Had a few comments about how I eat..

[Laiku]

Which include "are u a gerbil?' 'Are you autistic? (er, yes), 'How do you cope in restaurants?'
Never questioned it before but it's got into my head a bit now.
Usually by people I don't know too well, such as a neighbour popping in, visiting cousin, DP's sister..

My daily eating will go something like this:
Breakfast - 1 wholemeal seeded toast with peanut butter or marmalade. A couple of days per week I will have 2 scrambled eggs instead.

Lunch - working from home I wake late-ish so tend not to want any. Will sometimes eat a banana or pear.

Dinner (I have about 3 variations on rotation) ....
Small grilled flatbread (around 40g) topped with peppers, pesto, herbs, olives, tomatoes, onion, spinach, mozzarella and either chicken or fish.
A few nights per week it might be less complex rice, green veggies and mackerel.
Sometimes I will toss some mediterranean veggies in oil and eat with seasoned & baked white fish portion.
Now and again I will make my own coleslaw (cabbage, cress, radish, carrot, mayo) and have with chicken or cheese.

Supper - handful of berries and a bit of greek yoghurt with seeds, or a handful of nuts with figs, avo slices or slice of cheese.

If there's something 'off' about this, could you suggest some tips? I am always satiated and enjoy yoga and lots of walking, but don't have a demanding physical schedule. I prefer nibbly things with flavour so anything like Tapas or Sushi suits me, as opposed to large hot meals. I have never got along with larger cooked meals. I love taste so stuff like garlic, herbs and lemon, lime etc are my favourites.
Due to some of the comments I have started to worry a bit if I am missing something, or some essential nutrient? I really don't like porridge, red meat or pasta. I can't see how I could bulk up more, but do like fresh bread!

I would say that you are on the lower side of slim so people may think that you are too thin and therefore need to eat more and/or are concerned. But you say you do exercise and I assume therefore you're not falling over passed out with exhaustion while doing so? And let's be honest, most of us are probably NOT the ideal weight,e ven when we are slim, so we don't always know how to assess this correctly. I am also 5ft4. But if I could get down to 10stone, I'd be thrilled and feel great even though in my heart, I know I should be closer to 8 stone.

I think it sounds brilliant. It’s unusual so they are reacting rudely but out of surprise I guess? I wouldn’t think much of it. Definitely no need for you to change anything since you are healthy and happy.

Can you share the flatbread recipe?

@21andon OP stated (in OP) she is autistic so details are very normal

OP you will be quite slim so I'm guessing that and the light appetite are what makes people comment.
Sounds good, healthy and tasty, and as long as you have energy, not a problem, most people eat far too much anyway!

I think you eat really well and I'm going to try that flatbread!

Why are these people watching you eat? Is it when they come over to you for lunch? Who's watching you have breakfast? You say your partner doesn't criticise you (bloody miracle on here!)

I'm going to try making that flatbread!

I have no idea why people would comment though. The gerbil comment confuses me.

This isnt the most flattering shot but no I have never had anyone express concern about my body weight. I have just turned 50.

Problem with forum posts is we can't provide a decent context without writing a novel. I've had rather a few comments over a short space so it made me think about my food.
Most in a nice way, or amused, which I think now is just a difference in taste than a criticism of my diet.
My cousin is a cheeky type so thinks I eat like a rodent. I guess it's the spinach and absence of steak.
DP's sister can be a bit odd with me and has remarked several times that I eat rabbit food. Not pleased by that.
My neighbour commented in a puzzled way about the size of my meal when I pulled it from the grill when she was over. Stuff like that.
No one is watching me eat.

It's a great diet. Take no notice of any comments, people are just jealous.

I suspect that the people commenting on your food are ones who relay on prepackaged processed foods, they more than likely feel a bit inadequate as you eat a healthy diet and its all fresh, you are obviously slim also.

You look fine and not underweight. Your diet is relatively varied and contains a good selection of plant based foods as well as fish which is great for omega 3 and for protein. Lots of people who like big meals and/or lots of meat find it weird when other people don't. I'd ignore them. That's their ignorance and cluelessness, not about you. I love meat and wouldn't ever want to be a vegetarian but I chuckled to myself recently when I realised that when I post to my favourite food group, 9/10 I post vegetarian food - it tends to be more interesting, more visually appealing than a beef stew!

Sounds like you do eat as needed. That's a healthy weight at the lower end of BMI for your height. Nothing wrong with it at all. Your food intake seems varied and healthy and normal.

I don't even understand the gerbil comment. Or the restaurant one. You can usually find lovely mediterranean veg dishes in most places. or go for sushi.

If I am honest, left to my own devices I would eat sandwiches for every meal, so I suspect a lot of us would eat a bit weird if we ignored health advice.

This got me thinking, there's been so much bad press about sandwiches and things like 'pizza' due to them being used in fast food and loaded with saturated fats.
It is possible though to have a very healthy sandwich on healthy bread of some sort that could include all your nutrients.
Spag bol is insanely popular and touted as a healthy staple, but we could argue that if only using beef, onion, pepper, tomato and pasta then it has less variety than a loaded sandwich.

Ok. Im obsessed with sandwiches today.

Gerbil makes some sense if you knew my beef loving cousin!
The worst was the autistic comment - a few of us in a pub after a hike, strangers for the most part. We were all discussing recipes and food when a married couple became all serious and asked me was I autistic after stating my preferences.
Thankfully everyone went quiet and DP changed the subject swiftly.

For the most part i think it is people's difference in tastes as opposed to my body/health.

@Laiku

I 🤔 think coming across people focusing on what you eat ect
so much will give you an eating disorder or body dysmophia issues,

I find weird comments like that seriously annoying
Some people are just annoying Arseholes at times

Your diet looks very healthy and nutritious to me.

Ignore the comments - some people are just bloody rude.

@Laiku I have always felt that things like spaghetti bolognaise and pizza are misunderstood. Pizza can have plenty of nutrients _ we like ours with loads of vegetables. But it IS very high in fat often as a result of all the cheese and also the type of meat that is popular. And of course, very few people eeat pizza in relatively small portions - I'm fairly comfortable that half a medium pizza loaded with veg is probably not a bad meal. But I've never eaten half a medium pizza in my life!

spag bol is, as you've pointed out, potentially a bit limited in nutrition although can be boosted. I've always thought the main issue with it is that it can also be high fat but more that it isn't very balanced - lots of carbs and lots of meat. Which again means that unless you're having a very measured portion size, is not necessarily ideal.

A few years ago I shifted to trying to ensure that at least 1/3, preferably more, of whatever is on our plate is vegetables and I actively work on the 30 different plant foods a week. I don't think that any of us have lost weight, but I do think we are, overall, healthier and our digestion definitely works better than it did.

Or, as she said, she is autistic.

The gerbils have officially spoken and they approve! 😂 Love it!

There's nothing wrong with the way you eat and the people around you are being rude.

I have a friend like you, she's just not 'turned on' by food so she has a routine that suits her and is perfectly happy with it. It wouldn't suit me but it suits her. That's all that matters and she has other hobbies that use the head space I use by thinking about, planning and cooking food.

If you do want to increase the variety of veg you use there are ways to do that: you can roast practically anything and add it to your Mediterranean mix, for example, it's just that some things might need a longer or shorter roasting time. But if you don't want to, then...don't! You're fine as you are.

So a neighbour, cousin, SIL, and some random strangers in the pub all comment on your diet?

Maybe you make it too much of an issue in front of other people - in all my years I can't remember any person making direct comments about what I eat.

Your stats and photo show that whatever you're eating it seems to be doing you good.

Is it overweight people or people who live on processed crap saying this to you?

Are they people who eat mainly ready meals and takeaways? Or dislike all vegetables?!

By restaurants, do they mean McDonalds and Pizza Hut?

It’s a diet that a huge amount of people around the world probably eat something extremely similar to, with local variations eg the veg, type of fish, precise type of bread. But as a basis for a diet it’s healthy and tasty. People think stuffing themselves with sweets and processed crap is a treat and think you’re denying yourself if you don’t do it. That’s all. Of course, the treat is having a healthy, well-nourished body and a diet you enjoy.

I have no comment about your diet. you enjoy it and it works for you so, crack on.

Why though do you entertain all these comments from such random people who must only see you at one of your mealtimes? Not eating lunch is no big deal, many people don't. The rest of your meals are regular so what's the issue?

Tell them to mind their own business perhaps? Also, to read up on what gerbils eat because they wouldn't eat what you're eating.

I don't understand why you'd be annoyed about this enough to post a thread but so passive in not addressing this very rude behaviour?

Your diet is great and similar to mine!
Are you sure these people aren't jealous that you eat healthily? It's definitely 'a thing'.