Picky eaters, how do you conceal your picky eating habits in social situations or in public?

20 comments

1. Usually I check the menu to see if there is possibly something I would like. Or if there is not I’d just eat a salad or something. And pretend I’m not that hungry

2. Say that I’m allergic

3. I don’t. Why would I hide it? If I know there will be nothing I will eat, I either make plans for after or eat ahead of time. If someone asks I tell them why I’m not eating.

   The only difference between public and private is if something’s gross in public I spit into a napkin, and in private it’s either my hand or directly into the trash.

4. Go ahead, call me picky. I’ll eat things out of politeness at a dinner party, but if we’re dining out, I’m going to order what I like. I don’t care if it’s the “picky” option. That’s what I was looking forward to eating or it’s within my going out budget.

5. I’m not picky, but I do have dietary restrictions. If I’m out and don’t feel like explaining (which happens), I just say “that disagrees with me” and leave it at that.

   But almost nobody ever judges me for what I eat. Sometimes they get pushy or upset when I can’t eat what they’re offering me, but being firm and polite (“It looks/smells/sounds good, but I really can’t.”) works most of the time. I don’t have the energy to manage their feelings of rejection alongside my own dietary needs, so I’ll just let them think whatever they like if it means I’m not eating something I feel more comfortable avoiding.

6. I do everything I can to avoid eating around other people. If I can’t, most likely I’ll just get a drink and say I’m not hungry.

   I hate having that gene that makes you have a super strong sense of taste. It’s too much. The best comparison I can think of to illustrate it is a light spritz of perfume vs someone who’s doused themselves in perfume.

7. I don’t hide it.

8. I eat what I want/like and if anyone questions my choices I let them know I have the pallet of a five year old but I’m paying for my own food so it doesn’t really matter.

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10. Not a picky eater, but I know a few & they tend to always go with the “chicken strips basket”…if its some sort of specialized restaurant, or ethnic or whatever…They normally can find something on the kids menu. I suppose they don’t hide it. Come to think of it…I don’t really know any picky eaters that hide it. They either do what I described or out right refuse the restaurants they know they wont enjoy. Maybe its just me, but they wont even come for the company. I love my grandma dearly & didn’t think she was a picky eater, but as it turns out, if it isn’t a staple of an American Diner, she doesn’t want anything to do with it.

    Im absolutely in love with this Sushi Spot thats like an hour away, they’ve got the whole hibachi side too. So i’ve taken people that aren’t into “raw fish” and they have enjoyed delicious cooked hibachi options. But my grandma refuses to even darken the doorway. Kind of hurt my feelings to be honest lol. Oh well, our sushi date turned into an Applebee’s date. Since ill eat anything, im the one that normally has to bend to suit the fussy eaters pallets.

    There was one time I got a fussy eater to go out of their comfort zone, but im not certain if she was actually fussy, or just never really had the opportunity to explore food. It was my mother in law. I took her to a Doc appointment hours away & I wanted to go to my family’s favorite spot for generations before we took off home. Its Greek restaurant with still to this day the best Gyros ive ever had in my life.

    She was iffy, but I told her, “I know you like meat & sandwiches, I swear this isn’t very different from that.”. She agreed. I was so excited to introduce her to lamb & feta & tzatziki & Greek potatoes & saganaki! So beyond excited. After it was all said and done her opinion was “yeh, it was alright.”…Which was a total win in my book.

11. If there’s something on my plate I don’t like, I’ll just put it on my husband’s plate. He’ll eat just about anything.

12. If it’s somewhere I’ve never been before, I almost always check the menu online. Thankfully, I haven’t found any place yet that doesn’t have at least something I’ll eat.

13. Fully open about being fussy from the beginning and usually just end up bailing and having chips.

14. I don’t hide it. I’m honest with the people I’m with and the server. And work with the menu to find something I can consume.

15. my partner checks and double checks menu’s and advocates for me

16. I don’t really. I check the menu before I go to restaurants and look at pictures of the food but that just so I know what I’m getting into. When I order, i specify exactly how I want things (no onion, no tomato, extra jalapeno, etc.). I need to note that I do so very kindly. My friends pick on me about this lol but I like my food and drinks a particular way. As long as I’m paying for it and being kind about it, I don’t really think it’s a problem.

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18. I don’t think I’m as far as to be considered a picky eater, but I have a long list of things I won’t eat. So I focus on the things I like to eat. If we’re talking seafood and fish I won’t mention that I don’t like shrimp, I’ll just say that I like salmon

19. Check the menus ahead of time, do my best not to go places without something I know I’ll like.

20. Haha, I don’t. My pickiness has recently arisen from having gastric surgery. I tell people my new smaller stomach just can’t deal with red meat and do they want to hear anything else about my experience because I love to talk about it!

    I come from a family of picky eaters and my partner is even pickier. I tend to be on the lesser side of picky and I accept their food aversions, so I just assume everyone accepts mine. And if they don’t, they’re an asshole.

    If something is yucky at first bite, I spit it into my napkin and don’t eat the rest. No biggie.