Have you ever met an adult who doesn't eat

[lottieandmia]

Any fruit or vegetables at all? I have a friend who says she never eats any fruit or vegetables at all.

I have never heard of this. I think surely it's very bad for your health. And limiting

Well as I say I have no problem finding rice, pasta and noodles in places in place of fries anyway. Yo! Sushi do chicken katsu "sandwiches" and fries. My local Lebanese also does meat platters with rice and kids' meals should anyone be really fussy. I've yet to go to an Italian that doesn't do a meaty pasta either but maybe I've just been lucky!

I used to know someone who never ate any fruit or veg. He literally ate buttered white bread or toast, chips / roast potatoes, two or three types of breakfast cereal with milk, & plain cooked meat. He lived with his parents (was older teen when I knew him) & they let him keep a toaster, sliced bread, & a box of cereal by his chair, plus the relevant crockery & cutlery. He ate astonishingly little - I think his DPs had just given up & were willing to do whatever it took for him to eat. He also seldom went out, & their living room had no natural light. He was skeletal, perpetually listless & white like paper. He must have been dreadfully unhealthy but they clearly didn't know what to do. Oh and he didn't really talk to people. He could talk, & was rather intelligent, but just didn't. In retrospect I suspect he possibly had a particular SEN issue that had sadly never been picked up.

All fruit, and all vegetables?

I don't get it. It's like saying you dislike all food. They all have different tastes and textures. A blanket dislike just doesn't make sense.

"But I have never had any health problems"

Yet.

I agree this thread is depressing

I don't understand it because there are SO many different types of fruit and veg, how can people not like any of them?? I Don't like cabbage or sprouts and although I love the taste of oranges, I won't eat one because I don't like the pith... but there are so many other types of veg that I love!

It's not really that depressing. We are not addicted to crack or anything

My partner

It is weird how so many autistic and those with autistic relatives do this, but manage to stay slim, very good fitness levels and often very, very young looking.

And as is well known, being slim and very very good young looking are the markers of a physically and emotionally healthy lifestyle.

This also seems to be a very Western problem. I never met a "supertaster" or someone who felt physically sick at the thought of eating a grape when I lived in more deprived parts of the world.
Not suggesting that the individuals who have this problem in the West are imagining it, but maybe if we as a society weren't so disconnected from our food or if we didn't have so much choice about what to eat then this wouldn't be an issue. Because it's quite a luxury, if you think of how the majority of the world lives, to be able to turn your nose up at entire food groups.

Because it's quite a luxury, if you think of how the majority of the world lives, to be able to turn your nose up at entire food groups.

This is very true.

I eat no fruit at all and the only veg I eat is tomato soup, or tomato sauce on pizza or pasta. About once every couple of years I will eat stew with carrots, parsnip and onions in it. Ive never been ill beyond a cold or D&V bug.

My 2 nieces don't eat any fruit or veg, they are at least 20 stones

I would eat it if you gave it me. I just don't seek it out. My brother wouldn't eat it and would probably just starve. They just to make him sit in for all his lunches at school. It didn't make a difference.

Someone above asked about constipation. I haven't seen an answer so I'll ask again - don't those of you who eat no fruit or veg get constipated? Do you eat wholegrain cereals and bread? It really isn't good for the gut to have no fibre passing through (unless there's another issue like Crohn's, of course).

As for the people eating Chinese/Indian/Italian food and thinking they are not getting vegetables - that I really, really doubt. You seem to have decided that garlic isn't a vegetable, but it is, you know. So is onion, so is potato, so are herbs like basil and coriander, and all of these are likely to be used extensively in takeaway food from non-British cuisines. I think it's psychological, personally.

I'm not saying I'm bothered at finding vegetables in things, I'd just rather not have them as a side. Having chopped up tomato, onion and garlic is fine for me, I can't speak for others of course. I eat chow mein for example and primarily just eat the chicken.

I also have Weetabix once or twice a day so that's how I get most of my fibre! I only go about twice a week though, but not with any pain.

don't those of you who eat no fruit or veg get constipated?

Not me. Can't speak for anyone else. I poo a couple times a day at least. The only time I was constipated was 12 years ago during pregnancy when I started taking iron tablets.

My DP will eat lettece in a burger, baked beans and roast potatoes. Thats it

I was a guest at a wedding where as we all sat with our balmoral chicken and veg, the brides cousin had a plate of chips as apparently that's all he eats. He is an adult and does not have any sensory disorders etc.

My brother in law and he is ill all the time

He is an adult and does not have any sensory disorders etc.

That you know of.

That you know of.
Well that even he or his immediate family know of. Not just me!

Yes, exactly. He may have a sensory disorder (or anything at all that affects his diet) that he doesn't even know about. People don't always know, and even when they do, they don't wear signs announcing it. Nor should they have to explain their eating habits.

I had a friend who never ate either, lived off booze and junk food. Now a clean eating evangelical. Looked much healthier on the booze and KFC lol

This is an interesting thread. I posted earlier but DH is a restrictive eater. He has a few friends who are the same. All of them are very likely to be autistic. DH almost definitely is. Our DS is autistic but luckily has none of the taste sensory issues that DH does. DH is definitely a "supertaster". If a tiny piece of something like onion ends up on his pizza and he bites into it he immediately starts gagging. He is very very sensitive to smell (DS has this a bit too and has been sick in restaurants when someone is eating something extremely pungent). DH is a very intelligent man. He is aware it is unhealthy to not eat fruit and veg but he just won't do it. He says he is happy the way he is. It's his body and his choice. He is slim and fit, doesn't drink, never done drugs, doesn't get ill too often. Might he die earlier? Sure but then so might we all! It does get tricky in some situations (weddings etc) but he never makes a fuss and sorts himself out. Although everyone knows what he is like and often accommodate him which is really nice of them. I'm very used to going to the same few places for dinner. Doesn't bother me and we try new places as much as we can. I can always eat out with other people or the kids :)

For some people, fruit and vegetables have too much fibre content and can actually made their conditions worse, such as Chron's. Not everyone reacts the same to certain foods, but for some people with bowel conditions, most fruit and vegetables are out of the list.

I personally need to be creative with vegetables or I don't eat them. I love fruit or fruit juice, but steam vegetables aren't what I would eat by choice unless I cover them in mayo, which defeats the point. Salads? Ok. Root vegetables? Roasted and garlicky. Steam vegs? Eeeewww.

steam vegetables aren't what I would eat by choice unless I cover them in mayo, which defeats the point.

That's not really true. Eating veg isn't about losing weight. Putting mayo on them doesn't stop you getting all the vitamins, minerals, fibre etc.