To get a bit impatient with really fussy eaters (adults)

[atthewelles]

I'm not talking about people with medical conditions which preclude certain foods from their diet or people who have anxiety issues re certain types of food/ different foods touching each other on the plate etc

But adults who just turn their noses up at anything other than plain meat and potatoes and act as if vegetables, pasta, fish, anything containing spices or garlic or cooked in a sauces is on a par with serving up roasted worms are a bit irritating - difficult to cook for and impossible to please when trying to meet up in a restaurant.

AIBU to think grown ups should at least try a few different foodstuffs and be a little bit open minded about what they're prepared to eat?

[Kendodd]

Can I ask the really fussy eaters, are you also skinny?

[musicmaiden]

And this:

"Being an OTT fussy eater as an adult suggests general immaturity, a lack of imagination and adventurous spirit and a small minded attitude."

is a) total nonsense and b) a really nasty thing to say.

It's just food FGS.

[GrowSomeCress]

Many fussy eaters I see actually are a bit unhealthier as they tend to be okay with highly processed stuff like chicken nuggets and burgers and things and not okay with more 'wholesome' sort of things

[atthewelles]

I think its bang on musicmaiden. Obviously everyone has certain food stuffs they don't like or that make them feel a bit ill and some people have allergies/phobias etc.

But people who just turn their noses up at anything that they haven't been eating since schooldays are childish and unadventurous.

[usualsuspect]

I can't get worked up about what other people eat.

[GrowSomeCress]

To be honest I don't actually mind fussy eaters much, it's the ones who make disgusted noises or comment on how disgusting whatever other people are eating looks that get my goat

[noblegiraffe]

Are you doubting that different people have different numbers of tastebuds, OP? Perhaps you need to do your research.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster

I guess it's easy not to be picky when all your food tastes pretty much the same

[usualsuspect]

I don't know anyone who makes disgusted noises or comments, so I can't comment on that either.

[musicmaiden]

When you say 'turn their noses up', do you mean they are rude and say 'yuck', or that they simply choose not to eat them?

If the former, I agree they shouldn't be saying that, and it is aggravating.
If the latter, it has nothing to do with childishness or lack of adventure. Most of these people are not terribly interested in food. That's not a big deal unless they (or you) make it so.

[atthewelles]

No, I knew that already Noble, it came up on a forum ages ago. I am doubting that it makes people superior in any way or that all fussy eaters have a greater number of tastebuds.

[Jins]

Spot on noblegiraffe.

I feel quite sorry for non-fussy people sometimes. How bland their food must be :)

[FoxtrotFoxtrotSierra]

But fussy eaters aren't just those who will only eat the stuff they were served as children. Those are a subset of fussy eaters. Also the "yuck" noises are not something down to fussy eating, it's down to rudeness!

DH and I will barely touch the slop food we were fed when were were at school, and I certainly come under fussy or particular, but it doesn't make us unimaginative or immature. It just makes us particular.

Some people are fussy about not having bland, processed crap.

[atthewelles]

Also, noble it quite clearly states that 'picky eaters are not necessarily supertasters, and vice versa.'

[ThonHoor]

Lol at noble trying to make out that all fussy eaters actually have more sophisticated palettes than regular folk. Rather than being dull attention seekers.

[usualsuspect]

People who bang on about how they will eat anything are quite dull.

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

'I guess it's easy not to be picky when all your food tastes pretty much the same'

That's a silly thing to say. Just because someone isn't a supertaster doesn't mean they don't have a perfectly good sense of taste. The whole thing about supertasters is that they have an unusually developed sense of taste, not that most people have an inadequate one.

[atthewelles]

Yes, they are usual because they are usually the fussy type who have no idea how fussy they are and genuinely believe they are easy to please.

[ScentedNappyHag]

ThonHoor Are you just trying to be offensive?

[HalleLouja]

My mil is like this and it makes me really cross. She won't even try anything that isn't standard fare. So YANBU.

[musicmaiden]

You must know some unpleasant people, then ThonHoor. The fussy eaters I know just ARE that way, and it's a very small part of who they are. They are certainly are not dull, attention-seeking, or unadventurous.

[usualsuspect]

Thonhoors post was just nasty.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I get impatient if I'm being asked to cook for someone, and they're both fussy and inflexible. I think that's very rude. If someone tells me they don't like red meat, dairy, and eggs - ok, fine, I will work out something to cook without that lot, that's actually fine. Or I will ask them to tell me what might work. But, FFS, be decently apologetic about putting me to the trouble, eh? No-one is forcing me at gunpoint to cook for you, so if you are going to make it very difficult, chances are I am simply going to suggest we all go for Pizza or we meet for drinks instead.

Do not then whine that I never cook for you, because there is obviously a reason for that.

The worst is people who say brightly that they eat anything then let out a long-suffering sigh at the sight of the plate of food and tell you they'd never dreamed you'd use garlic/spices/red meat and they can't eat it.

There are quite a lot of things I have eaten that I didn't especially want to eat. If you're actually going to retch or have a reaction, for god's sake, don't force it down, no-one needs to see that. If it's simply that you don't like the taste, then just eat the thing and be done with it.

[Jins]

This is why I find excuses not to eat at other people's houses

They'd take offence when I turn my nose up at a plateful of pasta and some sort of sauce :)

[verylittlecarrot]

my dh is the least fussy, most adventurous eater ever. I'm not as gung ho, probably willing to try more than average, but I make a huge effort to ensure the children have no food hang ups and are excited to try new things, and so far, it's worked well, they are very unfussy and willing to try.

My background didnt allow for a lot of food experimentation in childhood and I'm conscious that there is a little willpower and courage involved in forcing myself to try new foods, especially those which provoke a strong visceral reaction (stinky french cheeses).

I think some people choose not to exert willpower and stay safely entrenched in their limited food choices. which is a valid choice but, yes, a little annoying when expecting others to cater for them.