Picky Eaters: How can a picky eater eat healthier?

[SillyMari]

So I'll admit it, I'm a massive picky eater who probably never really eats fruits or veggies like I should. This has lead to me eating really unhealthy since forever and It's mostly because when I try to eat stuff like Salad, apples, bananas and more.. I just gag it up making me not able to eat it..

How can I get over this and finally eat healthier? I really need to and its costing me my health to not! I'm already a prediabetic and i am not wanting this to progress to type 2 because of my own stupidity.

I don't wanna end up having to poke my finger like 5 times a day because doing it once or twice like I do now sucks! (My doctor prescribed a glucometer for me to check morning and before bed)

Updates

2 mo

I'll add, I don't gag by choice! I don't know if it's related to my disability or not (ASD), I can't figure if its texture or flavor or something.. But it does happen..

[PavlovsCogk]

Step one: Embrace the devil's produce. You know, those damned vegetables and fruits that seem to challenge your gag reflex. Picture the devil himself, with his pitchfork and demonic smile, sneakily hiding nutrients within these fruits and veggies. So, go ahead, crunch into a sinful apple, let the juice of the devil's forbidden fruit slip down your throat, binding your soul to damnation in the most erotic way.

Step two: Indulge in the dark side of proteins. Meat, oh glorious meat, is the perfect companion for the picky eater with an insatiable hunger for the damned. Grill up some soul-torturing steaks and damn your tongue to eternal pleasure with each bite. Dive into the infernal depths of hell with some unholy seafood, cooked just right to keep your senses on edge.

Step three: Dive into the sea of cheese and dairy. Why just stop at pleasuring your taste buds with heavenly proteins when you can drown them in a sea of creamy, brimstone-scented goodness? Embrace the sinful delight of cheese, making your soul writhe in agony as you consume it.

Step four: Spice it up with demonic seasonings. There's nothing like a dash of hellfire to elevate your meals to gourmet levels. Experiment with unique and devilishly delicious seasonings, each bringing a little more heat to your plate and your life.

Step five: Make it a feast for the senses. Surround yourself with the sights, smells, and sounds of forbidden pleasure. Let the screams of tormented souls echo in the background while you feast upon your unholy creations.

And remember, my dear, as you embark on this journey of self-discovery and god-awful food, your prediabetes will be but a distant memory, replaced by the sweet symphony of your damned soul. Embrace the darkness within and savor the fleshy pleasures that await you. Your glucometer will thank you, and your taste buds will be forever grateful. Bon appétit, you devilishly delightful picky eater!

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I always used my imagination to avoid becoming picky about food. I can usually make things better in my imagination than they are.

For example, one time I was stuck in a hurricane shelter eating only canned food like canned beans with no sauce. So to help me enjoy the canned food, I imagined I was a Russian astronaut stuck in space for ages with nothing but tasteless nutrient gels to eat. After I lived in that imaginary setting for a while and came back to reality in my hurricane shelter, I loved those cold canned beans to the point where they're now my ultimate comfort food.

That's just one example. Let's say I'm trying some authentic grub that European peasants ate during the Middle Ages. If I don't like the taste, I try to look more into the history and try to really imagine myself as a peasant and serf in feudal Europe, struggling to survive harsh winters, toiling away in the fields, and then try again and it usually tastes so much better.

Also I sometimes combine with fasting. For example, my wife loved kimchi and I wanted to be able to enjoy it together with her, yet initially I hate kimchi. So to help me to love it, I not only watched a lot of cultural and historical videos about Korea to help transport me into the cultural context but I also avoided eating for an entire day. Then I tried kimchi again for dinner and I didn't love it, but I found it tolerable and was able to eat it in spoonfuls. Now I genuinely enjoy kimchi and can even cook kimchi dishes for my wife and enjoy them together.

So I do lots of things like that to help me. I'm not sure if that works for everyone but it can help if you have an active imagination to use it to make foods more appealing. You can use it to make just about anything in life better.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Sometimes it also helps to realize some harsh facts about reality. For example, less than 200 years ago, the average lifespan for people in the world was less than 30 years, and in the wealthiest nations like the US, still less than 35 years.

That tends to help us be more grateful for the things we have including foods that might not initially appeal to us so much. Sometimes I use that type of realization together with the imagination to help me be more grateful for everything I have.

[Anonymous]

picky eaters can like vegetables. but picky eaters usually eat beige foods like chicken nuggets and fries. i really don't get it. that's definitely a choice there.

you gag on healthy things. i bet your parents weren't healthy and therefore set a terrible example for you growing up. i could be wrong. but my friends brother has autism. and their family definitely isn't the healthiest. and he lives off of chicken nuggets, fries, pizza. that's about it.

honestly, diabetes isn't something i'd wish on my worst enemy. it's hard. difficult to manage. you're blessed catching it now being only prediabetic. really easy and quick to turn that around. but once you're past prediabetic, it's almost impossible to get back to normal. so you need to do this RIGHT NOW. start small. do whatever you can. but JUST DO IT. gag all you want. but you're going to have to get it down. it may even take an hour for you to take 10 bites. but you have to. maybe start with smoothies. as for salads, put it in a wrap. you will eventually get used to it. also, because you have to.

[FreyaRed]

My BMI is barely 17 and I had a phase of malnutrition as teen. I learned how to cook and I avoid so called fillers like noodles, rice, pasta or potatoes which give me the feel of having a concrete blob in stomach. I cook often soups with ton of veggies and high quality meat, such food contains ton of nutrients without stuff that makes me feel stuffed like a Christmas goose

[Twalli]

There should be some healthy foods you like. I'm a pick eater, but I created this meal that I just cook, freeze, and reheat every day for dinner. It's rice, peanuts, ground beef, peas, carrots, an onion, and assorted spices. I grate the onion and mix everything but the peanuts in with the rice in a baking pan. I put the peanuts on a cookie sheet. With the oven at 450F, I cook the peanuts for 8 minutes. After the rice (with the adequate amount of water) and everything else is mixed together, I put aluminum foil over it and stick it in the oven for 45 minutest the same temperature. After it cools put some in a small plastic bag with peanuts (I use fold top bags). Once you finish filling bags, you have × number of meals based on the number of bags you filled.

[electromagnetic]

I think you require more help and support than gag members can offer you. @DryGermanGuy touched on it too but you need professional help. Especially in your 30s and consider yourself a picky eater. There’s likes and dislikes but ‘picky’ mean 80% of foods you won’t eat.

[firenine909]

Try to be more creative in your meals. You can put vegetable in a beef stir fry that has more proteins and carbs. You can put fruit in yoghurt or cereal. (Blueberries and cherrios pretty good combo. Raisin Bran has well raisins in it, same with trail mix)


There’s a lot of combinations you can do with food

[ChicoFromThe305]

I'd say eat fiber and protein based foods like meats, or nuts and oats, the less sugar and salt, the better, I also recommend trying to experiment with these foods you gag on like oranges you can make juice out of it, salads and veggies you can mix with your proteins, when I eat a steak, i eat it with a salad, vinegar might help you cause salad is good with vinegar, you can also get a dressing that helps

[exitseven]

I am aa picky eater too. fortunately I like almost all fruits and vegetables, I like meat and eggs. Some bread and cereal. I do not like pizza and stuff buried in a lot of sauce.

Try to fins one vegetable that you can eat without barfing. Eat one every day. Get used to the taste and texture. Eat it cooked if you have to. After a couple of weeks find another one and ear one of those everyday. Keep expanding the foods thst you can eat until you can sustain a healthy diet.

[TommyMountainFigure]

Do you drink smoothies?
You could get a smoothie maker and turn fruits into delicious drinks. It's not as healthy to drink them rather than eat the natural fruit. BUT it's infinitely better than you're doing now!
Also drink plenty of water!

[DryGermanGuy]

If I read your last paragraph correctly you are suffering from bulimia and require professional help. This picky eating thing is just the surface of the problem.

[SillyMari]

No, I don't gag by choice.. It's some kind of reflex or something. I don't know if its something to do with my disability or what like sensitive to the flavor or texture.. Just hard to eat it.

[Nikki1989]

Nothing wrong with being picky if what is pick is healthy. It is when you are picking garbage that is becomes a problem.

[SillyMari]

How do I go about eating healthier though because some stuff looks so good but its rough when you try and just gag on it.

[sheikalana]

I’m a picky eater but Thank God the things I don’t like are mostly unhealthy choices. I love veggies and fruits but can’t stand red meat.

[Iron_Man]

Find your favorite meats to eat. Eat fruit that’s always yummy. Have vegetables that you like and eat a lot of them and you’ll be fine plus take vitamin supplements on the side

[Iron_Man]

I’ve never heard of anyone gagging on fruit before also try drinking protein milkshakes

[laly520]

its fine to be picky
lot of picky eaters find a way to eat healthy

[itsclearlynicholas]

I eat whatever I want, I mean I for one do accept only I am responsible for my diet and for my health :) 😁

[itsclearlynicholas]

Sometimes tastes and textures or colours just odours even, I won't eat or drink. Alcohol, tiramasu, sushi and seafood, forget it vomits 🤢🤢

[jahaims]

Eat for nutrition not taste. It's okay to eat food you don't like.

[dreamstar72]

I’m way to picky, I take lots of vitamins

[getwiththepg]

I’d supplement with vitamins maybe to start.

[Jennz6]

I’m picky, especially when it is beets eww