When we talk about a true picky eater, we’re talking about someone who avoids certain foods or groups of foods. “Sometimes people say they’re picky and what they mean is they’re selective or a gourmet so they won’t eat Raisinettes, which have a plastic or waxy chocolate on them, for example. That’s not what we’re talking about,” Pelchat explains. “We’re taking about people who eat an unusually restricted range of foods.”
Sometimes that means avoiding a few specific foods, and other times, it means avoiding entire categories of foods, like fruits or veggies. Or condiments. Texture is also very important to picky eaters, says Pelchat. “[Picky eaters] are very sensitive to things like gelatinousness and cartilage.”
Sometimes, picky eating can be so extreme that it’s considered an eating disorder called avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Picky eating may be ARFID if it causes other problems, such as significant weight loss, nutritional deficiency (like anemia), or problems in relationships or the workplace, according to the National Eating Disorder Association.
For those who are simply picky, certain social situations can cause anxiety.
Like co*cktail parties, with all those passed hors d'oeuvres full of mystery ingredients. “Adult picky eaters have trouble going to business lunches or someone’s house for the weekend,” Pelchat adds. “They’re often sort of embarrassed to admit that they eat like a child, so they will just say ‘I’m not very hungry, my stomach’s upset, I had a late lunch,’ ” she explains.
Picky eaters also typically travel with snacks, and are very brand loyal. “Once they find something that doesn’t disgust them, they stick with that,” Pelchat says.
Your taste buds can change over time, but that requires taking a chance on new foods.
No one just wakes up on their 30th birthday suddenly liking broccoli. You have to eat it, and eat it, and eventually, you may start to like it. It may take a new cooking method, or just the right type of seasoning. And you just may never like broccoli, no matter how hard you try. As long as your diet is healthy overall and you're getting enough vegetables from other sources, that's fine.
But to even have a shot at being less picky, you definitely have to be committed. “The most common reason for wanting to change is social,” Pelchat says. Expanding your eating horizons can make everything from date night to a vacation easier and more enjoyable.
If you’re feeling anxious about it, a psychologist can help, though it can be challenging to find a specialist unless you live in a major metropolitan area. “It’s not a widely studied discipline yet,” says Pelchat. Talk with your doctor or therapist about what’s going on, and they can help you find the right resource.
Treatment involves systematic desensitization, so slowly introducing new foods into your diet until they become familiar and welcome. If you’re highly motivated, you can try to overcome this fear on your own. Start small—one new fruit or veggie at a time—and work your way up to more adventurous things when you're ready. If you never are? That's fine too. Eating chicken legs or fried grasshoppers certainly isn't for everyone.
