[kittygilchrist]

As an omnivore who dislikes almost nothing, I've noticed whenever I am around a group of people long, almost all seem obsessed with what foods they crave or won't eat or believe harm them. Some are quite irrational.

examples...
Anything that's touched bread gives me indigestion, except I eat French toast and crackers.
I crave lemons.
I love spicy food (followed by 3 hours of indigestion).
I'm seriously sick. I can't eat. (except gummy worms)
I don't eat anything that's been in contact with cantaloupe.
Don't cook anything in the microwave for me.
I only eat yogurt if it's frozen.

Is it just me? Seems like many make of us make food choices a significant part of their identity. Nothing wrong with that--but as one who is "polygluttonous" it seems that I'm out of step.

[jblum315]

I don'r know. People are funny about food. I met a man once who said he had never and would never eat chicken in any form. I know a woman who cannot stand cabbage raw or cooked but loves sauerkraut and brussels sprouts. go figure.

[buggyone]

This reminds me a one cruise I was on quite a few years ago. My wife, daughter (then 11 years old) and I went to dinner the first night and had tablemates of a 40 year old woman (approx. on age), her 9 year old daughter, and her uncle (65ish).

This woman announced to us that she could not eat a single thing on the menu and that her daughter did not like anything either. When the waiter took our orders; she told him in a demanding voice that she would be having poached chicken breast and white rice every night and the daughter would alternate between mac and cheese and spaghetti every night. The woman then began (while the waiter was there) to tell our daughter that the choices on the menu are for grown-ups and she should have the spaghetti, too.

I politely excused myself at that point, went to the head waiter in charge of the dining room and said my family and I want another table IMMEDIATELY. We got one within 5 minutes.

[redwitch]

Sometimes it's a matter of food allergies. Sometimes it's a matter of texture or smell. Sometimes it's a childhood trauma or memory. Food is more than just a matter of feeding the body -- it is an emotional bond with the mind and body. If the mind doesn't like it, the body rarely wants it. If the body can't have it, the mind will protect the body.

[stuckinparadise]

My husband and I are both lucky, we are not allergic to any foods and are willing to try anything. We have been around those who are very picky about the food they eat, which makes it challenging when you invite them to a dinner party.

[graciegirl]

There is an anomaly called selective eating disorder but we weren't allowed to have it as kids.
We were taught that telling others what we didn't like to eat was having excessively bad manners. If we were given something we hated there was the family dog and other diversions that any smart kid knew about. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom when we had pickled tongue.

[In awe of TV]

I was never allowed as a child to be picky and luckily my children were exposed to many types of foods and were not picky. Food allergies are one thing but picky eaters really annoy me.

With that said, I do not and will not eat, or be around anyone that eats Doritos or Fritos. The smell of those chips make me extremely nauseous. Yuck.

Other than those, I love everything (unfortunately).

[lovsthosebigdogs]

Except for some food allergies which keep me from eating some things, I absolutely can not tolerate the taste of caraway seeds. If I try to eat rye bread and they are in it or, as my mother used to say, "I've picked them out", I still can taste them and they are so distasteful to me that it brings on an actual shudder of revulsion. I can't think of any other food that causes that reaction. Other foods I don't care for or find I can't digest as I get older, but that's the only thing that I find so revolting. Don't know if its psychologically based but I agree with redwitch. Well said.

[ilovetv]

I think it's not so much a matter of the specific foods that people are repulsed by or are convinced will give them hideous diseases and death, but more a matter of "obsession", period. Or "addiction", period.

When a person puts all their focus on one thing and has their life revolving around that one thing like a form of worship, it pretty much consumes them from what I've seen.

I'm getting tired of food-obsessed people throwing out all social graces and courtesy when it comes to dining (not just "eating") with other people.

It is rude, and used to be socially unacceptable, to be a guest at somebody's wedding reception, class reunion people have spent years planning, retirement party, or at somebody's VACATION cruise-ship dinner table, and start haranguing about "what's wrong and unhealthy and thus disgusting" about the perfectly good, expensive food that is being served.

Dinner guests are not there to analyze, critique and harangue about the origin, cultivation, harvesting, packaging, shipping, storage, cooking and serving quality of the food. They are there to share a meal in the company of the other people who have gathered to celebrate and enjoy an occasion or event or vacation, not to tell the host how ignorant and careless they are about the food they've bought, prepared and served.

[Mikeod]

For me, it's not the fact that people have aversions or allergies to a specific food or food group, it's that some feel the need to announce it to everyone within earshot and seem to categorize it as bad food. Like other posters, I was raised to not make a fuss or scene about food presented to me that I did not care for. I either ate it, or left it on my plate, without a word. If I was asked about it, I was to quietly advise that it was either something I did not care for, or was sensitive to, but not that it was bad food.

[gomoho]

My daughter, who is vegan, learned when she attends a family function during the holidays she needs to bring her own main course - usually a tofurkey 'cause she is the only family member that marches to that drum beat. Bless her heart she is as healthy as a horse!!!!

[buggyone]

I remember back when I wa 16, yes that was a very, very long time ago, I was invited to my girlfriend's house for the first time for dinner. Good dinner until dessert. She brought out a pie that was basically jello, fruit cocktail, and whipped cream. I hate fruit cocktail with a passion! Well, I liked the girl! I choked down the huge slice and had to say it was good. Her mother then cut me another slice!

I would like to say I married that girl - but that would be a lie. I have no idea whatever became of her!

Ah, the things us men endure for a girl - or teenagers sure do dumb things!

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by buggyone

I remember back when I wa 16, yes that was a very, very long time ago, I was invited to my girlfriend's house for the first time for dinner. Good dinner until dessert. She brought a pie that was basically jello, fruit cocktail, and whipped cream. I hate fruit cocktail with a passion! Well, I liked the girl! I choked down the huge slice and had to say it was good. Her mother then cut me another slice! I would like to say I married that girl - but that would be a lie. I have no idea whatever became of her!

Ah, the things us men endure for a girl - or teenagers sure do dumb things!

I agree about canned fruit cocktail. It has no relationship to the fresh fruits I cut up and toss together in a bowl with a dash of sugar. It's sort of like the "Spam" of fruit dishes.

[manaboutown]

My father was in the grocery business and my mother was a stay at home mom whose father was a baker. Boy was I lucky! I came home from school and almost always had a choice among several fresh home made cakes and pies for a snack. In grade school I came home to hot lunches. Every night we had a couple of different vegetables and a salad, all prepared from scratch. When other kids came over to eat many had never eaten (nor would they venture to do so) artichoke, avocado, asparagus, arugula and that was just the "a"s.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by mikeod

For me, it's not the fact that people have aversions or allergies to a specific food or food group, it's that some feel the need to announce it to everyone within earshot and seem to categorize it as bad food.

Agree uncalled for.

Originally Posted by gomoho

My daughter, who is vegan, learned when she attends a family function during the holidays she needs to bring her own main course - usually a tofurkey 'cause she is the only family member that marches to that drum beat. Bless her heart she is as healthy as a horse!!!!

When we attend family functions they all are aware we are vegans and ask in advance what we may or may not wish to eat ( note I said "wish to")

In fact here at TV our friends have gone out of there way to have something for us.......after all they're our friends.


Here's the funniest thing those vegan dishes are the first to go, gobbled up by non-vegans??????????????