To not understand how a fully grown adult..

[LifesLittleDeciders]

Doesn’t like any vegetables at all?
I was just watching a video about a man who wanted to find recipes he could eat that don’t contain vegetables as he doesn’t like any veg.

I mean come on.. there’s as many flavours in different vegetables as there are colours in the world.. yet he would proclaim to ‘hate all colours’

I just don’t get it. Kids I sort of understand; especially when they descend from fussy parents. But I just think ‘grow up’ when I read about adults not touching vegetables. I’m not talking about “I don’t like broccoli or carrots” - won’t eat vegetables at all.

And the “salad? Do I look like a rabbit?” Slur that comes from people

Who won’t eat anything remotely green or healthy, that saying really boils my piss. Just say no thank you?!

I know IABU as it’s none of my business but it just made me roll my eyes and would be interested to hear others opinions on it.

Ah, you're talking about me!

I am 37. I don't eat fruit and veg. Well barely any. I eat potatoes, I will eat smooth veg based sauces (like a mushroom, bolognese or chilli sauce but much be blended). I can eat vegetable soup, if it's blended and sieved. I drink smooth orange juice. That's it.

I grew up eating a very limited diet, I basically lived on milk, orange juice, meat, cereals, rice, pasta, bread, cheese and fish. I was that way until late teens then I got more adventurous. It's weird I would always eat spicy or strongly flavoured foods that lots of children wouldn't (like a hot chicken curry) but not a bite of carrot or a banana. I would eat quite odd things for a young person/child - I always loved smoked salmon for example, but a spoon of peas? Nope, vomit. My parents despaired, I was taken to see several doctors who told my parents varying things from 'force her', 'starve her out' and 'she'll grow out of it, she's just attention seeking'. None of it worked.

It's not about taste for me. I like the taste of some vegetables (I love mushroom soup/sauces for example). It's texture. I have never, ever been able to bite and chew something that has the texture of veg and fruit. The wetness makes me gag and if I continue, vomit, as I try to swallow it.

I've tried lots of things over the years. Gradual exposure, bites, holding things in my mouth but not chewing. With limited success. I can now small manage bits of onion or tomato in a bolognese sauce for example. I could not bite a raw tomato, or an apple. I can eat eggs now, never could before. Still can't do fried or poached, too wet, but can do well cooked scrambled or an omelette 🤦‍♀️

My DD (5) has been diagnosed with autism. I do not know if I'm autistic or not, but we certainly share some traits and I actually suspect that even if I am not autistic then I have sensory difficulties. It all makes sense, after a lifetime of being told I'm a pain in the arse fussy eater, and a lifetime of people piss taking or being rude about me.

DD is a limited eater too, she will only eat certain set meals and as a baby she was a total nightmare for food. She also cannot tolerate certain textures. However happily, some of her set foods are quite a good variety of fruit and vegetables, as long as the vegetables are raw! So though she is very rigid about food she actually eats reasonably well from all food groups, loads of fruits, some salad and some raw veg, which is brilliant.

My younger child - who so far has no autistic traits - has no such issues and will eat anything you put in front of her. She's only 2.5 but she'll even give sprouts a go! She loves spinach too. Both children have been raised the same - huge variety because I was so conscious of them not being 'fussy' like me, lots of family mealtimes (they see their Dad eating healthily with piles of veg on his plates and I put salad on my plate etc even if they don't see me eat it). DH eats anything and everything, as does everyone else in our family. My brothers - raised identically to me - also eat everything.

I don't know what the answer is, but don't just assume people are stubborn and fussy. No one would know this about me, they'd all just assume the same. I'm sure some people genuinely do have no interest in deviating from their boring beige diets, but most people I bet would love to sit down and eat normally like everyone else. I've struggled with food my whole life. It's horrible, embarrassing, and unhealthy.

How do I not have rickets? Well I take a good daily multivitamin. I try to have a blended veg based sauce (like bolognese or chilli) twice a week. I make it normally then blend my portion so the rest of the family have theirs as it should be. And once a month I make a huge saucepan of a 12 veg soup, blend and sieve it -it's got to be sieved! - and have that for lunch a couple of times a week. Orange juice (just a glass) daily. It's definitely not my five a day, but it all helps, right?

It always makes me laugh on threads where people are talking about vegan restaurants and people say 'well the meat eaters can go to vegan restaurants because they eat all foods, but the vegans can't go to the meat eater ones really, there's little choice for them' and I think 'I couldn't, unless it was plain chips I bet there'd be nothing I can eat there!'. No offence, vegans

My sister is a bit like this. Growing up she would eat potatoes, mushy peas and beans. no other veg. We ate normal well-cooked meals, no freezer food or beige stuff and my mother was very very persistent but she met her match with my sister. I am younger and eat everything and always did.

She is slim and healthy and now she is older I think she has included some saladin her diet but basically she still doesn't eat vegetables. Her kids eat normally.

Makes my shit itch?! 😂 That’s a new one on me.

I was an incredibly fussy child, but like many things you have to do as an adult you just get on with it and eating veg is one of those things!

I wasn't allowed to be fussy as a child, we ate what was put in front of us like it or not. If we didn't eat it, it would be served again at each meal until we did.

As an adult I eat what I like, not what I don't. I do not eat to please other people. Lots of people would consider me fussy but I'm not. I just don't like those things (yoghurt, marmite, peppers and onions to name a few).

I have never forced a child to eat. Encouraged certainly but not made a fuss or a battle. Who are we to say what other people like to eat or not. And why does it matter to anyone else if they don't like sprouts or apples?

My DH grew up in Stoke post war. His family was piss poor but his Dad worked an allotment. Their meals were mostly veg & potatoes with meat being a rare treat. They ate everything because they were hungry.

"For those offended by the boil my piss comment - I did correct myself to broccoli for those who are utterly offended I didn’t realise it was that bad of a saying"

It's not offensive - as you already know. Its just childish and really makes no sense. Generally just a horrid phrase that people say when they are trying that bit too hard.

The trouble is, many people like myself were brought up on any fresh vegetables being boiled to death, properly cooked stuff is amazing in comparison.
This. My mother did cook most stuff from fresh but as my dad didn't like pasta, it never formed part of a proper dish and instead was just chucked in to boil at the same time as the potatoes and served plain. School dinners likewise were pretty uninspiring. So I always turned my nose up at pasta.

Then a few years ago I returned from a Remembrance Sunday parade to the Reserve unit I was serving in at the time. A few hours with a weapon on your shoulder makes you hungry. The chef had prepared a pasta bake and I demolished it. I later learned to do a few pasta dishes myself and it now forms a regular part of my diet.

These days I always either steam or roast veg, the flavour is far better than boiling it, usually steaming it so that it is only just done. I won't have salad though, I can't stand raw veg (with exceptions for raw peas from the garden and sweetcorn).

Serious question, (I'm not a poo troll!), - how do all these people who never eat any fruit or veg, or drink any juice go to the toilet??? I happily admit that I might have a skewed viewpoint on this, as I suffer from various stomach issues, but if I go even one day without veg or fruit everything just grinds to a halt, (sorry!).

My parents also tried the re-serving of foods i'd I'd refused then as a child. Didn't work. I would rather have starved than eat them and I did go hungry several times. Or I sneaked food into pockets or my knickers and flushed it down the toilet. Or hid it in the soil in plant pots around the house (plants must've flourished!).

I clearly recall being served tomato soup (which actually, I eat now) three days running for lunch and dinner. It went cold each time. I ate the bread that it was served with. Last time, no bread given, eat the bloody soup. Nope. Hungry tummy that night.

Those who're saying 'they'll eat it if they're hungry' have truly never had the pleasure of dealing either a child who cannot eat certain foods. They won't. Or they will, if you really force them but they'll likely vomit over the table once it's either in their mouth or the process of being swallowed (again, memories of this!).

I don't blame my parents they were desperate and worried about me. But I definitely wouldn't do it to my children. It's cruel.

@Cam77 I think you might be right. I love most vegetables but the way they're cooked with the Sunday roast just tastes bland to me and I can see how people might be put off. DM would usually sauté them in olive oil with a bit of garlic, she also made different kinds of soups, salad combinations and there were lots of different flavours.

@Creamcrackersandricecakes

Serious question, (I'm not a poo troll!), - how do all these people who never eat any fruit or veg, or drink any juice go to the toilet??? I happily admit that I might have a skewed viewpoint on this, as I suffer from various stomach issues, but if I go even one day without veg or fruit everything just grinds to a halt, (sorry!).

I've never had any toilet issues, honestly. Maybe my body is just used to it? But I do eat fibre - weetabix/bran flakes and brown rice. So I guess that helps.

I was going to say yanbu but then I thought, some people have genuine sensory issues, and these can affect adults as well as children.

But it’s hard to believe I agree.

Even my dad who’s really bad with veg will eat peas!

@MishaHarrow I live in the south west, fairly rurally. 😂

@springtimesunshine

My parents also tried the re-serving of foods i'd I'd refused then as a child. Didn't work. I would rather have starved than eat them and I did go hungry several times. Or I sneaked food into pockets or my knickers and flushed it down the toilet. Or hid it in the soil in plant pots around the house (plants must've flourished!).

I clearly recall being served tomato soup (which actually, I eat now) three days running for lunch and dinner. It went cold each time. I ate the bread that it was served with. Last time, no bread given, eat the bloody soup. Nope. Hungry tummy that night.

Those who're saying 'they'll eat it if they're hungry' have truly never had the pleasure of dealing either a child who cannot eat certain foods. They won't. Or they will, if you really force them but they'll likely vomit over the table once it's either in their mouth or the process of being swallowed (again, memories of this!).

I don't blame my parents they were desperate and worried about me. But I definitely wouldn't do it to my children. It's cruel.

I agree with this. We have a rule of 3 in our house. You must try it three times before you can decide you don't like it (with the exception of some textures i genuinely know ds1 cannot eat) but pushing it beyond 3 i feel is unfair. I will try when they are older but never now or in the future is it the sole part of a meal so I wouldn't allow them to go hungry (peckish....yes but not actual hunger )

YABU because as your OP says, why doesn't he say "no thankyou". Well maybe he should but he didn't.

Therefore that doesn't mean you are being reasonable in stating that "a grown adult" can knowingly eat a vegetable.

Just sayin.

@springtimesunshine - ah that makes sense. I guess it's more people who only eat 'beige freezer food' I was thinking of? So nuggets, chips, fish fingers, potato waffles, toast, biscuits and crisps etc every day and little else. I guess their digestive systems just adapt?

@DavidsSchitt

Oh get on🥴 Have you even contributed anything to the fruit and veg debate?
Or are you just here to boil my piss and make my shit itch?

I don't understand it. I would feel so slugish if i didnt regularly eat veg.

Fortunately we're not all clones and it's perfectly reasonable for people to have different opinions/taste.

It has nothing to do with the way people are brought up. I basically eat the same food as I did as a child in the 1949s and 50s, roasts, stews, chops. sausages, etc. I won't eat any foreign food, including pasta or rice. My sister on the other hand is very adventurous with food and she will eat practically anything and everything.

Who are any of us to say who is right or wrong? You appear to have an unwarranted sense of superiority about the subject.

I find it a bit pathetic, it's like they haven't grown up and still a toddler who thinks vegetables are 'yucky'. It's normal to have certain fruit and veg you don't like, I hate bananas and peas, but to not eat any types is slightly odd.

I agree, I find it really immature. My DH won't eat anything with tomatoes in. To be fair to him he eat lots of other vegetables but the tomato thing is particularly annoying because it rules out an unbelievable amount of common dishes, and I find is unwillingness to persevere selfish. The 'urgh' comments and grimaces from people who only eat beige food when you choose something green are so annoying. If you are going to be ridiculously fussy, at least own it, don't try to embarrass the non fussy eaters.

Personally I'm not a big fruit eater at all. There isn't a vegetable I don't like and I even prefer veg to meat, but unless it is in a salad or savoury dish I rarely choose to eat fruit. I accept that isn't ideal, but I don't say 'urgh' when I'm offered a fruit salad and I will reluctantly eat it if it's put in front of me.

I was actually raised completely on freezer food and almost zero veg, certainly no fresh vegetables. But luckily I was exposed to nicely cooked veg and fresh food from friends as a teenager.

I agree it's rude to start with the 'ugh' comments. I never comment on what other people are eating. A lifetime of people commenting on what I'm not eating has taught me how grim it is!

I'll never forget being out to dinner with DHs family and BIL started chanting in a sing song say 'she won't make friends with salad!' (I think it's from a tv show) at me when my food arrived (steak and chips) and I didn't touch the salad. A cold hard glare and a 'that's very rude!' put a stop to it, but honestly.

Manners cost nothing, either way!

@Crankley

Fortunately we're not all clones and it's perfectly reasonable for people to have different opinions/taste.

It has nothing to do with the way people are brought up. I basically eat the same food as I did as a child in the 1949s and 50s, roasts, stews, chops. sausages, etc. I won't eat any foreign food, including pasta or rice. My sister on the other hand is very adventurous with food and she will eat practically anything and everything.

Who are any of us to say who is right or wrong? You appear to have an unwarranted sense of superiority about the subject.

Why won't you eat anything other than English food @Crankley? Have you never even tried pizza, or any pasta at all? Even my late MIL who died aged 90 a couple of years ago enjoyed lasagne and chicken korma. She was very poor when she was growing up, and they lived on vegetables, potatoes and the odd rabbit that her father had caught.

I went to a wedding where the groom sat down to a wedding breakfast of sausage, chips and baked beans because that was all he ate. I suppose knowing what I know now it may have been a sensory thing.
Me, I like salad and vegetables. Plain or raw, especially cucumber. DH won't touch leaves and when I met him he had never tried a raspberry and only 'liked' peas or sweetcorn because he'd clearly been brought up on a mainly beige freezer diet. I was too, although I would never touch cardboardy fish and chicken, much to my mother's annoyance. She'd fresh mash/mince/chop (covered in gravy) or cut potatoes for chips. Rest was frozen. Especially vegetables unless it was Sunday.

I think many 30-40 somethings of a certain demographic were to an extent brought up on freezer food. I know my own mother despairs at me giving DC fresh fish and making my own sauce to go with it. 'You can buy a packet you know.'

It just reminded me of my late Husband's brother I was quite newly married in the 1960's era.The Brother came over to our house for Sunday lunch,normal lunch, roast beef and lots of vegetables etc. He said he didn't like any vegetables at all, but to kind of save face, he said I will try and eat some. So he proceeded to chop all the veg on his plate,into tiny miniscule pieces,and put the pieces into some mashed Potato,and further mashed everything together into a heap of rainbow coloured mash,and added a load more gravy,and ate the meal with a spoon, so my neatly arranged meal, looked like Pig swill. on his plate.

So he did eat some veg. The Brother was about 22 at the time.