Fussy eaters

Wren

Wren

Well-known Member
Location
Europe
Do you have any in your family ? I know someone who cooks different meals for various family members, she’s hardly ever out of the kitchen, not something I would do myself, how about you ?
 

That's a typical case of someone making life difficult for themselves!
When my children were small, I cooked a meal, put the food in front of them and left them to get on with it. If it wasn't eaten, it was simply removed, no fuss made, no coaxing to eat, no hovering over every mouthful. The only fussy eater in my house was my husband, and he quickly learned that you ate what you were given or you went hungry!
 
When my daughter was small, she did not like onions, and even though I liked them, I respected her wish and did not use them. She started liking them when she got older. When her kids were small, they only wanted mac-n-cheese or McDonald's fare, that's it. When her in-laws asked them to come visit for two weeks, they returned them after one week and the father-in-law asked exasperated, "What DO they eat?". He liked going to McDonald's, so that's probably why they lasted the one week.

I agree with @Rosemarie, it's not a good idea to coddle them too much. I am a vegetarian and my daughter's family are all carnivores. When I invite them they eat what I make or they bring their own food or I (seldom) take them to a restaurant. I will NOT make several meals to please every palate.
 

I've known a few.

If I invite someone to my home I go out of my way to accommodate them.

The regulars and the drop-ins have to take what is offered or reach for the peanut butter.

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Same here, if my daughter really didn’t like an item of food I would not force it on her, but she had her meals put in front of her and just ate them

I remember a young friend actually asking her two year old which cereal she wanted for breakfast, as if that wasn’t enough she then asked which bowl she wanted it in !!
Talk about making a rod for your own back, that kid grew up to be an absolute nightmare :LOL:

I rarely have people here to eat, preferring to go out but if I do, I usually check they are ok with whatever I plan to serve up
 
I was fussy when a kid
I'd carefully remove mushrooms from soups, casseroles
Put 'em on a saucer in a neat little pile

Didn't even want my foods touching each other
I thought those separation trays were a marvelous invention

When I met my lady, she intro'd me to some pretty odd stuff
She got rather disgusted with me

Got older
Got hungry

Bring it
I'll eat it

With the exception of organs
 
My mother tried to force me to eat liver and certain other foods when I was a child, putting them before me and telling me that I'd eat that before I got anything else. She'd become progressively angrier as I sat before the untouched item. When some time later I'd gag and choke as I tried to force down the liver, she'd finally snatch my plate away while swearing, and give me what food had already been prepared for my father, throwing it before me as she raged on. By that time, I was crying and so emotionally upset that I didn't want to eat anything... :(
 
My ex wouldn't touch onion or seafood. My son wouldn't eat raw tomatoes in salad, seafood or most vegetables. They drove me crazy.

I loved learning how to cook and became pretty good at it. We had a lot of friends back then who enjoyed my cooking. Those other two could either eat it or grab a sandwich at those times.

So, my 2 grandsons who heard 'ewww, yuck, ugh, icky' from my son and their mother, started that nonsense, too! The older one grew out of it, but the younger one still won't eat what his parents and older brother didn't like. Except for broccoli.
 
Rosemarie said:
That's a typical case of someone making life difficult for themselves!
When my children were small, I cooked a meal, put the food in front of them and left them to get on with it. If it wasn't eaten, it was simply removed, no fuss made, no coaxing to eat, no hovering over every mouthful. The only fussy eater in my house was my husband, and he quickly learned that you ate what you were given or you went hungry!
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HAHA. "This ain't Burger King. You don't get it your way. You take it the way I give it to you or you don't get it."
 
Fyrefox said:
My mother tried to force me to eat liver and certain other foods when I was a child, putting them before me and telling me that I'd eat that before I got anything else. She'd become progressively angrier as I sat before the untouched item. When some time later I'd gag and choke as I tried to force down the liver, she'd finally snatch my plate away while swearing, and give me what food had already been prepared for my father, throwing it before me as she raged on. By that time, I was crying and so emotionally upset that I didn't want to eat anything... :(
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My mother was also an example of nature's carelessness.
 
There were no picky eaters at the table when I was growing up. You had two items on the menu: take it or leave it.

My late husband was a bit of a picky eater. He had a thing about bones in meat. I'd have to cut the chicken off the bone or the meat off the bone before he'd eat it. I did that for a while and when we had a child, I told him I could only handle one child at a time and he was on his own at the table. He got a lot better about it quickly.

My daughter was the least picky eater I've ever seen in my life. She loved things that most young'uns would run screaming from.

The Spousal Equivalent has a long list of things he won't touch. It's too late to change him. I eat what I want and fix him what he wants. Or he adapts the meal to his liking. He won't eat peas. So, if something has peas in it, it's his job to pick them out on his plate.

Me, I'll eat just about anything that isn't faster than I am.
 
I have never understood the above attitudes.

I absolutely will make several versions of a meal for my friends and family. Always have. One of my kids never liked onions (still doesn't). So when I make/made things that had onions, I'd pull a portion out before adding the onions, then cook the two versions side-by-side. What's the big deal? I'm standing at the stove anyway...

If I made something unfamiliar to them, they had the option of eating it or making themselves something else. I'd ask them to take a single taste. If they didn't want it, there was no drama or scolding. They could make themselves a sandwich, some eggs, help themselves to leftovers, etc. When they were still little, I'd fix it for them. They were as entitled to eat something they enjoyed as I was.

I shake my head at parents who claim they'd throw themselves in front of a bus to save their children (easy to say because it's something virtually none of us is ever called to do), but refuse to do their kids' laundry or prepare foods they enjoy. Then these parents whine that their kids complain when asked to help out or do chores. (Well duh... where do you think they learned that lesson?)

Why would people do more for a guest whom they'll rarely see over the course of their lifetime than for their own family members? Totally mystifies me...

P.S. Other than one son who still dislikes onions, my (now adult) children like a wide variety of tastes and textures. One is a vegan who eats all kinds of interesting foods, another is moving toward more meatless meals, and the other is quite enthralled with Asian foods. Their palates developed over time, just as I expected they would.
 
StarSong said:
I have never understood the above attitudes.

I absolutely will make several versions of a meal for my friends and family. Always have. One of my kids never liked onions (still doesn't). So when I make/made things that had onions, I'd pull a portion out before adding the onions, then cook the two versions side-by-side. What's the big deal? I'm standing at the stove anyway...

If I made something unfamiliar to them, they had the option of eating it or making themselves something else. I'd ask them to take a single taste. If they didn't want it, there was no drama or scolding. They could make themselves a sandwich, some eggs, help themselves to leftovers, etc. When they were still little, I'd fix it for them. They were as entitled to eat something they enjoyed as I was.

I shake my head at parents who claim they'd throw themselves in front of a bus to save their children (easy to say because it's something virtually none of us is ever called to do), but refuse to do their kids' laundry or prepare foods they enjoy. Then these parents whine that their kids complain when asked to help out or do chores. (Well duh... where do you think they learned that lesson?)

Why would people do more for a guest whom they'll rarely see over the course of their lifetime than for their own family members? Totally mystifies me...

P.S. Other than one son who still dislikes onions, my (now adult) children like a wide variety of tastes and textures. One is a vegan who eats all kinds of interesting foods, another is moving toward more meatless meals, and the other is quite enthralled with Asian foods. Their palates developed over time, just as I expected they would.
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Yeah, the problem is, why is it that families used to eat together and everybody ate what the cook/mom made? Why is it that nowadays family dinners are the exceptions, people eat everywhere but the dinner table and they expect custom food to be prepared for just them?

I think too many choices spoil people. It would be good for them to be in a situation where food is not available to them for a while, I bet they would learn to eat anything and without a whimper. I am retired too and I would NOT make 5 different meals for my daughter and her family and myself. If they wanted something other than what I made they had to bring their own, especially since I am a vegetarian and I will NOT cook meat. If it doesn't bother you to make several different meals for one sitting, that's good, but few people would be willing to be THAT accommodating.
 
I was a fussy eater as a child .. picked out every little piece of onion. Did not experiment with foods until I was married and had to cook. Still not crazy about onions, but don't mind green onion.

My daughter was also a picky eater as a child, though she is now a gourmand and gourmet cook.

I think people's palates can change as they grow.

There were times my father put his foot down and I was sent away from the table. My mother would bring me a peanut butter & jam sandwich later.

Many people have foods they don't like, or won't eat. Our family always has such a variety of foods at our get togethers, and there are vegans who bring dishes .. Pot Luck.
 
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