Are you a picky eater? Maybe you wouldn’t describe yourself as being so, but have you been called that by numerous family members and friends over the years? Then you already know just how hard it feels to try and ‘break’ the habit. That might be all anyone has ever told you it is, and when you try to explain, your words are just waved away.
But being a ‘picky’ eater, as it were, isn’t really anything to do with getting into a bad habit. Everyone’s relationship with food is different, and sometimes you have stronger preferences than other people. Whether that means you can’t handle certain textures or you only like one or two tastes, it really is OK to eat the things you like and stick to them.
The only time you’d ever need to think about diversifying your diet is when a doctor has recommended it or you’re genuinely interested in finding new foods and meals you can enjoy. If you’re in the latter camp, this post could help.
If you want to find new flavours, textures, and cuisines to dig into, the tips below could start you off on the right foot. And remember, being described as ‘picky’ isn’t a bad thing, and forcing yourself outside of this label could only make your desire to stick to the same foods even stronger.
Work Out What You Don’t Like
Finding out what makes you a ‘picky’ eater is the best thing to start with. What is it you don’t really like or enjoy about certain foods? What makes you want to stick to eating the same few things for every meal time? It’s OK to not have an immediate answer to this question, but if you want to diversify and are passionate about doing so, this is a question to ponder over.
Maybe you don’t like anything that feels bitty on your tongue? Maybe you’re not a fan of anything that’s even slightly dry? Maybe you don’t like certain foods because their natural sweetness makes you feel sick? The latter can be common for those who don’t like carrots or tomatoes. Narrow the issue (or issues) down so you can pad out your diet with success.
Indeed, figuring out what it is that holds you back will allow you to eat around this one thing and discover new foods that don’t fall under the definition. That way you’re more likely to enjoy your journey into bringing new ingredients into your personal menu. It’s OK to hit a snag with a couple of your experiments, but the more you enjoy the taste and texture sensations, the more motivated you’ll feel to keep going.
Try One New Thing a Week
This is the best way to get more food options into your life without overwhelming yourself with all the new things you want or feel the need to try. Take it week by week and only try one new thing at a time.
When you do, you may find it much easier to not only pick something to take a bite of, but to keep trying new things without feeling stressed, anxious, or like the very thought is going to make you cry.
Slowly but surely is always best. You don’t want to accidentally make your feelings regarding food you’re not 100% on more negative than ever, or give yourself more bad experiences with food in the name of trying to make eating more pleasant!
Don’t Go into New Foods with Expectations
If you have an expectation, you may just end up filling it, regardless of how you felt about the food in question. As such, if you try something new thinking you’re not going to like, you’re probably not going to like it.
Or if you lump the expectation of thinking it’s amazing onto your shoulders, but then discover it’s just a bit bland and you don’t like the mouthfeel, you’re more likely to feel shame or disappointment over the experiment.
These are two approaches that just won’t do. Keep an open mind and try to keep any preconceptions to a minimum. If you manage it, you may find trying new foods a lot more liberating and fun than you ever considered possible.
Don’t Feel Bad for Not Liking a New Food
You’re not here to force yourself to find new foods. You’re just trying things out to see if there are other foods you could start enjoying – there’s a big difference between having a go and being pleasantly surprised, and telling yourself you have to find something else to eat because it’ll be good for you!
The former makes diversifying your diet a nice thing, the latter puts the pressure on and could turn the process into a total disaster. Even when trying to be healthy, it just won’t work. All in all, don’t let yourself feel bad if you end up not liking what you’ve had; just cross it off the list and move into the next item.
Try the Tastes You Like on Different Foods
Any person who’s been called a picky eater before has a flavor they like more than any other. As such, if you want to diversify your diet, look for this flavor across the entire nutrient board. Because it’s quite easy to find the same flavors in multiple foods – all you need to do is search out different ingredients that have been prepared in the same way.
Like a smoky taste? Maybe you never say no to something that’s just come off the BBQ grill? If so, look for other foods that have that smoky, sweet, or char-grilled kind of taste to them. Smoked bacon, for example, or a plate of finnan haddie, which is smoked salmon.
Both of these ingredients can make up a good portion of protein in any meal you’d like to eat, and can be paired easily with something more bland, like plain potatoes, if you just want to focus on that smoky palate. You can also throw in some well cooked leafy greens, as that smoky flavor can drown out a lot of other tastes, such as that bitterness that broccoli and kale can have to them.
All in all, this can get you eating plenty more items from the food pyramid and could expand the roster of what you keep in the fridge on a regular basis. Once you’ve managed that, your diet will likely be a lot healthier for you. Even though you’re only consuming that one taste, you’re getting hits of different nutrients, vitamins, and minerals each and every time.
Talk to a Doctor About ARFID
ARFID, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, is a type of eating disorder in which a person avoids certain foods or restricts how much of or what they eat. This can be for a variety of reasons, but often it’s to do with how sensitive the person is to things like the tastes, textures, smells, and colors of ingredients.
ARFID can also develop after a bad experience with food, such as choking on or vomiting after eating, and will usually revolve around the specific food that caused these reactions. Being anxious about mealtimes because of experiences like these is also quite common in many cases.
No matter the reason for only feeling comfortable eating certain foods, anyone who is ‘picky’ about what they eat could actually have ARFID and not know it. However, the only way to know for sure is to talk to a doctor and be honest with them about how you approach food.
Of course, not every person who is selective about what they eat will have it, but it’s OK to ask a doctor about the possibility. You may be able to access more targeted support in doing so, whether you’re given the diagnosis or not.
Picky Eating Doesn’t Have to Be a Problem
If you’ve been labeled a picky eater before, you know the shame that can come with only enjoying eating a few foods. Plenty of people might point out that it can’t be healthy, or ask if you’re OK, and that only adds to that feeling of being wrong for liking the foods you do.
And that’s why we’re here to tell you that picky eating isn’t necessarily unhealthy. It also may be something you can’t control! And at the end of the day, there are many ways to add a few more foods to your diet if you’re also worried about what you’re eating.
You don’t have to step too far outside of your comfort zone when diversifying your diet. You just have to figure out what you like and what you don’t and then look for further options within those parameters.
And don’t feel bad if you try something new and end up not liking it. You tried it, and that’s all you need to think about here! Plus, there are thousands of other foods out there you can move onto and discover instead.