any advice for a picky eater? other picky eaters out there?

You have to learn to love the foods your body loves. That's it plain and simple. Here is my advice (as long as you are not underweight)-

pick 1 meal for the week to work on- I'd go with lunch- morning is no good for me and food.....think about whole grain rice and beans with veges- start small and work your way into each meal time of the day- I suspect with in 6 months of exploring you will have found some very interesting things out about yourself. Be brave - don't be afraid to gag- sometimes it takes introducing a food up to 20 times before you accept it.

Pretend that there is no other option. Eat the good stuff or starve- you can do this.

alternatly- refuse to eat anything your body doesn't need. White bread - nope. Fast food- nope. give this one week. such a short amount of time. you will find it is much easier than you could ever imagine.

I am wondering whether that "clean plate policy" you experienced as a child set you up to not like many foods now that you are an adult?

I also grew up in an era of this policy in the UK which was compounded by a particularly power crazed, and mean dinner lady who was allowed to do pretty much whatever she wanted when it came to us kids and lunches.

I can remember being made to sit for an hour or more at school in front of a plate of cold, nasty, suspect looking food which I never ate in the end anyway. Major power struggles! The food was transported from another school and reheated in aluminium containers, and was pretty much inedible. The meat was comprised mostly of lumps of fat and grissle. Makes me nauseous just thinking about it! Definitely part of that era of horrible English food! Imagine that happening today, there would be a public outcry.

To this day I cannot eat mashed potatoes, fried fish, any over cooked vegetables, (soggy, white, nausea making cabbage comes to my mind most of all). I don't eat meat anyway now but was always very picky about red meat, or any meat containing pie- like food item such a shepherds pie, anything containing ground meat, fried fish, and several other foods. It is definitely a throw back to my having been practically forced to eat quite simply awful food. I also can't drink milk as we were made to drink a bottle at school each day which in the summer was off as it had sat in the sun for hours, and in the winter was frozen solid. (I do actually have very happy memories of that school believe it or not apart from the mealtimes! :)

I think Alemama makes good suggestions, and you could also try to uncover some of the possible negative associations you have with the foods that you don't like. The other idea would be to seek out a nutritionist to review your diet and to make some realistic suggestions for you personally. Hope that helps a little. :)

Yes I am a bit of a fussy eater to. Yoghurt - instant gag reflex! Tried to stomach it soo many times over the years when on diets etc but just cannot do it. I did however find one yoghurt I like which is a really low fat one in the UK by Muller and that is the ONLY one I like. Its much more sweet than sour.

I LOVE brussel sprouts - yummy! I also enjoy brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweetcorn, peas but don't experiment with much else but there are a few I have tried and would not eat again! I think because I am not a very good cook I am not sure what to do with them and I like my food to have LOTS of flavour.

With fruit I pretty much stick to apples and bananas.

I do like vegetarian substitutes - we have a brand called Quorn in the UK and I like most of them. I was a vegetarian for a few years and although I eat some meat now I am not a lover of it. I don't like lamb, veal or pork - I just stick with beef and chicken and it has to be lean lean lean - any fat or grissle and it puts me off eating it. I decided this year that I no longer like Turkey as I had it twice at Christmas and didn't eat it either time.

I do like beans and pulses which is probably due to my vegetarian days but again I like LOTS of flavour, also rice, pasta and potatoes.

Its hard changing your diet completely overnight and I am struggling myself.

I do have Christine's Whole Woman diet and will sit down and try a few recipes that appeal to me.

I did find a bran muffin recipe the other day and thought about whipping up batch of them to eat at breakfast time (they were recommended as a good one for constipation) and I also got a receipe from another site for flaxseed and oatmeal pancakes.

A few years ago I lost 105lbs by eating MORE...

I really do not believe it is the amount of food you eat - It is WHAT you eat.

I ate 3500-5000 cal a day back then (I was working out tho)

Ilost 105lbs in about 10mths

But I did not eat all the rubbish foods we have today - I ate little meat (then became veggie for a while) I lowered the fat content of my foods and ate as much veg and fresh unprocessed foods as I could...

The weight loss was easy, helped by the exercise...

I used Susan Powters books 'Stop the insanity and food' which helped me no end...

The muffins sound nice :-)

I think it's best that people go back to the way they ate as a baby (As in - when you are hungry - EAT - When you are satisfied - STOP)

I went away from this way of eating when I got sick (Not through eating etc through an illness non related) In the past year or three I have gone back on to this but not as harshly, and cannot do the exercise I did back then - Have lost over 36lbs again - Without dieting...

Problem is with me also is that I only like bland basic boring foods...

But I am not scared of food like I was as I know if I want a choc bar i will have it - But it doesn't 'call' to me like it used to.

And I am hoping to lose some more - But without doing the exercise I want to do - Makes it harder, as I can only do minimal exercise with my disability...

But - The book by Susan Powter REALLY made sense to me (I still have it somewhere) It finally showed me how food can be my friend...

I also hate cheese - But as its fulla fat it don't bother me lol

Sue

Look into the eyes - They hold the key!
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I find that keeping a list of the foods that I enjoy, and that suit my body and make me feel good helps on those days when I am too busy to think about what to eat, or on those days when I just don't know what I want. It has surprised me what foods ended up on my list. Some foods that I once really disliked became my favorites, where some that I thought that I loved were let go when I realized they were not serving me well. I am surrounded by southern cooking, but I’ve found that it just does not suit me. I do a lot better with nuts and cherries for breakfast, bacon and eggs makes me feel lousy. It took me a while but little by little I made changes.

I used to detest yogurt and broccoli. I just could not get them down. Now, they are two of my favorite foods. When I first added ground flax-seed to my diet, I would gag. That went on for weeks. It was just terrible. Now, if I go for more than a day without a tablespoon or two of it, my body feels really off. Change is not always easy, but the little steps add up. Good luck. Kit

Ladies,

What picky eaters have is a kindergarten palate. One of my beloved teachers and one daughter has the KP. What is it?

Sometime in youth, you decided that food should taste one particular way, ie chicken should be fried, and potatoes mashed, and chocolate should be milk. It's actually an archetypal view of food. You train your tongue to ferret out all foods not in line with the archetype you've set up. All foods not in the box are enemy foods.

Most kids set up archetypes that are #1 easy to eat; #2 bland; #3 sweet;# always the same. These foods are invariably carbs that digest quickly, so food becomes incidental.

I see this all the time in the children at school. Habits are formed around food. So are mind sets. It's a safety zone some children keep right into adulthood. "I don't like," becomes permissible as a bad choice simply because it happens over and over again.

Learning to eat foods out of the box we've built is not easy because we can't break the archetype. Children growing up on fast food think all food should taste like fast food. Children growing up drinking water packed with drink packets think all drinks should be sweet. Children who grow up without a mom who cooks believe all food should taste like carry out, canned, frozen, and packaged like dinners of cold cereal.

People with picky palates usually don't like strong tastes of any kind, but will drink whiskey, eat dill pickles, and load up on very salty chips.

The basic idea of training children to eat a wider variety of foods is for them to try something new every time there is something new. Being open to new foods, foods cooked differently and mixed in combinations out of their proverbial box is a challenge of spirit, so getting kids to try something new should come with a reward.

For adults, the idea is to try new combinations of foods. Take something you like and eat it with something you have not enjoyed in the past. Don't scrutinize the taste trying to discover that "yuck" when you ate it as a child. Every food tastes different when you do something different with it. The difference should be drawing not expelling. Try to move your mindset to desire trying new foods rather than pushing them away.

The next thing to do is to understand how to cook food properly so that it has the best taste to offer. Eating is supposed to be a happy experience.

So, ladies, be happy...

Judy

I disguise food for my family. Spinach will go in spaghetti sauce- blend well and they never know. Yogurt is a fantastic base for salad dressing- add oil and hummus.
speaking of hummus- chick peas don't go over well- but if I blend them with tahini and oil and put on a cracker it is gone in 5 minutes-
I can blend any fruit and add to pancake batter- no one is the wiser when you add syrup.
Mushrooms can be blended and put in a white sauce and poured over pasta.
I chop brussel sprouts up and put them in my salads
or I peel off the leaves and put them on pizza-
if you don't like flax bake it into bread or banana bread or muffins or pancake batter.

I like a challenge- tell me a food you think you need but hate to eat and I will try to come up with a way to disguise it!
Warning (I have been known to blend a salad- freeze it into cubes and add it to a smoothie and no one is the wiser....)

i know that sounds weird but you wont know til you try it, i actually eat mushrooms raw!!! have done since i was a child my nana gave them to me??? its strange but they dont feel yucky if they are raw, brocholli i only cook for about 3 mins its much nicer too, i make smoothies every day and my 19month old loves them, we share them!!! ill put anything in them too

OK Here's a fish recipe:

Sole is a fish no one could hate. It's so mild it almost doesn't taste like anything. Soak fish in milk to remove any hint of taste. This works with any fish.

Grind 1 cup of walnuts to a fine fine crumb.
Mix walnuts with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Lightly coat fish in flour.

Dip floured fish in same thing you use to dip French Toast - egg and milk, egg, or cream - your choice.

Lightly coat floured egged fish in walnuts and Parmesan cheese and lightly pan fry in olive oil.

Serve with a mix of mayo and salsa.

Judy

are normally strawberries, banana, orange, apple or cranberry juice, natural yogurt and a bit of honey if its bitter, thats my usual, but i try to put blueberries in it, just cant get them all the time here.. ive tried things like celery in them but its just too yucky!!! basically any fruit and yogurt and a juice, even frozen mixed berries work and its lovely, my little girl has them every day with me! as for the mushrooms i can see the whole belly button thing! but my nana told me they were good for me raw so i went with it!! i think they have better flavour raw, try them and let me know what you think:-}

I watched an episode of Oprah the other day and she had Jessica Seinfield on there promoting her new book Deceptively Delicious which is basically adding pureed vegetables to food when cooking it so it is disguised. That way the kids don't even know there eating it. There is also another book I saw on Amazon called The Sneaky Chef which is basically the same thing.

This is exactly what Alemama is doing.

Like all children mine will not eat things like cauliflower which has quite a strong flavour but hiding it in macaronni and cheese which they do like would be great. To do this with all the family meals would mean that we were all eating better.

Like you Mytfly2day I cannot stand sea food. The smell is enough to send me running in the opposite direction! I do however eat tuna but like you only from a can and occasionally cod but it is always in batter. Its strange really because all of my family eat sea food, my sister and my dad more adventurous than the rest and my dad will eat anything thats put infront of him!

i sometimes use frozen fruit but in general i keep most fruit in fridge, only bananas and apples in fruit bowl, the juice from fridge too so smothies are always cold, i woundnt be able for ice in it its cold enough, i buy my bananas green so they last the week!! never tried freezing them, banana bread... you gonns share your receipe????

Sole is one of my favorite fish, and you are right Judy, really it has no fishy flavor at all, just a very delicate flavor and texture! Can't wait to try this recipe. MMMMMMMM!!

are you in u.s.a? jus wondered if there is a difference in sugar cookies and what i make? its a bacic cookie recipe, just finished a batch for the gang here.

I've seen lots of recipes posted on here so I would say go ahead and share it.

I have a really good recipe somewhere for banana bread as well - I will have to dig it out.

i bought some, the kids love it would like to try making it, its amazing what can cheer us up!!!

Please all, post more recipes, especially healthy ones! Thanks, Kit

instead of sugar

and cauliflour is great steamed and blended to look like mashed potatoes-and then mix with mashed potatoes for good measure.

Fish is tricky. I like to put it into a patty and fry in olive oil and put it on a bun. so buy the wild salmon and mix it with oats until it makes a patty.

If you ever put together a cookbook, I would surely buy a copy! I love your creativity with food. I've never had tahini, must look that up. Kit

This is an absolutely fabulous banana cake:

3/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut

For health, you can substitute canola oil for the margarine, cut back on the sugar or use natural sugar, and use whole wheat pastry flour- probably 1.5 cups.

Add ingredients in order one at a time and beat until smooth.

Bake as a cake at 350 degrees.

Can be frosted with maple frosting.

Powdered sugar, butter, raw egg white, and maple.

PS coconut makes all breads lighter.

This topic is making me very hungry! Kit

Kit,

Yes, I had to dig that one up. Right now I'm trying to shed some winter weight. Summer bathing suits will be out in a couple of months, and I'm working towards something fabulous rather than the ho hum navy blue suit that covers from clavicle to mid thigh, sigh. This year, it's the leopard suit with the matching sarong!

In summer I take 40 kids to the pool twice a week and this year it's Judy's year - prolapse or not!

Bravo us,

Judy

here is how i do it, sorry i took so long to reply!!!

1 3/4 cups plain flour,
1/4 cup cornflour,
1tsp baking powder,
1/2 cup margarine softened extra for greasing,
3/4 cup caster sugar {superfine},
1 tsp vanilla essence,
1 egg beaten

preheat oven to 190c/375f or gas 5,

put flour cornflour and baking powder through a sieve into a bowl and rub through,
add butter and work in with a fork until crumbly,
stir in the sugar, vanilla and egg to form a dough,
draw together and make into a sausage shape,

{now its says to chill overnight but the kids usually notice so mine go straight into oven!!!}
so i slice thin slices off it and put on a greased baking tray, i have also tried rolling bits into small balls and i find they stay a bit thicker when cooked???
and sometimes i drop some choc chips on top of each,

bake for approx 12 mins, cool slightly and put on wire rack, i store them in tupperware??
hope thats of some use to you:-}

Wow, you go girl. You will look and feel and be fabulous. You've made me dream of summer as I sit here knowing it is all of 9 degrees outside!! Leopard suit and matching sarong! That is just awesome. With your attitude, what a wonderful influence you must be on those fortunate children. Bravo indeed! Kit

You're just not playing fair!! How can I resist all this yumminess!! And this kind of stuff smells so wonderful baking in a winter kitchen! Must make my sweet dh something sweet...what to choose...what to choose...Kit

I havent read all the responses yet, so I'm probably redundant. but I used to be a very picky eater too. then in college I started passing out due to low blood sugar levels (I guess a chocolate bar for breakfast followed by a plain bagel at lunch wasn't very nutritous) and changed my diet. ONE food at a time. I started with brown basmati rice, and was really surprised to find that I liked it. then I started expanding on the foods I already liked. I knew I liked macintosh apples but was never brave enough to try any other variety. again I was surprised to find that gala's and empire's were way better than any macintosh and that gave me the courage to taste a......pear. I know, very exotic @@ but like I said I was a very picky eater.

now I'm pretty much a vegetarian (I will occasionally eat some chicken or turkey but rarely) and I never eat tofu or soy or anything that claims to taste like beef. it doesn't and if its processed its probably not good for you either (like anything that says 'texturized soy protein' gives me the creeps). Instead I eat lots of nuts (love nuts) and grains and beans. I've come a looong way, and it only took about 15 years or so.

so my advice to you is start small and go slowly. add something new before you eliminate something old, this way you avoid the 'I'm starving and there's nothing to eat' problem.

and if you know anyone who already eats the way you aspire to and is a good cook, see if you can hang out in her kitchen. all food tastes better when its prepared well. (and sometimes that means leaving it raw)

good luck and have fun!

I only like them COLD and barely ripe. no mushy bartletts for me. d'anjou's are the way to go.

nuts, I like them roasted and salted but rarely indulge. I eat them raw. sometimes toasted on a cast iron skillet for a few minutes. I eat alot of nutbutters too. and seeds. my current fav. is sunflowerseed butter. yum.

I wouldn't start with mushrooms. and there's no reason that you MUST eat every food on the planet, its ok to avoid mushrooms : )

pears are lovely in smoothies, soft ones are great for them, its good because they dont go to waste, i can see you wont be trying mushrooms any time soon, but do you like mushroom flavour soup? i just wondered as my man loves anything strawberry flavoured but hates the fruit!!!

... about posting up that recipe for banana bread. I think the book is in the loft somewhere and as we do not have loft ladders its a bit of a struggle getting up there and well ... you know. I have asked hubby to get up there a couple of times but well ...

I miss doing these things for myself.

Anita

Shame you are not near me I have a set of loft ladders in the shed He never bothered to put up - I would give them to you (Where in Uk are you I am in Kent)

Sue

Look into the eyes - They hold the key...
http://www.bringmadeleinehome.com/img/maddy544x150Banner.jpg

... Berkshire.

I forgot where that is right - And I went to Multimap - It tells me there is no Berkshire lollllllll

I know there is tho...

These are the choices it gives me

Bircher, Herefordshire
Bragar, Western Isles
Bracora, Highland
Brockweir, Gloucestershire
Barregarrow, Isle of Man

lolol

Shame... I think you are quite a ways away tho

Sue

Look into the eyes - They hold the key...
http://www.bringmadeleinehome.com/img/maddy544x150Banner.jpg

I think you are roughly about an hour and a half from me.

OK - lol

Sue

Look into the eyes - They hold the key...
http://www.bringmadeleinehome.com/img/maddy544x150Banner.jpg

just wondered if you got round to trying them, i love making them, they are so easy, i read about you asking for hubby to get into attic, its amazing how much less we can do for ourselves after prolapses, i used to be the furniture mover and decorator and gardener and anything else that was needed.. i did, but since this i dont try anything heavy as i dont want to make anythin worse but i feel redundant to a certain extent. i hate waiting for stuff to be done as i get annoyed thinking i would have had it done myself by now if it wasnt for this!! does it get to you like this??

Yep I certainly feel the same frustration. I never relied on my husband to do things for me as I could ask and ask and ask and by the time I have waited I could have done it 10 times over but now I feel dependant on people a bit. I would have clambered up into the loft myself but I know the strain of getting up there would not do me any favours at all so I sit and wait.

I have started to drag the vacuum cleaner around as otherwise nothing gets done. My situation has worsened quite a bit since I arrived here but I have done everything carefully and I think with some of us the prolapses just continue to descend until they find their settling place. Unfortunatley I seem to be one of those .... sigh ....

Anyway, I haven't tried the cookie recipe yet but I will. My daughter has been quite ill over the last few days and she is demanding my full attention at the moment. She has had a temperature of 104 with the trots and seems to have a rash on her skin today. She does seem to be o.k. in herself otherwise I would be taking her to the emergency doctor but I will keep a close eye on her. They are a worry.

to see them sick, i wish we could take their pain, do you have the calpol night there? i cant find it in dublin, i thought it looked good, i dont use med with them much, always try cooling them down first but sometimes you need to, i hope she feels better soon, ill be thinking of yiz:-}

There must be a way we can stop this descent!?!?

Posture did so many wonders for me before - I am baffled as to why it doesn't seem to be doing anything right at this time :-(

I have now freaked myself out by daring to lok at a pic of the cystocele online (Always surrounded by writing about scary surgeries and whatever)

Also I hate having to ask people to do things for me - I really don't think they have noticed I am unwell to start with - Let alone the latest crap thats come to me... He seemed to understand at first - When I was in tears all the time - Now I'm not - seems it's easy for men to conveniently assume you are better again. YEAH RIGHT

Sue

*Typocity - That's a place I visited once and got Typovirus to show for it*

Look into the eyes - They hold the key...
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