I just overheard a coworker saying “Oh, I would never try that in my life!”, in a discussion of food. (This was about consuming a steak cooked less than medium well). It made me wonder what life is like for those who refuse to try new food, especially those who refuse to try mundane things like fried shrimp.
Why limit yourself? It seems like such a closed-minded way to view food. Help me understand?
EDIT:
I wasn’t going to do this, but I’m tired of replying to people and will post this at the top.
The person that prompted this question is a close-minded piece of crap. He has no sensory issues, just a shitty mindset, with ignorance and prejudice on display with no shame. I have the pleasure of hearing his annoying shit every night.
The knee-jerk reactions I have received from people in this post have had me examine my own knee-jerk reactions, attributing malice to that which may be misunderstanding rather than bigotry or hatred. This is what I am taking away from this post. That even I should take a chill pill every now and again; it’s not all a tragedy.
I will not delete it, because there are some very thoughtful replies that explain different viewpoints, that people took time to type out. It would be disrespectful to them to do that.
Call me what you like. Don’t care. I will not be replying to any other replies.
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For the same reason I wouldn’t willingly get stung by most stinging insects. It’s an unpleasant and unnecessary sensation.
Why do some people feel a need to pressure people to do things that make them uncomfortable? Who am I hurting by choosing what I eat?
I reject the tone of this question because I wasn’t given a choice in my sensory issues and you turning it into a mortal judgement about me is fucked up.
It sucks that there’s not more awareness about ARFID. It took me a while to understand it and not judge people (usually autistic people) that have it.
I can’t eat raw veggies, salads and anything stringy. It makes me feel all kinds of bad. I hate the fact, but I can’t help it. I really can’t. Most people don’t believe me. It took me a long time to come to peace with that.
I fully empathize, the same has happened to me.
“Why are you gay?” Meme
I’m sorry that you feel that way. Do you intentionally avoid food because of a narrow-minded world view? Or do you have sensory issues that make it difficult for you to handle certain textures/flavors/smells? I thought I was pretty clear in that I am asking people who avoid food because of prejudice why they do such a thing.
But yeah, this is somehow a moral judgment about you. 🤦🏻♀️
You sound fairly narrow-minded in describing not liking food as a worldview.
Dislike of food is a viceral thing.You normally explore what makes you feel good and rather than defining it. Basically you are a tall person berating people for being short.
Can you ask a question without judging and insulting the people you’re asking?
🙄
And there’s the response most neuro-typicals give when asked to self reflect. Well done being a stereotype.
Chill, friend. No one was attacking you.
Attacking? No. You were just making insulting assumptions about people different than you and spouting off without thinking. Maybe you’ll do better next time, but this conversation leads me to believe otherwise.
Are you usually this angry? Looking for things to be upset about?
Every now and then I’ll eat food that I didn’t like the last time I tried them. I still don’t like pickles, mustard, eggplant, etc. and might never like them. There are other foods I don’t like the texture of, e.g. seafood with rubbery textures. There are other foods I don’t try because they just sound fucking gross, e.g. chicken feet. I understand the arguments for trying chicken feet, but it’s a psychological thing preventing me from trying them. My brain just doesn’t want a fucking chicken foot in my mouth. There are other foods that I’ve tried and might have even enjoyed, but I don’t want to create more demand for that food for one reason or another. I’m fond of ducks. Ducks taste good, but I want ducks to live. I’m increasingly fond of cows, which are delicious, so I rarely eat beef now. I’ve had foie gras and I will never have it again. Geese are assholes but they don’t deserve what humans do to them in order to make foie gras.
I have ARFID. Lots of tastes and textures are the same as torture for me. It sucks.
If I try to eat something I don’t like, I’ll throw up. It’s a waste of money and food, and gross for anyone around me.
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Throwing up because you don’t like the food isn’t the same as an allergy
Bro doesn’t know what an allergy is
I’m a somewhat picky eater, not to the extreme that some are but I do limit myself to foods I am sure I will like.
I’m autistic and have sensory issues. I also have a tendency to throw up a lot. I need to choose safe food that I know won’t make me gag and that I’m sure I can physically eat
Autism.
Textures & temperatures are problematic. I stay with what I know so minimise the chance of freaking out.
Autistic and the total opposite here for home cooking. The (allegedly greater) magnitude of those flavors and textures makes trying new things so enjoyable that it’s worth the risk.
That said, I used to be similar, having a rotation of a few select meals; I’d get “hooked” on a specific food for an unreasonably long time. But nowadays, I get the benefits of both.
I make whatever at home because I know exactly what’s going into it and roughly how it’ll taste, and I’m naturally limited to a few vegan options at restaurants so I can live the dream of having one or two favorites I get every time. It’s a win–win.
Proves again we’re all different. I too am on the side of trying but also need some fixed things.
On the spectrum myself and I am a foodie with an insatiable apetite for new and interesting. My general rule is if it was good enough for them, it’s good enough for me. I don’t always like everything, but I’ll try anything.
I agree Autism too and I always stick with the things I know. Cannot be dealing with unfamiliar textures.
Agree, I’m not a picky eater (but somewhat autistic) and eat basically anything, but there is some texture I can’t, like avocado or liver, I can literally puke.
Sounds like you’re lucky enough to not have any sensory problems - you probably don’t get overwhelmed by textures, flavours or smells. Not everyone is like that. You also don’t seem to have any particular cultural or ethical concerns about your food choices. My family is vegan and very neurodivergent; none of us would ever consider steak or shrimp, for ethical reasons, and most of us have texture and flavour sensitivities that mean that certain foods are off limits for some of us. We generally buy within those parameters, but some of us really like things others really hate, so cooking can be a nightmare. In many cases, it’s the texture of food that causes this - often borderline textures going from firm to soft, too granular, “wrong” like soft when should be crunchy etc.
But I bet you have some things you wouldn’t try, based on cultural or texture preferences, which some people love. What about…
- Soft biscuits (cookies) - baked crunchy, but have gone damp and soft?
- Dry, stale bread - baked soft, but just dried out and stale?
- Witchetty grubs - moth larvae from Australia?
- Dog meat, eaten in some Asian countries?
- Fermented shark meat, stinky and rank, eaten in some Nordic states?
- Reindeer poo - traditional Finnish cuisine sometimes uses it?
- Natto - stringy, slimy soya beans fermented by a bacteria, very strong flavour, popular in Asia, especially Japan?
- Tempeh - soya beans colonised by a particular edible mould fungus, eaten widely in Asia?
- Tofu - bean curd in various textures, but very little flavour, eaten widely by vegans and in Asia?
- Furry tofu - tofu colonised by another edible mould fungus, eaten widely in Asia?
Pretty much this, I have tried a lot of foods and some of them just make me want to puke just from texture alone. A great example is bean sprouts. Another example is if you put too many chunks of various foods in a rice or pasta dish, I get completely overwhelmed.
I can force myself through the food if I need to, but it’s just a horrible experience akin to being stabbed. It’s not me being closed minded or childish, and I’m tired of people being condescending to me because of this.
Reindeer poo is just candy. Not actual poop.
I’ll eat my own cum but won’t touch ranch dressing. Do with that what you will.
I… okie dokie.
That’s more than enough information, thank you.
Please, tell me less.
So you don’t spit, eh?
Spitters are quitters.
That’s what I’m saying! Why waste a reward?
You busy later?
I’d rather not have anything to do with that. Thank you.
wasn’t an invitation
Do with that what you will
Wasn’t an invitationI’m getting mixed signals here.
They are obviously ordering you to do with it what you will.
At least you’re not wasteful?
My nickname is ‘Closed Circuit’
OwO
I want to know more, like how did you get over PNC and what does it taste like? Does diet really change the flavour etc etc…
PNC?
Post nut clarity
Oh. Well, first ask yourself do you actually want to do it? If yes, just do it. If no, maybe reevaluate. It seems intimidating at first but just dip your tongue in it. It probably won’t taste great but that’s not why anyone does it. I did it maybe three times before I became a pro at consuming one’s own nut. The first times it was like “wow, this sucks”, afterwards it was more like " wow, this would be better if I had a loving goth mommy domme to share the moment with." It’s not gay despite what shitheads will tell you, unless you want it to be. The world is your oyster, i’m just living in it. As for diet, no idea. Mine has always tasted like battery acid. In regards to PNC, just do it and than you can jerk off thinking about it later.
no rawish shellfish, or some fishes. the textures is to gagging.
Why would I force myself to eat something I will not enjoy. I will try a bit but I am not lrdering stuff I don’t like the sound of.
Sometimes the smell which often relates to taste is the first indicator of something tasting not to my liking but if I know I don’t like something (eg mushrooms, I hate those, both taste and texture) I am not willing to try anything involving large quantitiey of said foodstuff
Not picky. allergies. But it is the real assholes sure love to treat those with allergies like we’re just picky.
either way: what i chose to eat and like is none of all your damned business.
Disgust is an emotional response. No one can choose their emotions.
Jesus Christ the people in the replies to this comment need to get a grip. It looks like Reddit down there, wtf. All of you need to learn to read
Choose? No.
Adjust over time? Maybe.
Uh, yes, in fact thats one of the truly few things in life that you have absolute choice and power over, is your emotions and how you react to things. Most people learn emotional regulation as children.
That’s arguable. Setting aside determinism or whatever, what it appears we can choose is our actions (in response to our emotions). Not the emotions themselves. I’m not sure I could any more choose to be happy if a beloved pet died than I can choose what my eyes see when I look a particular direction. I might be able to filter those inputs through my own perceptions moments after the experience but that initial reaction is instantaneous and, as far as I can tell, uncontrolled.
Put another way: if some drunk shitbag, flying down the street, runs over my cat - my initial response is going to be some combination of horror, rage and sorrow all wrapped up in a sense of panic. Whatever I choose to tell myself after the fact, in an attempt to alter that state, will be reliant on me convincing myself of it before (or rather if) my emotional state can then change. Maybe I say to myself “at least Mittens was spared the pain of old age, organ failure and a slow death” and that silver lining is enough to curb the rage and reduce the sadness. Maybe it’s not. Either way it’s post hoc to the initial, visceral reaction.
Another example might be what’s humorous to you. Something “dark” or morbid might leave you in a laughing fit where it would leave others aghast. I don’t think either of us can choose that. I certainly can’t choose to find Seinfeld funny.
Why are you conflating an inability to practice emotional regulation in a sudden, horrific event to the same in the topic of conversation: trying unfamiliar foods? Emotional response is a muscle, and while there are certain things which cannot be practiced for, there are absolutely others which are entirely trainable and controllable, barring some massive disability that leaves you unable to function independently in society. Having an aversion to new experiences is absolutely something most people have the tools to cope with, and I say this as someone who is on the AuDHD spectrum.
Why are you conflating…
If you’re struggling to view the reply chain, cytobit used disgust as a specific emotional response. They stated emotions are not something that can be chosen. A_Random_Idiot disagreed. I happened to agree with cytobit so I provided examples where emotions seem to clearly not be a choice.
…inability to practice emotional regulation…
Emotional response…Who exactly is conflating? What you’ve said is in agreement with my position - that one can control, at least to some extent, how they respond to their emotions. What you’re calling “regulation” and “response” seem to be identical, yet neither have to do with controlling or choosing the emotions themselves - which was my only point.
If you need me to tie it back to food, in some parts of the world there is little-to-no concept of animal cruelty - extending to food processing and preparation. If you witnessed, or have knowledge of, what went into the meal in front of you then disgust might be what you feel reflexively. How intensely you feel that, whether or not you empty your stomach, is most likely outside your control. Assuming the reflex is mild enough that you can maintain your composure then what you call “regulation” and “response,” the actions you choose with regard to your emotional state, has a chance to come into play.
I don’t think this is particularly controversial. Emotions are not, so far as I can see, in any way chosen. Emotional response (actions) possibly can be, which you seem to reiterate, but those come after the fact.
Yeah but why should we have to emotionally regulate when it comes to this? As long as food we like is available and we’re getting proper nutrition, why force ourselves to eat what we don’t like?
You absolutely can choose your emotions. It’s sort of terrifying that people seem to agree with this statement.
So when someone you love dies, you can just… choose not to grieve, huh?
You can choose to focus on the positive aspects of their life and your relationship, yes. That’s not exactly the same as not grieving but it isn’t allowing your emotions to drive your actions either.
Either way, that’s quite a bit different than taking a bite of food you don’t like, isn’t it?
You basically just paraphrased that you can’t control your emotions, but how you react to them, proving the previous guys point.
You just paraphrased that emotions aren’t uncontrollable, proving my point.
Somehow, I don’t think you understand what your own point is…
Part of growing up is realising what those emotions mean & adapting, otherwise you will have no growth.
No one can choose their emotions.
Yeah, but most people can still explain where they come from and why they have them.
Most self aware adults anyway.
And you really need to understand, when I use terms like “adults” and “children”, very rarely am I referring to the number of birthdays someone’s had.
it’s called control… and it’s very easily controllable.
Unless you have ARFID
That might be your problem, but it’s no excuse. I have ADD and poor impulse control; that doesn’t entitle me to drive drunk, no matter how good an idea it might sound at the time due to my condition.
Have you ever thought that those are 2 different things? Do you even know what ARFID is or just wrote the first thing you thought when you saw the unknow acronym?
Imo the modern picky eater is a byproduct of food abundance. Acquired tastes were pretty necessary for survival until fairly recently. That said for the life of me I cannot make natto palatable no matter how hard I try
