How To Overcome Picky Eating

 

I recently ate a burger. And lasagna. And spaghetti WITH meatballs.

That probably doesn’t seem like it requires any mention or note, but as a reformed picky eater, eating these foods is a pretty big deal for me. I don’t know if I had sensory issues or I was just being obstinate, but there were plenty of foods I just didn’t want to eat growing up. It’s taken a long time, but my palate has gotten more advanced over time, so I thought I’d write about how I think I got to a place where I no longer consider myself a picky eater.

Watch Cooking Shows

We eat with our eyes – and cooking shows have lighting which makes food look delicious. There’s also no pressure – the food is still hypothetical at this point. As a family, I remember we would watch Giada and Jamie Oliver on Saturday mornings. It was fun to come downstairs, have coffee, and watch someone else make a good-looking meal. We branched out to Nigella Lawson, Pati’s Mexican Table, Laura Calder and so many others. Seeing the possibilities without having to try the meal in front of the person who made it takes away some of the fear. It’s like getting used to the water before you actually swim.  

Share Plates

When dining at a restaurant, get appetizers for the table. It’s less intimidating for someone with a limited palate to try something smaller than force a whole meal. This is how I grew to enjoy jalapeno poppers, bruschetta, and chicken livers. When Michael Symon’s restaurant, Lolita, was around, my family got the chicken livers for the table. We weren’t a liver eating family, but I tried it anyway and was DELIGHTED. Not to be cliché, but it tasted just like chicken! However, it was richer, more flavorful, and it just melted in my mouth. So, take note: when there’s a smaller, communal plate of something to try, it’s less pressure with the bonus of knowing even if you don’t like it, there is a familiar meal coming.

Always Be Polite

I grew up with my parents always telling me when I went to someone else’s house, I had to eat what they were eating. I can’t tell you how many foods I’ve grown to love just because I ate something out of politeness. It drove my mom crazy and I can hear it now: “Oh. You’ll try mushrooms at so-and-so’s house but you won’t try them when I want you to??”

Yeah.

Because I know she’ll love me know matter what. I have nothing to prove to her ;)

I remember going to my high school boyfriend’s house to have dinner with his family and his mom served chicken with mushrooms. Mushrooms I had always feared because of their texture – slimy and rubbery. Or at least that’s what I thought when I was a kid. But trying these mushrooms with chicken in what I can only assume was a white wine or marsala sauce – it was a true game changer. I ate mushrooms from then on out.

Later on, I was at a restaurant with someone having one of those “we’d like to be friends but we’re not sure how” type of meals and it felt like there was NOTHING on the menu for me. But I saw a flatbread that had mushrooms and thought, ok I like those. It had goat cheese – never had that before. Never would have entertained that before. But I’m trying to not seem weird in front of this new person so I’ll try it.  Boy, was that good. I make goat cheese and mushroom flatbread weekly because of that meal.

And on that note, Be Reasonable with Yourself

It’s a slow process, but you’ll discover more foods because they’ll be mixed in with the unknown. There will also still be foods where try as you might, you just still don’t like them, and that’s ok. I just don’t like mango on its own very much. I don’t want to eat deli meats. But that’s ok. The goal isn’t to just eat anything and everything. The goal should just be to say, “I can go to any restaurant and be able to find something on the menu and the rest of the group doesn’t have to pick a new restaurant just to cater to my needs.”

Remember - keep trying! Hope that helps!