Confessions of an Adult Picky Eater

Let me ask everyone a question: How many of you are proud picky eaters? It's okay. I'm not here to judge. Yours truly has been a picky eater for over 30 years. Between 25 to 30 percent of adults self-identify themselves as picky eaters. The very first food I disliked as a kid was orange chicken. One night for dinner, I had Chinese food, which I loved and still love to this day, and a small amount of orange chicken. For some reason, it (meaning the orange chicken) made me gag. I took a few bites of it and to me, it was gross. That was the moment I became a picky eater. Ever since then, I haven't had it and refuse to order it. I made a lengthy list of the list of foods that I will and will never eat in my head. The following foods I'll share on this list isn't every single one, but a handful. Feel free to share in the comments below what foods you personally like and dislike. Without further ado, let's start with the foods I'll eat.

My Faves

• Pizza (preferably pepperoni)
• Fish sticks
• Hamburgers (either from McDonald's or Whataburger)
• Macaroni and cheese
• Hashbrowns (preferably from McDonald's)
• Chicken nuggets (preferably from McDonald's)
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (creamy peanut butter is my personal vice and strawberry jelly is my jelly of choice)
• Chinese food (preferably shrimp fried rice, Shrimp Lo Mein, and egg rolls: this is my exact order and order these on rare occasions)
• Fried shrimp

Hard Passes

• Eggs (doesn't matter how they're prepared; the only exception that I'll eat them was if I ordered a couple of breakfast burritos from McDonald's)
• Mushrooms
• Chilli cheese dogs
• Chilli (just like the last point, I don't consume this because I have a sensitive stomach and makes me feel constipated)

Growing up, I had to eat whatever it was in front of me or I didn't eat anything at all. Now, I've been more selective of what foods I choose to consume. My likes and dislikes I've displayed in this story are just some of the foods on my list. Notice I didn't highlight any of my favorite drinks on here, because it's an extremely small list. One of the drinks I gave up completely was coffee and have been without it for a couple of years. I added sugar and cream to my cup of Joe several times a week at the office affected my health. One of my coworkers was impressed and surprised that I gave up my morning fix cold turkey. I haven't looked back since and substituted that with green tea. Another beverage I gave up was energy drinks, specifically Monster. Consuming it regularly caused me to lose a few teeth. That's when I knew I had to stop drinking it. 10 years later, I'm taking my health more seriously.

In closing, if you're an adult who enjoys certain foods, never be ashamed. If you are teased because for being a picky eater, there's nothing wrong with you. As an individual who's nearing 40, I'm here to say that liking and disliking certain foods are personal, valid preferences. 30 something years later, I still eat like a little kid. You're not weird for being selective of the foods you choose to consume.

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