What, exactly, is a "picky eater"?

[fljelad]

Just curious. Is that "code" for "won't eat vegetables"?

 

[Hippychickali]

A picky eater is a term used to describe someone who is excessively meticulous or fussy when it comes to what they will eat. So, no, it doesn't simply mean someone who won't eat vegetables. Essentially, it is someone who has a limited range of food that he/she will eat. Hope this is helpful.

Ali

 

[sunny04]

Well, in DH's case, it's more complicated than that. He likes chicken, and sometimes pork chops, and occasionally some kinds of BBQ, but he doesn't like chicken on the bone, or ribs, or plain chicken without a sauce. He wont' eat things with tomato, so not usually ketchup, no tomatos, no spaghetti sauce, no lasagna, ravioli or such. He likes salad, okra, green beans, and that's about it for veggies. He doesn't like things mixed, so only a few mexican dishes and no casseroles or quiches. He likes some pastas, but not all. I think that usually picky fits into this kind of category. It means, they are very hard to please....one thing is good, the next is not. And sometimes it changes from day to day.

 

[fljelad]

Yikes!

 

[SouthFLMommy]

My son is a "picky eater". He will not eat anything with sauce, anything mushy (with the exception of Quaker Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal), and does not like any kind of pasta.

It's difficult at times, and we encourage him to try new things all the time. I give him credit, most of the times he will try it, but usually he doesn't like it.

 

[TartanFan]

Very spooky - I was just thinking of posting the same question! So I guess a "picky" eater is the opposite of me. My mother has been known to refer to me (and DH too!) as the "human garbage disposal"

What can I say? I'm Scottish - we're raised on porridge (oatmeal) and haggis (no known translation!) for goodness sake!

 

[SeaSpray]

Today I posted a thread about my "picky teen sons". They are picky to the extent that they have their limited range of foods that they like, and are not adventurous or usually willing to try new things. They both do like many vegetables, though! So picky doesn't necessarily mean a person doesn't like veggies. "Picky" can mean different things to different people.

 

[maggs]

I think I must be lucky. The only things my kids wont eat is junk food. Its great. They love vegetables, salad, fish and chicken!! I dont know why but I am very thankful! lol

Maggs

 

[cocowum]

my DD is so picky!! every day for the past six years she has had a cheese sandwich with the crusts cut off for lunch. She does not like lunch meats, PB&J, tunafish, will not eat any sauces, or school lunches. She has toast for breakfast every morning and she doesn't like it toasted. just long enough so the bread is warm. she will not eat burgers at any resturant (other than McD's) no chicken fingers, no eggs, no pancakes, no pasta. Her fav foods are Peas, broccoli, tomatoes, corn and moms burgers.

 

[nwdisgal]

I wonder if the word picky originally came from the act of picking food off the plate that the person didn't like? MY DS doesn't like toppings on his pizza (except cheese) so he picks them all off and sets them to the side of his plate.

 

[Hippychickali]

I'll add my DFi to the picky eaters list. He's getting better though and I take full credit!

Ali

 

[Peter Pirate]

It's also a term used for someone who won't use utensils to eat with.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

I am blessed with two picky eaters. Neither can have anything with milk or milk products. One is allergic to Soy. And both are picky. They can taste the difference between different brands of the same product.
DD refused to eat a LeCellier hotdog because it was all beef and therefore tougher than she was used to. She was just turned 3 so didn't get the "Eat it or starve lecture" the 12 DS gets.
But i was (am) a classic picky eater myself so have some sympathy.

 

[ladydancer]

The post makes me think of my 6 year old grandson who is autistic. He can speak a few words. Every day he cries (whales) "Macaroni and Cheese". He goes and gets the mac and cheese and brings it to his mother to make for him. If she tells him "no" or "not right now" he carries it around with him. Once in a while he will ask for Pizza. Which he has for about a week now. No veggies or fruit will he eat. He will eat a few other things but not much. I pushed a bite of pancake in his mouth a few months ago with him resisting. Now he will he pancakes. Just can't get him to try anything. We are taking him to WDW in April and we are trying to make a plan for his eating habits.

 

[Sleepy]

I describe a picky eater as someone who only eats a small variety of foods and requires the food to be prepared a certain way.


Example.....my son used to be really bad, but has gotten better toward the teen years. When he was really young, he required all hotdogs to have skins removed. He would not eat a hamburger at all (our first trip to Disney I forced him to eat a cheeseburger and he has been eating them since). The only chicken he would eat was chicken nuggets from McDonalds. The only veggies he still eats is DelMonte green beans and broccoli without sauces. Macaroni and cheese has to be oven made with extra cheddar cheese. He loves tuna noodle casserole and most meats are eaten with ketchup.....porkchops, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and we recently added steak to his list. He only started eating sweet potatoes when he was little because my father told him they make people smart. He likes mashed potatoes, but refuses to eat gravy of any kind. He hates eggs unless they are in a cake. Last year he decided he would eat lettuce with his cucumber and crouton salads. I could go on and on. He is a strange one. Picky indeed.

 

[EEyorelover22]

DS is a picky eater. Lives on pasta (no sauce) and pizza, usually cheese. He'll eat burgers now though and is starting to eat certain chicken dishes. He'll eat tacos, but hates lettuce. It's all about the texture of the foods that he eats. He just is starting to like French fries. He is starting to get better though. He's picky about his junk food too and really doesn't eat much junk food so I can't complain there. DD will eat just about anything and will try anything. DH is very picky as he has to "stay on his diet" and it's really not a diet, it's a way of life for him. He gave up sugar and milk products except one day a week. He lost 40 pounds though and works out. He has to work out at WDW too. Then there's me with all my allergies that can eat about one item on menus. I know this year I'll probably break out into hives every day we are there. We are such a fun group!!

 

[ladydancer]

DS is a picky eater. Lives on pasta (no sauce) and pizza, usually cheese. He'll eat burgers now though and is starting to eat certain chicken dishes. He'll eat tacos, but hates lettuce. It's all about the texture of the foods that he eats. He just is starting to like French fries. He is starting to get better though. He's picky about his junk food too and really doesn't eat much junk food so I can't complain there. DD will eat just about anything and will try anything. DH is very picky as he has to "stay on his diet" and it's really not a diet, it's a way of life for him. He gave up sugar and milk products except one day a week. He lost 40 pounds though and works out. He has to work out at WDW too. Then there's me with all my allergies that can eat about one item on menus. I know this year I'll probably break out into hives every day we are there. We are such a fun group!!

"It's all about the texture of the foods" When I saw your comment about the texture of the foods...I can relate. I am a vegetarian although I don't consider myself picky people try to put me in that catagory. However I eat more of a variety of foods than most people with the exception of meat, fish, poultry whatever you want to call it. The whole meat issue has to do with the "texture". I ate meat as a small child as my mother would force me to eat it as she would say I would die if I didn't eat meat. I'm alive and doing well after not eating meat for over 30 years. I just don't like the texture of it in my mouth.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have a 'discriminating' eater in our house also. 11 y/o dd eats peanut butter sandwiches/crackers, mac and cheese, yogurt, pudding, cheese, plain pasta with butter/parm.cheese,hot dogs, some cheeseburgers, some chicken strips and SunnyD, milk and lots of water. She doesn't eat a lot of junk food. Loves pretzel sticks and Hershey choc. bars. Since she is so tall and so thin we sometimes worry about her choices but doctor says she is fine.

She loves WDW food since she could live on the mac and cheese and hot dogs there!!! We do try to get her to try different things but it's a long road. And she doesn't really care for meat...keeps saying she's a vegetarian now.

 

[leebee]

DD, now 11, is a selective eater. I hate to use picky, because I figure why respond negatively? Nobody makes me eat things I don't like. She will try stuff, but that's about it. She's widened her choices over the years, so it's easier. Alot of it has to do with texture, although she truly doesn't like the way 'flesh' meat feels and tastes (chicken, steak, pork, fish, etc.) She eats the *prechewed* varieties of meat (hotdogs, burgers, nuggets, sausage) but within limits due to the high fat content. Fortunately she is a big dairy fan...MILK is always her first-choice beverage, even at parties and restaurants. Let's see..she eats milk, yogurt, cheese, pasta (red sauce on the side, cheese sauce is fine), mac and cheese, beefaroni/canned ravioli (smell gags me!), rice, most mexican foods but only in vegetarian or ground beef variety, most vegetarian indian dishes, some (limited) middle eastern dishes (likes "Marrakesh", thankfully!), most veggies, but not greens, preferably raw, most legumes but not traditional baked beans (too sweet). Likes sweets but not sweet food, so nothing with bbq sauce, no sweet potatoes, etc. No eggs, mashed potatoes, tuna fish. Usually for dinner I make a meat main course for DH and myself, serve it with a boxed veggie-sauce dish (i don't like these, DH has it for a side, it's DD's main dish) or baked potato or rice (either are DD's main dish) with a veggie and/or salad, so I'm not really cooking two meals. Oh well, she's healthy and happy...which makes me happy!

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

I have a picky eater also. My DD-6 only likes chicken, hates anything with sauce and that includes ketchup. I have been getting her to try new things recently. Her new fave is spaghetti, but she still wont touch ketchup lol.