Hi everyone,

I’m this 🤏🏼 close to breaking down over my almost 3 year old’s picky eating and it’s only getting worse.

He was always a picky eater since starting solids, but the pool of “safe” food is shrinking and I don’t know what to do.

I’ve spoken to the pediatrician. I’ve sought out professional help by taking him to feeding clinics. I’m waiting for an OT appointment.

None of the conventional methods are working— not the keep offering, eat together, offering sauces or syrups with food— nothing works.

All he wants are chicken nuggets, fries, cream cheese sandwiches, waffles/pancakes, yogurt and fruit. And now, he’s starting to reject food he previously liked (fish sticks and PB&J). Plus, he’s now starting to reject nuggets unless they’re this one specific brand or McDonald’s.

I can’t take him anywhere without packing or buying food because he refuses to try anything new…won’t touch toddler favorites like mac&cheese, pizza, butter pasta…nothing!

We were told it might be a phase…but we’ve been like this for over a year now and I’m seriously concerned.

I have 2 other kids. I did everything the same with all 3. My eldest and youngest eat absolutely everything.

What do I do? I’ll try anything at this point.

Signed, a very tired Mama.

Hi!

Im going to preface this by saying I'm 18 and I just hate most vegetables, Im not entirely sure why but no matter how it's prepared they all taste terrible to me.

And recently I've been doing a lot of thinking and I started to hate what I've been putting into my body because I'm well aware that it's not healthy at all.

Ive also been thinking of going vegetarian thanks to a video by JaidenAnimations that opened my eyes a bit and I drew a few connections to.

If anyone has advice I would be very grateful.

Thank you for your time!

I need someone to help me understand what is so confusing about someone requesting a PLAIN cheeseburger. I will break it down in every single facet. “Hi😊! I don’t need to look at the menu I know what I’m going to get. Can i just get a PLAIN double cheeseburger… so only meat, cheese, and bun, and then the special sauce on the side? please do not put the sauce on the burger. I want my burger plain.” And they’ll look at me and nod their head, and when they read the order back they’ll be like, “so you only want ketchup?” when the fuck did i ever say that actually. Plain ≠ Only ketchup ≠ Plain but put a couple pickles on there. Or they’ll look at me perplexed when i break down the burger!! they’ll be like “so… just cheese, meat, bun.. and just condiments?” NO! THATS NOT WHAT PLAIN MEANS?!?!?why did i just receive my PLAIN double cheeseburger w 6 pickles?!?!?!?!?!!!!???!?!!? Ragghghghhh now i can’t eat the food because the food is contaminated. Doesn’t matter how little of a deal u think it is, plz listen to food requests 🙃 u have no idea why they’re asking for it that way

i'm a picky eater and my new classmates recently noticed that there are certain foods i just won't eat, especially dried fish and vegetables with a slimy texture. now whenever we eat together they keep making comments about it and acting like i'm being dramatic.

i've tried explaining that some tastes and textures just really bother me, but they still joke about it. i'm new to this group so i don't want to make things awkward, but it's getting annoying having people care so much about what's on my plate. anyone else deal with this kind of thing?

Hello!

The kid is my niece, she is currently staying with me during her summer break. I talked with her parents but would also like to get some additional ideas on how to deal with this situation.

Often, when I make her food, even if it is something, that she stated earlier she would eat, she just nimbles on it, gets emotional (she behaves like she is sad, stressed or afraid) and leaves it with only a little bite out of it. I try to serve her food her mom recommended or she describes as liking. Often when it's something she doesn't want to eat, she chews on it for a VERY long time and sips of water constantly. She is always eager to eat sweets, but I'm at loss at what to do when it's dinnertime. I'm worrying for her wellbeing both mentally, when it comes to stress, and physically, when it comes to her nourishment.

The main point is, what would you as picky eaters advise to do? What are some situations you hated as a picky child and what behaviors to avoid? How to talk about it with the little human, without her becoming overwhelmed?

I really try to consult the kid first, but mostly I get answer of "I don't know".

Thank you for any advice!

Comer una cosa y luego querer repetir y repetir es parte del tdah cierto?
Que los ha ayudado con esto?
Desde que soy niña he batallado con este hábito, me acababa cosas que se suponía que eran para todos en minutos, atracones pues.

Are there any sauces for sandwiches that don't use any mustard/ketchup/mayo?

​

I'd love to actually try a sandwich that isn't as dry as the Sahara but no matter what, I can't find anything that works.

​

I'm tired of soaking my bread in water, it's lost its appeal.

Tw: discussion abt Weight and being underweight!

Im 18 been picky since i was a baby i do think it's Arfid in reality but my parents say it isnt cuz 1 symptoms didnt fit in even if the rest did and as i am extremely sensitive to smell, texture and taste and i can get Sensory issues from certain foods we have had to always ask about making adjustments to my meals and as a kid it was fine i didnt mind it but now as an adult its getting embarrassing and when we had to do it my parents had to ask for it instead of me because i hated it i hate having these issues as an adult its ig more socially accepted when the person is a kid the thing is I'm not anymore i wish i wasnt picky i hate myself for it i wish it was as easy as just trying repeatedly until i like it i wish i could just force myself to eat! I cant and yes i experienced being forced to eat that ended with me weighting 45kg at 18! I know I'm underweight im working on eating but even if i eat my safe foods it takes FOREVER for me to gain weight i wish i could gain weight im jealous of people who is the average and healthy weight cuz i wish i could be but I'm not how do yall handle asking for adjustments on menus If you do?

for me it's bitter gourd. hated it as a kid, the bitterness was just too much and i'd refuse to eat it no matter what. somehow as an adult i actually crave it now, still bitter but i genuinely enjoy it these days. never thought that'd happen.

curious what food finally won you over as an adult

As someone who has been eating healthy most of their lives, I usually try to stick to a healthier diet because I’m a very picky eater and when I find something that I like, I only eat that for multiple months at a time and this time it’s very unhealthy and I don’t know what to do. I’ve been eating French toast with caramel sauce for breakfast and 2-4 soufflé’s at night (instead of dinner/lunch) or I’d eat takeout. that is all I ate every single day for the past month or so and I don’t know how to stop. It also means that I eat a lot of toast, a lot of eggs and a whole lot of butter, sugar, and cocoa powder, which is expensive af and it’s starting to become a problem.

Hey parents!

I need some ideas for dinner and/or lunch. PLEASE 🫩

Breakfast and snacks are covered. But lunch and dinner seems to be one of the hardest part of my day lately.

Breakfast is typically pancakes, eggs, bacon, yogurt, oatmeal, and sometimes cereal. Not all at once 😂

Snacks are cheese sticks, apples, grapes, cucumbers, carrots. Sometimes the oat balls by Made Good or tractor wheels by Once Upon a Farm.

They both are obsessed with my carrot and zucchini muffins.

My 1 ½ year old is a garbage disposal. Will eat any and everything. My oldest used to be like that and then around 2ish everything changed.

I am STRUGGLING to come up with ideas of things for lunch and dinner for him. , it's a struggle for me to even figure out what I want to eat and cook most days 😩

I don't want to make separate meals. And reinforce behavior. Although I understand not liking something.

I'm just tired of defaulting to chicken nuggets, Mac and cheese, sweet potato fries or plain spaghetti with meatballs.

I am willing to try anything!! Noooooo judgement please. Just your arsenal of tried and true meals.

Thank you 🫶

A lot of people said the bigger problem was not the decision alone. It was creating a system that survives busy days, poor sleep, limited time and convenient food.

So I’m curious about something more specific:

When your healthy eating plans fall apart, which part usually fails first?

* You have no meal planned
* You do not have the ingredients
* Cooking feels like too much effort
* The healthier option is too expensive
* You are too hungry to wait
* You know what to eat but choose something else
* Something different

For transparency, I do have a commercial interest in this question because I’m a founder building around this problem. I want to understand how other people think about it.

I tried this over on the r/cooking sub and I got a few answers, but I also got a lot of downvotes, and though I'm still not sure why that is, someone recommended I try here too. I know this sub doesn't allow reposts so I understand if this gets removed, because below it's just about verbatim. I might try bahn mi, but it seems like a lot of prep work. Maybe when I'm used to storing leftover ingredients?

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I'm trying to lose weight (or at least cut out things like salt from my food). I've always been really particular about food thanks to my sensory issues, but I compiled a list of things I like a while ago. I am seeing a dietician, but they've only really told me ingredients I could try. I don't want to assume they're doing a bad job.

I don't mind cooking, but I am restricted by the kind of knife I use as my parents, who I live with, don't trust me with anything really sharp thanks to motor issues. Also, I really want something low-effort: minimal cleaning up, minimal prep work, something I can make daily.

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Stuff I like:
Cuisines:

American;

Caribbean (willing to try!);

Chinese;

Greek (willing to try);

Indian, but only the less spicy options like tikka;

Italian, minus pasta;

Mexican.

Items:

Burgers;
Burritos;
Chips (fries);
Hot dogs/sausage sandwiches;

Nachos;
Pizza;

Sandwiches;

Singapore fried noodles (without shrimp);

Sweet and sour things;

Thick curries.

Ingredients:

Apples: sometimes, raw, and only on their own.

Beans, but not baked (or at least not the Heinz kind).

Beef: only raw if dried, sometimes tastes too strong. Never less than well-done.

Bell peppers: preferably raw.

Branston-style 'pickle', though I have no idea what it's made of!

Carrots: raw only.

Cheese: mozzarella, cheddar, paneer, anything that isn't moldy.

Chillies: more for the heat than any flavour.

Chocolate, <60% cocoa.

Cucumbers sometimes; sometimes I can't tolerate the watery centre.

Dairy products, even though I'm lactose intolerant.

Gherkins, pickled.

Herbs and spices of any kind.

Lemons.

Lettuce: to add crunch.

Limes.

Nuts/seeds of any kind, especially cashews.

Oranges, but not as segments.

Onions in any form. I love onions.

Pork: not bacon, and only raw if dried like salami.

Rice.

Sweetcorn: never tinned.

Tomatoes: sliced/diced, possibly in a salad.

Textures:

Crunchy.

Tender.

Mushy if warm, but not mushy in appearance.

Some things I don't like:

Items:

Lasagna;

Soup (though I really wish I did);

Roast dinners.

Ingredients:

Anything that comes tinned.

Broccoli (I never got past that phase).

Chicken/game/turkey. I'm sometimes okay with chicken if it's small bits.

Fish.

Gravy. Sometimes curry is described as a tomato gravy, but that doesn't count for me.

Most roast fruit/veg except tomatoes and onions.

Parsnips.

Pork (I can eat it but I know pigs are more likely to suffer in slaughter than cows).

Potatoes in any form except chips, fries, waffles, or crisps.

Sprouts.

Squash (the vegetable).

Textures:

Sloppy

Watery

I don’t have any eating disorders or particular anxiety when it comes to food but I am autistic and can be prohibitively picky. I’m trying to slowly shift to a more plant-based diet and my main issues so far have been those of convenience and quantity. I don’t have a particularly big appetite and can be pretty lazy when it comes to food prep (I often put off eating until I’m too hungry to do much else) so I tend to default to foods that are easy to store, require little-to-no prep or clean up, and can be filling in small amounts. This usually means protein options like deli meat, canned tuna, jerky, etc., but I have plenty of plant-based staples like hummus and carrots, impossible nuggets, or avocado.

Does anyone have any recommendations for other filling and convenient plant-based options? My sensory issues unfortunately keep me away from a lot of common vegetarian staples - eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, most creamy/mushy/rubbery things. I LOVE tofu but it usually requires some level of prep. I’m also getting into smoothies. I’d be very grateful to hear your thoughts! :-]

Edit: Thank you all for your responses! I’m being shown just how unimaginative I really am when it comes to food lol. There’s so much out there to explore.

It might sound completely stupid to you but ever since I was a kid I was disgusted by vegetables, but I never grew out of it, nowdays it's kinda difficult to live like that, I actually want to eat some vegetables but it's so engrained into my mind that I don't eat those that when I try I gag a lot, to the point of almost throwing uρ, it's entirely psychological in my opinion, so I don't really know how to overcome it.

Help will be greatly appreciated

What's the weirdest food you don't like eating that most people like eating.

I'll start, I don't like berries, I find the texture weird and think they're overly sweet.

I have a suggestion! 😊
Why don’t we start sharing recipes that our picky toddlers actually eat (even if it’s only a handful of meals 😅)? That way we can all try each other’s recipes and hopefully help our little ones gradually widen their food choices.
I’ll go first…

I make my 3 year old ‘quesadillas’ from almond flour tortillas with layer or cheese and ham in the middle and he loves it

Hi all, I’m looking for advice for my little sister who is turning 9 years old soon. I would post this on [r/Parenting](r/Parenting) but only parents are allowed to post. (My parents have already visited many doctors but these doctors did not really help. I’m looking for more advice just in case I find something helpful.)

Basically my younger sister is an unusually picky eater and I’m really concerned. When she was a baby, she would eat anything, fruit, etc. Then I’m not really sure when it started, maybe 5 years old? but she started becoming extremely picky about what she eats.

Since that age, she eats the same exact meal for all three meals every. single. day. Said meal is white rice + olive oil (as advised by doctor) + used to be fried shallots, but now she eats with roasted seaweed sheets. She refuses to eat anything else (for a meal). We’ve actually started slowly incorporating eggs in her diet without her knowing, chopped and mixed in the rice, then she found out, got upset for a bit, but actually doesn’t care now.

For snacks, she really likes junk food of course. Ice cream and chips, candy not so much. She will literally eat anything as long as it’s packaged. If my brother and I try to feed her something and we tell her it’s chicken she will immediately back away. But if we are eating chips from a bag and she asks for some and we’re like “it has chicken/beef btw” she does not care even if she hates these foods.

I’m very concerned for her nutrition and health. She is very skinny. She has zero meat or fruit in her diet. I don’t know if she’ll stop being so picky when she gets older. At birthday parties all the other kids are eating when she refuses to. My parents have consulted multiple doctors in 2 different countries and none of them have diagnosed her with anything and have only given the same advice to slowly incorporate new foods into her diet (which is very difficult if you can’t hide it, she’ll detect the taste and refuse to eat any more).

Is this normal? What can my parents and I do?

I’m doing this “early start program” thing at my college, so I’m there now, but during this program, a lot of the affiliated on-campus restaurants are closed until the fall semester starts, and there are only 2 dining halls that are open and that I can choose from. I’ve always been kinda a picky eater, so I already have some trouble picking stuff to eat, but with college I’m trying to try out SOME new things, and I have, but I still have problems with a lot of food. There are just some days, like today and yesterday, where either there weren’t any foods that I felt I could stomach or the food was pretty unhealthy (pizza, fries, hot dogs, etc), and I don’t want to just eat unhealthy shit all the time, but I also just can’t force myself to eat stuff I think is unappealing without almost throwing up.

It’s genuinely been less than a week, but I’ve already skipped out on a couple meals. Yesterday I only ate once at the dining court (consisted of mostly just a salad T.T) and then I went out to get a pizza at night. Today I haven’t eaten anything besides some of the leftover pizza from yesterday, but nothing else, and the dining courts menus just either sound nasty, or the nutrition is just ass. I wish I could be a less picky eater, but I can’t help it, I just always get queasy when it comes to stuff like tacos, burritos, soups, or anything messy-looking.

I don’t want to starve myself, and I’m trying to exercise a little bit, but without good food I don’t think exercise will do much.

I can’t even eat breakfast because I wake up like half an hour before I go to class, and I need to spend 10 minutes getting everything ready and in my backpack, and the other 20 minutes is how long I need to walk to my building. I’m relying all on lunch and dinner, but currently the menus for lunch and dinner are always the same, so if I don’t like what’s for lunch, I’m cooked for dinner too.

I know the easy solution is just “oh just try new foods until you find stuff you like” but I just can’t, my body just says no, but I also don’t want to resort to junk food or unhealthy food as my only source of food either.

I’m sorry for the long ass rant, but does anyone have any other ideas or advice???

I personally don’t have any allergies to food but it’s hard for me to eat most things, for as long I can remember I’ve always eaten the same things and always been criticized for not eating things like the rest of the “regular” people and it just infuriates me when I see people eat something that looks delicious and flavorful but I know that if I were to try it I would just end up spending my hard earned money for no reason I want to try new things but almost everything I’ve tried I haven’t like even though they are loved by people around me.i really just don’t understand why I don’t like things other people do.

I am a picky eater with autism who’s safe foods are many different kinds of fruits and veggies, I cannot for the life of me find a way to continue to eat these foods if I have to cook them since the cyclospora vieus is going around. I’ve heard you can wash the food in water with baking soda but majority says to cook it, but in all reality who wants boiled apples and celery!??😭😭 is there ANY substitutes or tricks that you know to still eat these foods while staying safe? Please lmk🙏🙏

Edit: I wanna emphasize that I DO NOT like my produce cooked AT ALL it makes my once before safe foods not safe foods and I cannot bring myself to eat them so please give advice that isn’t just cooking foods thank you

Everyone in my family is autistic and our issues with different things are all different. I am the pickiest eater out of everyone. A few days ago, we were all eating together and just generally talking about food. Someone said something about people with sensitive palates being good food critics. I casually said, "Yeah, if I liked a wider variety of foods, I would be really good at that". My mom kept trying to understand deeper, and I don't think she understood before how sophisticated my palate is. That I can taste every ingredient in a dish, I can taste what kind of salt was used, I can taste when the same recipe is made with different sized garlic cloves, I can taste when something spends an extra minute in the oven, etc. I explained all of this to her, and how it is part of why I struggle to cook. If I could have taken a photo of the expression of realization in her face, I would have. Anyway, I think finally they might start accommodating and respecting my needs around food more. I kind of wish this happened when I was like 12 instead of at 31, but I would call this progress.

I’ve been a picky eater since I was a kid

And it’s not that I don’t try new things I do

I always try to try something new and most of the time I just so happen to not like it

I didn’t choose my taste buds? Mb for not liking something

But I’m so sick of grown adults like people 40s and up sooo worried about my business

I posted a video about trying new foods and I had a safe food just incase I didn’t like it

And the comments were bashing me saying “grow up” “suck it up and eat it” “you’re being childish”

WHAT??

i’m not looking to completely change how i eat overnight, but i would like to slowly become more comfortable with different foods. what are some small steps that actually helped you? i’m curious what worked for other picky eaters.