment about anything on the table at mealtime. There are so many other battles that mealtime just has to be battle free for my own sanity. We do not have a one-bite rule, and in return my kids do not verbally tell me that they don't like something. They just quietly pass it on. I think that foods taste differently to different people so I try to remember that. But we do only make one main entree and it is "take it or leave it." If I think it is a dish that will not be popular with the kids, I try to include a side that I know they will love. So if they don't love the meat, but want to make a meal of cantaloupe, then I am fine with that! We are lucky because they really are interested in trying different things and like lots of different things. I keep introducing the things that they don't like, and if they want to keep passing on it, they have that choice.

DH will eat almost anything but a lot of it, so my bigggest battle is making sure I have made enough of everything!

There are people I know who are extremely picky and will sniff, turn away, and verbally announce they don't like foods and it drives me absolutely crazy. I would be mortified if my kids went to someone else's house and responded that way to a meal served to them. I totally respect picky eaters, as long as they are not rude about it!

I cringe as I say this, but I am one of those picky eaters. I'm never rude about it though and I never expect anyone to change or alter their menus for my benefit.

Growing up, we were a large family on a tight budget and so our meals were pretty basic. A meat, a carb and a vegi and usually the meat was hamburger or chicken. I never got away from it but my husband eats whatever as well as my daughter with very few exceptions; the biggest thing for DH is not having anything sweet anything with dinner so a ham can't be glazed and he hates BBQ Sauce (how can anyone hate that right?) The only thing my daughter won't eat is fatty meats.

Since most people aren't as picky, I usually cook two meals so others in our family can still have the variety they like. And I've kept the tradition my mother had, we make most everything from scratch like spaghetti sauce or salsa. No boxed meals for us either like hamburger helper or Kraft mac and cheese although I admit I do keep a can of Manwich in the cabinet for emergencies. :c)

There are certain foods that I won't touch because they simply taste awful to me - pickles, olives, sauerkraut, green pepper, pineapple, mango, and anything with anise. But there are other foods that many folks dislike that I love, like asparagus and avocados, so I guess it evens out. There are also a few foods I don't care for because of "mouth feel" (mushrooms) or childhood memories (cottage cheese, which I had to eat with medication mixed in).

I wouldn't call myself an adventurous eater, but I've never had a problem finding something I like on a menu or at a party.

Not so much in my family but here is a pet peeve you might relate too. My SIL's boyfriend only wants rice as a starch. So, at BBQ I have to make a rice for him as a side dish. (This means mac salad, potatoe salad and his rice)
Maybe I am wrong, but as an adult going to a party I wouln't announce what I don't like to eat. I would just quietly eat what I could. Fill your plate with the other choices.
When my youngest decided to be a vegetarian I told her that this should not become an issue when going to gatherings. It is appreciated if the host goes out of their way for you, but it should not be expected. I was proud of her once when she went to a BBQ and I asked her what she ate. She made a grilled cheese on a hamburger bun as her entree.
Nowadays with all the special diets, if I have someone new I do ask if they have restrictions. Or, a friend follows Greek Orthodox, and cannot eat certain foods at certain times.
But in general I think as an adult you should "make due" and eat what you can and not announce what you can't.

My son was what I consider a picky eater as a child and has his father's aversion to mayo and the like (sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt). Eggs and liver are on the gag me list for him, too. Our meals were basic protein, carb, veggie. As an adult, he eats extremely healthy -- few carbs except brown rice, lots of protein and veggies.

I eat everything except sushi (I keep trying but it leaves me cold) and eggplant (why? who dreamed up this nasty item?). As a child we had no right of refusal cause there wasn't anything else.

Shee - Good solution with the bone-in and boneless chicken! For Baby Hee remember than as babies transition to table food, many naturally eat less than you think is enough. So they may not be picky but it will seem so.

My sister and BIL are both very talented cooks, dare I say chefs. Naturally, their first child has become a very picky eater. It's like a knife in the heart to people who love interesting and varied foods. My niece (5 yo) started out fine but has become pickier and no longer eats things she used to. Their second child (3 yo) is a foodie. He "yikes spicy foods" and will eat or at least try anything. So far he hasn't changed his tastes, like she did, so maybe he'll always be an adventurous eater.

Growing up, we never had to eat what was served if we didn't like it. Sometimes an alternative was provided or there was always a bowl of cereal if you didn't like the options.

terriks, I knew I liked you. I also have a no 'm' rule. I don't even allow the word to be used in my house.

I think we all have food things that seem perfectly reasonable to ourselves but picky to others. I think it's never cool to make a fuss about your food preferences. Speak up if it's allergy related but if you just don't like something skip it and work with what's there.

I've probably told this story before but here goes again: at a picnic at my in-laws they only served hot dogs & sides. I wouldn't touch a hot dog with a 10 foot pole. So, as a mature adult, I filled my plate with other foods and skipped the hot dog. Turns out my FIL made one hot dog for each person so when one was left on the serving platter it was obvious someone didn't take one. He made a fuss about why there was a left over hot dog?! So he was the one creating the scene, not me. I said well, I don't eat them but I have plenty of other things (most of which I wouldn't normally eat but I was making do. And, as I mentioned, I was being a mature adult. No fussing. Until we got back in the car and I could complain, very maturely, to my husband about who only serves hot dogs and not hamburgers too? And who only provides one hot dog per person at a picnic? But I digress...)

I think javachick made an excellent point about babies not eating much. I've watched many friends expect babies and kids to eat portions that are probably too large or expect them to eat food after allowing them to fill up with milk or soda. Remember how tiny their little tummies must be. Small, frequent meals is probably a much better choice for babies & kids (said by the woman who never had kids so it might not be valid advice).

I was a picky eater as a child. My mom would serve Liver once a month. I couldn't leave the table until I finished it. One bite gave me dry heaves. Thank God for my dog Dolly, who sat under the table loving my Liver. Mom never had a clue. lol.

I'll never forget this, we still talk about it. Youngest DS loathed corn, a veggie that most kids can't get enough of!

I made a mexican casserole which had a can of corn in it, and you couldn't see it because of the cheese and chips in the casserole.

We sat down to eat, DS was lapping it up, while the rest of us were looking at each other and grinning. Then my oldest DS said, "It has corn in it!" My son nearly barfed at the table and stopped eating. DS1 was sent to his room. lol

Never really have been. But my kids used to pocket more food than eat what was cooked.....liver as an example. Our dog was a lucky gal. As I get older I am less inclined to eat items which are brought to parties and am no fun at restaurants. They just don't taste what I've enjoyed throughout my cooking life.

Favorite foods when I was a little kid included asparagus, artichokes, liver, and my very favorite yogurt flavor - prune. I LOATHED any fat and quite a few meats. When served bacon, for example, I would eat only the teeny-tiny strips of actual meat. Ditto salami of all things: I'd actually spend inordinate amounts of time surgically removing every speck of fat with the tip of a knife before eating what was left, which generally wasn't much. I'm not sure whether I was picky or not!

These days, most people would consider me super-picky because I've become near-vegan. Meaning, I still cheat from time to time. Also because I do try not to make an issue out of it when in someone else's home or when out with friends, if doing so in the latter case would make someone feel uncomfortable.

I grew up in a house where you had to eat everything. I hated liver and poached eggs. When I lived with my sister in FL as a young adult I learned to tolerate the way she made liver, but I haven't eaten it since. Don't care for any organ meats.

I'm married to a guy who'll try anything. I think that's why I enjoy cooking as much as I do. I'm always experimenting with new recipes/ideas.

The one food I will not eat is eggs. The smell when they are cooking, the texture, the taste--I start to gag. On the few occasions when I have forced myself to eat them, I have felt queasy all day long. The one exception is quiche--if there is enough cheese and bacon or broccoli or whatever to somewhat mask the taste, I can choke a piece down. I only do this at someone's home when quiche is all that is provided for a meal, like breakfast or brunch.

There's a lot of stuff I'd rather not eat--anything with hot milk, like cream sauces or chowders, mushrooms, sardines, turnips. I don't cook with them, but at someone else's house, when faced with them, I can eat them if there is no polite way of avoiding them.

I have one friend who considers me picky, but that's because she puts mushrooms in everything and drowns it in white sauce.

Growing up in a family of nine, there was no way Mom was going to cook separate dinners for everyone. The default if you didn't like what was being served was to go and make yourself a peanut butter sandwich. Mom did keep sauces and gravies off the food and let us put them on ourselves, if we wanted. At some point, she stopped seasoning vegetables altogether, because one sibling went on a health food kick and didn't want butter or salt anywhere near his food.

I can still remember who liked/didn't like what. DB#1--lots of pepper and spices. DB#2--no sauce/gravy/salt/butter. DS--no onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives. DB#5--no roast beef, no green beans, no roast chicken, no tomatoes/lettuce/apples/onions, no meat that wasn't very, very well done, no fat on any meat or poultry. Now he was a picky eater! That lasted until he went to college, when he decided it was easier to eat the dining hall food than cook every meal for himself. He discovered that he actually liked a lot of the food he'd been rejecting.

But our dinners were pretty plain. Dad liked the standard meat, starch, two vegetables. We knew he wasn't going to be home for dinner when we had the "good stuff," curry or stew or a casserole or lasagna.

I grew up in the Midwest in a family of 5 kids where food was basic and unadorned. My mother didn't enjoy cooking at all. After having an Armenian college roommate who took me home on weekends, and then living in France and traveling extensively, my tastes were broadened. I love to cook, and will try just about anything--cooking (and eating) is a great adventure. My family will try anything once, fortunately!

The one thing I don't like is fish. Except tuna. I grew up in the midwest like kkay, and like she says, the food was basic and unadorned. We never had fish except for tuna, and tuna is the one exception for me. DH, growing up Catholic, had fish every Friday and really likes it.

But I like lots of other foods I didn't grow up with.

I'm with terriks - NO MAYONNSAISE! And no sour cream, cream cheese, etc., either. And that makes picnics, teas, baby showers, etc. difficult. Because I'm not going to eat the potato salad, chicken salad, little sandwiches, fluffy desserts, etc., etc. But I'm not going to say anything. I'm just going to eat a lot of chips and nuts.

I also don't like peppers and onions, so fajitas hold no magic for me. But, although the above is picky, there isn't a restaurant anywhere where I can't find something to order. And some lucky person at the table will get my sour cream, which I ordered on the side.

I grew up in the midwest too. We had freshwater fish in the summer caught at the lake. Now I prefer saltwater, but always order walleye when home for a visit.

Natal, do you like catfish? My sister lives there now and it's one of her favorites.

I'm not picky and neither is my husband. I don't like liver but that's about the only food I hate. And now I understand it really isn't good to eat liver too often. there are some foods I'm not crazy about but I can eat them.

I have a friend who loves to cook and her husband is super picky. If we have them over for dinner we always serve rib eye steak. He won't travel outside the states because he worries about the food.

I'm so glad my husband is not that way!

I like the thin catfish filets with sweet potato fries. ;) I don't do fried at home, so that's a treat every now and then when we go to Mike Anderson's.

I'm not picky and neither is my husband. I don't like liver but that's about the only food I hate. And now I understand it really isn't good to eat liver too often. there are some foods I'm not crazy about but I can eat them.

I have a friend who loves to cook and her husband is super picky. If we have them over for dinner we always serve rib eye steak. He won't travel outside the states because he worries about the food.

I'm so glad my husband is not that way!

I'm not picky and neither is my husband. I don't like liver but that's about the only food I hate. And now I understand it really isn't good to eat liver too often. there are some foods I'm not crazy about but I can eat them.

I have a friend who loves to cook and her husband is super picky. If we have them over for dinner we always serve rib eye steak. He won't travel outside the states because he worries about the food.

I'm so glad my husband is not that way!

Yes. Well, not picky as in I insist on only certain things, but particular in what I will eat.

I cannot, CANNOT eat raw tomatoes. Gag. Celery in ANY form disgusts me...I think it's the smell of both that gets to me. Cooked tomatoes are ok for some reason.

Not a big fan of fish, but will eat it, but never salmon. Or shellfish in any form. Shrimp either. I've eaten crab and lobster, even crawfish, but never in the shell-only plated (garlic butter is a plus).

Can't stand liver, but like liverwurst-so I think it's a texture thing rather than taste. Same with lima beans and lentils-since I do love navy beans, chickpeas and other legumes.

I don't like zucchini or summer squash, but love acorn and butternut squash. Also can't stand cauliflower but love broccoli.

DH will eat anything, and usually pours ketchup or ranch dressing on it. DD1 also is an adventurous eater, always has been, but is now a vegetarian, so she doesn't eat as widely as she used to. DD2 is and has always been an extremely picky eater. She gags at the thought of lettuce and heaven forbid there is an onion within 50 yards. She went to a hypnotist to help her overcome her veggie aversion, and it's helping a little. DS is also a gourmand, but he likes weird combos....like ham, peanut butter and cream cheese stuffed french toast.

I guess I'm picky about things other than the mayo. I also don't like liver. Fortunately, my mother never made it. I remember trying to eat it when I was pregnant with my first child 33 years ago, because it was supposed to be good for the baby. I'm pretty sure that most dieticians nowadays don't see it as a health food because of the high cholesterol content.
And I like my hot food to be hot! I will send back lukewarm food at a restaurant, while my DH will go ahead and eat it.
As much as I dislike mayo, my mother loves it. She buys the industrial sized containers at Costco, and it goes on practically everything. I never knew that I liked broccoli and asparagus because of the way that my mother prepared it. She would cook both in the pressure cooker until they were mushy and kind of gray. Then she would mash them up with mayonnaise. I think that is where my aversion to mayonnaise came from. But I love sour cream and cream cheese.

Hhireno, that is so odd about your FIL and the hot dogs! You are right, most people will serve a variety at a picnic. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken, etc. And they certainly were rude to point out that someone hadn't eaten their hot dog.

Camlan - Could it be an allergy to eggs? I react the same way to eggs as you do. I can't eat them because I feel awful the rest of the day. I'm closing in on 60 and my mom remembers right from the day I was a young toddler refusing to eat eggs. This was of course before allergies to food were defined - then you were just a picky eater. Well, my 5 year old nephew is allergic to eggs and so now we're thinking that that was my problem as well. I can now eat them in baked goods but otherwise still don;t eat them.

Anyway, I don;t like mushrooms either (Mushroom omelettes are not a fav of mine) but how can you not like asparagus and avocados as I'm sure avocados are a food group. But I will eat and try just about anything.

When DH and I got married I had to do "try" meals because my mil is such an uninspiring cook and he wouldn't eat anything. He thought red peppers were spicey, that beef had to be cooked to mush to be edible, that pasta was only to be eaten if you couldn't afford something else (?), that a tossed salad was only made with lettuce, tomatoes and oil and vinegar dressing. My mother taught cooking in high school and our meals were cooked with a variety of vegetables and herbs and spices so I was well equipped to teach this man what food was all about. I still, even though it's usually just the two of us, experiment with new dishes a couple of times a week. (A couple of nights ago it was curried apple chicken with croutons and apple juice - ohh it was sooo good)

My DS's are pretty good about eating most foods or at least trying them and when they were toddlers we did do "try" nights and they were always good about trying a spoonful of the new food.

My eating branched out as I got older. Growing up, most vegetables were frozen or canned and not cooked in appetizing ways. As an adult, when I began to cook, I came to like many more vegetables, though none are ever boiled. My general rule is not to refuse anything that is offered to me, unless it contains gluten (celiac disease). I figure I eat well enough at home that even if something has things I normally do not eat, that I am covered.

As far as kids, my autistic son was given quite a bit of leeway for a while. I did not make him a separate meal but I did not require him to eat what we did. His horizons have recently expanded and the thing he has the most trouble with right now is beans (like pintos). Other than that he is now eating kale, mushrooms and various other foods.

My youngest is probably the pickiest I have had to deal with. He often does not want to eat what is served at dinner. I have no desire to argue the issue so he is allowed fresh fruits or vegetables. If I gave the option of cereal or PBJ, they would take that every time, so I limited him to carrots, bananas, apples, celery, etc. If they do not eat what is prepared, they do not get desert if it is offered. I do cut all 4 children some slack on spiciness. Not everybody can appreciate green chile so I will try and have an alternatve if Dad and I are having spicy foods. Normally this will be mac and cheese which I generally do detest but the kids think they are lucky on those nights (again, I will eat mac and cheese if offered but would never intentionally seek it out).

DH's biggest requirement for food is that it be of a generally good quality. Life is busy so sometimes it is subpar but he prefers the vegetables from the garden (he now detests grocery store carrots). About his only other requirement is that most food not be made with Kraft Zesty Italian which I think his mother uses on just about everything.

I hated Mayo forever until last year, and it was because of Subway. I love the mayo they put on their sandwiches and now I can't tolerate the other stuff.

What I am picky about is I don't like my foods touching on the plate unless it's Mexican, or mashed potatoes with sweet peas. If my bread dares touch something wet on my plate, I refuse to eat it. lol

Not really. I consider myself part beagle - I'll eat just about anything - that's why my waistline is probably way bigger than it should be. :-(

I actually read an article in the newspaper about keeping your brain active as we age. It said eating new kinds of foods can be an insurance of sorts against getting dementia. The article explained that keeping an open mind was important. It also said that people who think negative and dwell on the past have a higher risk of getting Dementia type diseases than those who think positive and remain open to new adventures and food.

I love all kinds of flavorful foods. I can't tolerate bland anything. My SIL served white rice with cottage cheese at Easter. Even the sour cream she suggested putting on top didn't help.

blfenton, that's an interesting thought about allergies. I've never been tested, because I can eat eggs if they are in a cake or cookies, so I figured I couldn't be allergic to them. But plain, straight-on eggs--shudder. I was lucky; my mom didn't like eggs either, so in spite of the fact that we were pretty much a "you have to eat as many bites as you are years old" family, I was never forced to eat eggs.

And avocados? Oh, my. I have half an avocado on whole wheat toast every day when I get home from work. It's fairly healthy and gives me enough energy to make supper and do my chores. And it tastes so good.

My parents did allow us to choose one food that we were never required to eat. Mine was eggs, my sister's was onions, one of my brother's was yogurt. This gave us a bit of a sense that we had some control over what we were eating. In order to prevent us from changing our "no-go" food daily, we could only change it on our birthdays, if we had found a new food we disliked even more than our current choice.

I'll admit, I used to think I was a picky eater, because I didn't like cream or milk-based sauces and mushrooms. Several years ago, I traveled to Turkey and stayed with a good friend and her family. I was very worried about the food, because I knew I would have to eat whatever they put in front of me and I had no idea what Turkish cuisine was like.

Let me tell you, Turkish food is one of the best-kept secrets in the world. Lots of fresh vegetables. Nicely seasoned meats. And yogurt-based sauces that I was worried about, but that tasted unbelievably good. I was not served one dish that I didn't enjoy the entire time I was there. And I've spent a lot of time since then hunting out Turkish cookbooks and trying the recipes.

That's when I realized that I wasn't a picky eater. I simply don't like some of the foods that a lot of Americans do like. But I eat broccoli and beets and asparagus and lamb and brussel sprouts. That's not too bad for a "picky eater."

My son had sensory issues as a child, so all of the rules that I had about eating went out the window, LOL. I was a firm believer in the "one bite" rule, until confronted with a child who would start gagging as soon as an unwanted food was even shown to him, and would promptly vomit if in any way coerced into taking a bite. Now at almost 14, he still refuses to eat tomato or cheese products of any kind, and leads a "condiment-free" existence - no ketchup, mustard, mayo, salad dressing, nothing.

My husband does not care for nearly all kinds of casseroles - he does not like foods mixed together. He also refuses to touch even the tiniest molecule of mushroom.

I am not a picky eater, as evidenced by my waistline :) The only foods I don't really care for are green and yellow beans. It may be the fuzzy texture - I can't bring myself to bite into a peach, either, although I will eat one happily once the skin is removed.

Carrie

My husband doesn't like casseroles either, and I love them! He will eat cooked mushrooms, but not raw, because they upset his stomach when they are raw. And I'm with you on peach skin - that's why I like nectarines!

I should've mentioned growing up our meals weren't real elaborate either. Most times they consisted of a meat, veggies, and starch. I wouldn't say anything rude about food while at someone's house. I also like to make sure we serve things our guests can eat (allergies/food sensitivities) and like.

I certainly didn't always love everything. Man, I remember when mom did make sauerkraut she'd cook pork or hot dogs in with it. *shudder* Even though we only had to eat a bite of that sauerkraut we had to eat the other stuff and it might as well have been the nasty kraut since the flavor soaked through! Blah. I'm happy to say DH won't touch the stuff either.

Thinking more, I also don't like liver or any types of olives. I occasionally will try these things again to see if my taste buds changed but so far that hasn't been the case. Mayo? Ha, I could (but never will) eat Kraft mayo with a spoon. How many people gagged at that? :)

Ellendi - Wow, that's the only starch he EVER eats? I just can't eat the same thing over and over.

Hhireno - Interesting about the hot dogs. My DH loves hot dogs (grilled) and can pack down quite a few. I bet there were some people there that would've liked to eat the lone leftover, lol!

Pesky - Ham, pb, and cream cheese stuffed French toast? How did your DS come up with that, lol? My dad eats some interesting things at times. He wanted me to try a peanut butter and pickle sandwich not that long ago. I passed.

Terriks - My mom always over cooked asparagus too. I think that's why I never liked it as a kid.

Oakley - Do you know what kind of mayo Subway uses? I really like their seafood salad subs.

Caroleoh - LOL about the beagle!

Even though I wish DH would be more adventurous with foods it definitely could be worse. I can�t imagine trying to cook in a house where both people liked the opposite things!

I think we all like what we like and don't like what we don't like. Are we picky? Never!

This reminds me of something my mother in law told me once" Why, I like everything! There's nothing I don't like".

Later through trial and error, I would find out this meant everything she cooked.

Garlic? no, Seasonings outside of Lawry's? Noooo, Onions..."why, we never grew those" ..

As the cook in my small family, I cook for dh, Dad and myself. I also cook for mil for her freezer, and our dogs. Not a whole lot of menu overlap. Thankfully, perhaps, we don't have a whole lot of sit down at the table meals. I cook, it's there, I make Dads plate which he eats in front to the tv- he's happy!- dh doesn't want to be tied down to a dinner schedule and neither do I.

Tonight, Dad had homemade chili ( was frozen) with lots of good toppings. That is too tomatoey for dh and I didn't feel like chili. So, I made shrimp summer rolls for us with a dipping sauce. I had a bag of shrimp that needed to be used and all the ingredients and they were just right for a light dinner. We had a restaurant meal for lunch today so something not heavy was appropriate.

I keep lots of frozen homemade things in the freezer for Dad- mini meatloafs, pot roast, chili, soups, etc. -and keep things I like and dh somewhat, in the refrigerator at all times.

Eventually, my mil will come live with us so at that point, another menu plan!

I don't *think* I'm a picky eater but I do all the shopping and cooking so I'm sure there is some bias there.

I can't think of anything that I won't eat but I am picky about the way things are prepared. Don't like overly salty or bland/oily/creamy/mushy things. Much rather have something with a crunch or highly flavored. For instance, I like fried chicken but if it's not really crispy it grosses me out.

Shee, I know this isn't a fact across the board, but, I do find it interesting, in that, I have many friends with children, and the very few parents (three friends to be exact) that COOKED an interesting meal, not just frozen box food or fast food, etc. have kids who are NOT picky eaters. My DS, now 9, has always at least tried anything and does it without a fight. He knows, if he doesn't like it, I won't make him eat it, but, most the time he does like it. I truly think, since he was born, he got used to the smells of different foods my DH (who loves to cook also) and I made and then when he was old enough to eat, we fed him a variety. It may be a total coincidence, but, I think there is something to it. My one friend (who also has cooked a meal most nights) has four kids, and none are picky eaters. Neither of us would dream of cooking another meal for the kids. Like someone mentioned above, the ONLY time, I cook a meal different, if it is a spicy meal, and I mostly just leave out the spice on part of the meal.

Dinner time was very important to us, and we probably over do it and make it more of a production. It was never an issue for us and our DS. Now, I am not saying my son likes EVERYTING (but, almost), but, when we go out to dinner, or to someones house, and he never just wants chicken nuggets!!

Sometimes, I would love get a petition going about school lunches! Instead of one really good homeade meal, the school cafeterias give them about three different choices of JUNK! When I was growing up, our cafeteria made one meal and we ate it or not.

Not a picky eater and neither is DH. However,I do not eat liver. Our kids grew up needing to just take a bite and try new foods. After toddlerhood,if they didn't eat their food, well, there would be another meal coming up at the appropriate time.If they are hungry they will eat. Neither of my now grown kids are picky eaters and enjoy trying new cuisines. They don't like everything of course.
I think the way to "grow" a picky eater is to cater to their whims.( not talking about children with sensory issues or special needs children here)
sounds harsh maybe, but that was the everyday rule- rules were relaxed at restaurants or family picnics.fun is fun

about who only serves hot dogs and not hamburgers too? And who only provides one hot dog per person at a picnic? But I digress...) too funny hhireno!

I'm not picky with the exception of anchovies. Can't stand the look of them but I don't mind them mixed in a dressing. Dh finds it amusing to call out from the kitchen "Hey dear! How about a big fat delicious anchovy?" and does these obnoxious slurping sounds. I'm married to A 12 year old at heart I guess.

My oldest son is quite an adventurous eater. He has spent the last two years living abroad, first in South Korea, then in Ukraine, and he posts pictures online of some of the intersting meals that he has had. The most gag-worthy was a video of a plate of octopus that was still moving. He proclaimed it delicious!

I am a picky eater. DH is not. My kids -- well, two out of three of them -- eat a wide range of foods. But because I am picky and I am Head Chef, my family only gets adventurous foods (my term) when they eat elsewhere!

It's become a joke with people who know us. "Can we go to this restaurant? Can you find anything on the menu that you'll eat?" I'm not THAT bad but I am a baby and won't try ethnic foods like Indian, Moroccan, etc... I do eat Chinese food and Thai and Mexican. I can't stand dishes that mix meat and fruit. It just makes me want to gag. I won't eat hummus. I don't get it. Blecch. But it's always in the fridge because my family likes it. I balk at eating casseroles when I can't identify the ingredients. I don't like certain foods to "run together" on the plate -- I got that one from my father. Certain things are okay, but OMG, if I have a cold salad on a plate and it's running into something hot on the plate? IWWWW. Raw oysters or clams? Grosss. But I love lobster and shrimp.

I am fully aware that I am a baby and perhaps a little bit crazy in this regard!

I'm a picky eater but DH is not. Our DS is definitely a picky eater and I couldn't believe it, since I only cook things we like....so he's never seen me be picky. A dietitian friend saw DS go through his gag-thing at the table with broccoli and suggested that it's a textural issue and I think she's exactly correct. Meat with gristle is more than I can stand without gagging. Cold cuts and fatty bacon are barely tolerable. Back when I was a working professional, I once ordered meatloaf at a work dinner. This was a fine restaurant and I should have known better -- the entree that was served was more like head cheese and I was sitting right next to the boss' boss. Hell on earth, but I got some of it down my neck.

DH? He'll gladly eat just about anything and ask for seconds. He'd rather eat fancy "foodie" stuff than tuna casserole though. He'd eat smoked oysters while sitting next to me when I was 9 months pregnant and that's been noted on his permanent record, let me tell ya!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Shee, I don't know what Subway uses, but its sure not Miracle Whip! Just the thought of Mayo would make me sick, unless it's mixed in with a casserole or tuna salad.

When I realized just how much I loved Subway's mayo, that's when I started trying it on my sandwiches and burgers here at home, and I've haven't gone back. And *gasp!*, I lay it on thick too! It has to be Helmans though.

I firmly believe our tastes changes as we age. When I married DH, I wouldn't touch okra or squash with a ten foot pole, until he made me eat it. LOL. I did, and now I could live off of them!

I do have food allergies though, so I still have to be careful. DS2 has my food allergies. :(

Bumble - You're right and got me thinking how I'd probably end up REAL thin living in another country. You know the thin that looks like it would hurt and you want to offer the person a cheeseburger.

I suppose I have my limits when trying new things. Like when Terriks mentioned the moving octopus...yeah, no.

I had to laugh the other night when DH was glancing through a foodie cookbook someone left me borrow. He got to the page with with stuffed pork loin or some type of meat and started reading the ingredients.
"Apricots, almonds...what the heck is wrong with people!?"

I guess you had to be here but it was hilarious at the time. Of course that would've ruined the meat in his opinion.

I've enjoyed reading these.

Maybe I would eat eggplant if it were covered with liver (yum) and topped with a hummus, apricot, almond, curry chutney (all yum) and a side of mayo.

Shee, your husband would find nothing to eat at my house! Almonds and apricots in pork loin stuffing is common.

Bumble, I'm coming to your house for dinner.

java, so long as the mayo is just on the side, I'm in!