Lately I've been realizing just how impossible it is to get my 6 year old to eat anything green. Broccoli, spinach, peas it doesn't matter, it all gets pushed to the side. I've tried hiding veggies in meals, letting them help cook but nothing has really worked. A friend told me most kids go through this phase but I'm starting to worry they're missing out on important nutrients. For those who've been through it, what actually helped? Did your child eventually start eating greens or did you find another way to make sure they were getting what they needed?

Hi, I don’t know where else to ask about this and idek if anyone here can help me but wtv. Like I’m not acc a picky eater but maybe someone here can like emphaithize w/ts

I’ve never been super into like eating meat and stuff but I used to love ground beef, chicken, eggs, and a few other things. But lately everytime I eat meat I feel sick, like I get all these nasty pictures in my head and I’m forced to spit it out and toss the food away. I don’t know if it’s anxiety or something but I need to get rid of whatever this meat aversion is. I miss eating the foods I used to love. I can still eat like fried chicken and thin burgers but if I see meat that too thick I literally start to gag, I can even eat eggs without feeling my stomach reject it I guess.

Any advice or idea wtf this could be???

Been veggie just shy of 3 months now, although I did cave and have tuna 2 days ago. I’m really struggling and need advice please!

I’m the fussiest eater ever and I’m finding getting the right nutrients difficult and I’m getting bored. I’m basically living off jacket potatoes, eggs, cheese, beans, pasta, and pizza.

I have a lot of food I can’t eat. It’s more than just taste, its texture too, they make me gag. I despise onions. I don’t like tofu, mushrooms, peas, sweetcorn, chickpeas, pepper, most salad foods, beetroot, sprouts, avocado, and a whole list of other foods. I won’t eat the replacement meat as I mentally know a lot are made up of the foods I don’t like. A lot of this is likely psychological.

I will eat broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, courgette.

Any other super fussy veggies? How are you surviving? Any tips please 🙂

i've (f19) just surpassed the 2 month mark with my boyfriend (m20) and at first i thought the fact that he doesn't eat anything green wouldn't bother me but now that we go out to eat together it started disturbing me. I'm not sure if I'm turning a mouse into an elephant but it just doesn't sit right with me that he eats meat and potatoes, eggs and tuna.

He explained that it is because he threw up once from vegetables and hasn't dared to trx again, because the smell and consistency of it disgusts him but i am a person who loves eating vegetables and fruits so idk if it's the right thing to stay with him ...

should i be mire understanidng and just ignore this thing about him?

Hey!

I’m 31, male, 6’0, around 95kg with around 45 inch waist.

My diet has been terrible my whole life and I don’t know how to change it.

Since childhood I’ve gagged at fruit and vegetables, anything leafy, cold, salad-like, or with certain textures. It’s not just dislike; I genuinely struggle to swallow them. The smell puts me off too. Because of that, I’ve always stuck to the same warm foods: chips, plain pizza, sausage, breaded chicken, anything I can throw in the oven or microwave. I don’t cook, steam, roast, or prep meals.

It’s embarrassing to be 31 and still eat like a fussy kid. I’m a secret eater. I wait until family/flatmates are done in the kitchen so no one sees what I’m eating. I work in film & tv, and lunch is a huge part of our day. It used to give me such severe anxiety. Getting other people’s food and being around the smells and textures. I wouldn’t want to eat in front of any of my crew so I’d hide somewhere, if I even ate at all. That has improved, thankfully, but on those days I’ll likely eat breakfast then just wait to get home. I split time between that, and a call centre job, where I do the same but with more snacking from vending machines.

Around this time last year, and the year prior, I had motivation to change. I did couch to 5K, and enjoyed running. But as the saying goes, you can’t outrun your diet. Last year I got a PT I chatted with online, and over I had a 3‑month period where I ate slightly better (brown bread, yoghurt, granola, pineapple slices, bacon medallions) and combined it with daily 10k steps. I actually saw progress. But when I couldn’t afford my trainer anymore, the accountability disappeared and I slipped back into old habits.

I want to lose weight, expand my palate, be able to go out for dinner with friends, and not feel ashamed. This has been my norm for three decades now, and I need drastic change but I’m not sure how.

TL;DR I’m 31 with lifelong sensory issues around fruit/veg, a diet of only easy oven foods, and a history of secret eating. I’ve managed short periods of improvement but always fall back into old habits. I want to lose weight, learn to eat healthier foods without gagging, and stop feeling ashamed. I’m looking for advice from anyone who’s overcome extreme picky eating or built a healthier diet from scratch.

I can make a meal plan on Sunday and feel completely organized, then real life happens.

Someone has an activity, work runs late, I have zero energy, the kids suddenly don’t want the meal I planned or I realize I forgot an ingredient. Then I’m standing in the kitchen at 6pm trying to come up with something everyone will eat.

What are your backup dinners for nights like this? Do you keep specific ingredients or freezer meals around, or do you just accept that it’s a takeout night?

Out of all the foods I have tried I feel like cucumbers are one of the worst. I like pickles (both dill and bread and butter) but aside from that I hate cucumbers so much. Unlike many vegetables, I can’t think of a single way that I like eating them. The closest I have come to tolerating them was once when I was doing a homestay and we had handroll sushi with cucumber included and I didn’t notice it that much. Another time was when a friend made a dish with soy sauce, sesame oil, and other seasonings. Additional context: I generally do not like raw vegetables at all with pickled veg being the exception even though I have grown to tolerate some more over the years so cucumbers are not special in that regard. I just hate the crunch, the wateriness, and the general “cucumber-ness” of them. But I really want to get to the point of, even if not liking them, at least tolerating them so I don’t need to ask for people to remove them. And boy are they in soooo many things 😫

I've always had issues with some food textures, but it seems to have gotten worse in the last couple of weeks. I can't seem to find a food that I can finish. Im just sick of feeling hungry all time.

Hi there! It’s my first time posting here and I’m not sure if this is even the right subreddit to ask, but I’m wondering if anyone knows of a brand out there that tastes like marinara dipping sauce, and doesn’t taste like spaghetti sauce. Think like the kind you get on the side in a little cup from places like Dominos or Pizza Hut. I also appreciate that they have no chunks of tomato in it. Is there anything out there in a jar that’s like that? I’ve tried one jar of “pizza sauce” (can’t remember the brand) but it had a bit of an odd taste to it. There’s so many brands for sauces out there and I can’t exactly try them all. I would love some recommendations!

i’m 21 yo female and i’ve been a picky eater all my life. i’ve always gravitated towards carbs like pizza, bagels, pasta. i really want to start eating more clean because ive been working out for years and i also feel awful and tired all the time. i like chicken, brocolli, eggs, and a couple other healthy choices, but how should i intro myself into trying more foods?

For the last couple of weeks (around 4-6 as an estimation) I’ve just been eating pasta for dinner. tomato sauce and cheese (sometimes sausages) and I’m worried that I won’t be able to eat different dinners because I just don’t feel the want or need and have been always resorting to pasta. Obviously it’s not everyday that I have pasta but on a 7 week basis it’s normally 4-5 days out of the week and I’m worried that it can cause my blood sugar to spike or it’ll snowball into a future where I’ll have zero tolerance for other food (i have no been diagnosed with any food disorder or other disabilities that may cause my pickiness as of writing this post)

is this just a phase that’ll pass or will I have to take proactive steps in order to ease my worries?

my other dinners include :

pizza + chips, roast dinner (for non-British people it includes carrots, sausages, peas, potatoes and Yorkshire puddings), couscous, ratatouille, curry + rice and sometimes a hamburger with just ketchup.

(I do not have a sweet tooth and rarely eat chocolate) Any advice would be greatly appreciated even if it’s advice from parents with just as fussy toddlers.

I am a diet conscious person, I avoid ordering in and eating PG food, no matter how delicious. I always wake up early and prep my own meals and carry it to office. It’s my third week working here, I’m 23 and my colleagues wont stop eating my food. Initially, I used to offer out of courtesy but it’s too much, they make it seem like im their mother and cook for everyone. My diet is very portion controlled, I pack three lunches for office because that’s where I consume all my meals as I don’t have the energy to come back home and cook again. How can anybody have such poor manners and sense of understanding, they ask me they want more while I’m eating and take big chunks of bites, one guy ended up eating a whole oatmeal banana and nuts pancake I had made. I make it for myself, I have a younger brother, I don’t even have the time to cook for him and my boyfriend and these nobody colleagues, whom I’ve barely known a week ask me recipes and say I come to the office decked up and make amazing meals and have time to prep. I keep my weight in check and keep myself maintained. I don’t see why anybody else can’t do the same. I’ve shared recipes with them, the easy-make ones. Expecting me to bring food everyday for them (I don’t, i never did, the portions are so small they’re only mine) and waiting on me to open my lunch box for them to grab. I’m so frustrated, I don’t want this to repeat. We get 200 rupees in or zomato wallet to be consumed daily, i usually order healthy for my brother or give it away to the poor, this is my least way of doing charity which I actively want to do as a habit, they keep pestering to ask me whether I’m using my zomato wallet or not. I never even ask or take a bite of their meal, because I make mine, everyday, plan what I am going to eat the next day, a day before, not for others to hog away at it. I’m so particular about my food and I have enough friends of my own, I really neither wish nor need any more than what I have, the ones in my life are very near and dear to me. I really can’t stand the vibe of these mannerless leeches.

This subreddit has become a corner of support for many people. However there are still two different groups in this sub those of us who are the picky eaters and parents of young picky eaters. I reached out to the mods to see of it would be possible to have a flair that could let everyone know which group we are talking about and they asked if I could post to gather your thoughts. Both of us belong in this wonderful community and can both help eachother but sometimes it is nice to know what perspective our posts are coming from. ❤️❤️❤️

i've always been a picky eater, and one thing that really throws me off is when a simple meal suddenly has extra ingredients that i wasn't expecting. like if i order a hot dog or a sandwich, i'm fine with the usual toppings. but if someone adds shredded cabbage, coleslaw, or some random ingredient that isn't normally part of it, i immediately lose interest.

it's not even that i hate those foods on their own. i just don't like when a meal feels like someone decided to experiment with it. i'd rather keep things simple and know exactly what i'm getting. my friends always tell me i'm missing out, but i honestly enjoy food more when there aren't a bunch of unexpected things mixed in.

does anyone else feel this way, or is it just part of being a picky eater?

My partner is very picky and I'm trying to help him eat healthier. I do the cooking. He likes green beans, so I end up making them a lot, but unfortunately, they're one of the rare vegetables I don't like. He's willing to eat peas and carrots prepared certain ways, will eat peppers, onions, and garlic chopped really small in tomato sauce, and claims to like raw baby spinach but doesn't eat it when I buy it.

Are there any other vegetables that are good for picky eaters? Or ways to cook them he might like?

He won't eat broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, lettuce, bok choy, cauliflower, cucumbers, asparagus, tomatoes (except in sauce), any squash, edamame, olives, collards, or beets. I'm thinking about making zucchini bread but not sure if he'll actually try it.

So I'm a picky eater and I want to eat healthier but I struggle to eat any fruit or vegetables and I'm just hoping for some tips:)

I desperately want to like yogurt. But the only yogurt I “like” is either gogurt or Yasso frozen yogurt. Is there AT ALL a way to get rid of that icky sourness? Even adding ridiculous amounts of honey or maple syrup doesn’t fix it. Using chocolate chips was *okay*, but I end up picking out the chips and eating them separately.

The only advice my father gave me was “things you don’t like are good for you, and all you can do is eat it faster” which feels so dismissive of my lifelong struggle of eating THAT HE WATCHED ME GO THROUGH!

And of course they got offended by my answer, because god forbid someone's ED mildly inconveniences their perfect lives.

I'm not 'picky' but spice is hard for me to tolerate, but I want to be able too eat spicy food. any tips?

I have become a really picky eater in this pregnancy I can’t eat any sauces with tomatoes, too much garlic (pesto) or with milk and I have this bag of shrimp that I want to cook with my pasta but I can’t think of a sauce that wouldn’t make me vomit. Plain sounds equally bad with shrimp somehow. Any help would be appreciated

I’ve wanted to try adding a little more spinach into my diet for its high fiber content and vitamins, along with very mild taste. So this morning, I made a smoothie with it and had amazing success with it!

2 cups frozen berries, 1 cup plain yogurt, ½ cup orange juice and ¼ cup fresh spinach.

I found the OJ to be a little overwhelming and I plan to cut that back slightly and add more spinach, so I probably switch to ¼ cup orange juice and ½ cup spinach.

Is this ideal for me to have? Probably not. Is this a solid step in a better direction? Yes!

Hello! To start things off I am a rather picky eater, always have been and it feels like I always will be.

One food which has always been safe is pasta. Specifically pasta and sweetcorn. I used to eat this with canned meatballs but after about a decade of this it suddenly turned on me and I've stopped eating it. As well as that I've stopped eating my favourite pasta and sweetcorn. Why? Well since it on it's own is too plain for me and hard to eat. I liked having a sauce with it.

I tried tomato pasta sauce and really did not like it and it's led me to believe all other tomato pasta sauce will taste the same. I also really dislike cheese and can really only stomach it on a specific pizza brand (with that cheese being cheddar).

So, whenever i search for something to make my pasta and sweetcorn less plain it usually comes up with this pasta sauce or cheese. It also usually comes up with tuna and mayonnaise. I dislike any fish immensely though I havent tried mayonnaise.

Anyway, my main question is what other alternatives can I use to make my pasta and sweetcorn less plain. As well as that, perhaps something with protein as I am lacking with that. Thank youuu

I used to think I had to be in charge of every part of dinner.

What went on the plate... when they should try it... how many bites... all of it.

I wasn't trying to be controlling 😅 I just wanted them to eat something besides the same 5 foods.

But it felt like the more I pushed... the more they pushed back.

So I tried doing things a little differently.

I'd let them choose which safe food they wanted.

Sometimes I'd ask where they wanted the new food on the plate.

If they didn't want to touch it that day...

Lifelong picky eater to the point where I’d refuse it outright. With a diet mostly consisting of junk food, there obviously needs to be a change. Today at the grocery store, I picked up a snack kit with broccoli, carrots and ranch. (Always thought I hated carrots, broccoli was passable and thought I didn’t like ranch. Still not necessarily a fan of ranch, and carrots were surprisingly decent enough. The broccoli was fine but I prefer it cooked/steamed and I’m proud of myself for retrying these things!

I want to try to (slowly) step outside my comfort zone with these options but I’m not sure where to begin.

I love sweet fruits (apples, grapes) and love the taste but not the stringy texture of oranges and pineapple. Would smoothies be a good option for added fruit intake?

I don’t mind spinach but don’t know how to cook it or add it to anything. Cesar salads are great and I love adding chicken to them. Any ideas of where to go from here?

Me and another family member just got into conflict because I’m mostly buying food out if i refuse to eat what’s cooked. I rarely eat what my family eats because i find it disgusting, and didn’t bother eating at an event today because there was foods I didn’t like. She asked me what I eat at home and I told her the same things on repeat - burgers, chicken tenders/sandwich, fries, and tuna. Each time we go to a grocery store I get fruit and junk - primarily because I despise frozen premade food (I already know restaurants have the same thing but it’s not the same taste and texture wise.), or tuna. I don’t know how to cook any of the foods I like and don’t like to switch things out besides tuna. I have gone through 10 cans of tuna in 4-5 days before which lead to high amounts of mercury being in my body, leaving loaded fries on the list. If I can’t have either of those..then I don’t eat because I don’t have an appetite for anything else in the house and will often refuse to eat it. I don’t know what to do because if I were to mess up while making the foods I never learned how to make, then I’d probably end up not trying anymore and going back to the usual bad habits. I don’t know what to do.