Latest news with #pickyEater
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Is this the worst celebrity diet you've ever seen?
My first food memory is my mum Beryl telling me the things on my plate were chips, when they were actually parsnips. She was trying to make me eat something healthy, but she wasn't fooling me. I knew they weren't chips and was having none of it. Trying to get me to eat better has been an ongoing battle since I was born. First my mother, and now my wife Gemma. Only yesterday she gave me a vegan sausage roll, and lied to me, saying it was made with meat. People try to trick me all the time to make me more healthy. My mum did all the cooking when I was growing up in Wraysbury, Berkshire – but was she any good? I have no idea. I'm a barbarian when it comes to food, and I eat terribly. I just have chips and sausages. I don't eat any greens at all. I once went to see Queen play in Tokyo, and afterwards they had a big party at a sushi restaurant. Everyone's sitting down and eating, save me. I don't like sushi. Freddy Mercury comes over and says, 'Darling, why are you not eating?' I say I'm perfectly all right, and just so happy to be here at this cool evening. Freddie then organised his security man to go out and pick up a McDonald's. So I ate McDonald's in a Tokyo sushi restaurant, ordered by Freddie Mercury. And that was the last thing I ever ate in Japan. My McDonald's order is always a plain Quarter Pounder, with nothing on it at all. No salt, no cheese, no nothing. That, and a medium or large fries. I don't know if this is because I'm autistic, but I'm able to eat the same thing every day for months and months. When I'm at home in Los Angeles, breakfast is two eggs and a hash brown. Or a bacon sandwich. Then dinner is a sausage sandwich, with one sausage. Then in the evening some English chocolate – a Fudge bar or Caramac. I don't really drink, so I never put alcohol on my tour riders. And as I get a bit nervous before gigs I don't really eat, so I don't ask for anything. The rider is less for me than for the band, so they can have what they want. I hate pretty much everything my wife eats. She's vegetarian, borderline vegan, and all her stuff smells horrendous, all garlicky and herby. We are so different from each other. I don't even know the names of most of the stuff she eats. All I know is that it smells terrible, and I often have to sit somewhere else so I can enjoy my own food. My comfort food is white toast with butter. Anything else on top ruins a perfectly nice piece of toast. I also like sandwiches – salmon, peanut butter, Marmite and, if I'm being really adventurous, ham. When you consider a ham sandwich exotic, you see the problem. I don't drink water because I genuinely believe I'm allergic to it. If I drink more than one glass, it makes my tummy feel horrible. My favourite drink used to be Coca-Cola, but now it's Coke Zero. I drink a lot of Coke Zero. I do miss a proper British pub lunch. Even though I don't drink, there's something about sitting on the grass outside a lovely pub. I just love that atmosphere. My last supper would be Gemma's roast dinner, with roast potatoes and her Yorkshire pudding. But I'd have a sausage instead of beef or lamb – two if I'm feeling special. We've found an LA company that does decent British sausages. It amazes me that I've got through life this far, still reasonably slim, without any ailments. I've done nothing to earn that with my diet. Nothing at all.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mom Says Her Child Isn't ‘Allowed' To Be a Picky Eater. Here's Why
Fatima Jacqueline Springer says her toddler isn't 'allowed' to be a picky eater — and she shares how she does it. 'I am a pickier eater than my 3-year-old son, but he would never know it,' Springer tells Springer explained how she convinces her son Logan to try new foods, in a TikTok video she said 'might be controversial.' 'We do not allow our toddler to know that he can be a picky eater — and what I mean by that is, when he expresses dislike to something in his mouth, our first question is never, 'Do you not like it?'' Springer said in the video. 'I feel like that subconsciously makes him think he doesn't like it.' Picky eating is, 'part of a spectrum of feeding difficulties' which includes refusal to eat familiar or new foods, along with particularity over food, according to a study published in the research journal Appetite. 'There is no single widely accepted definition of picky eating,' reads the study. When Springer's son doesn't like his meal, Springer asks him: 'Is it too hot?' 'Is it too cold?' or 'Is it too much?' If it's still unclear, Springer considers texture, asking, 'Is it too hard?' 'Is it too soft?' or 'Is it too squishy?' Springer has presented many new foods to her son, having followed the baby-led weaning plan, '101 Before One,' a process of exposing infants to 101 healthy foods before their first birthday. 'There are so many different reasons why a child might not like something, from texture to taste," Springer said in her video. 'Take broccoli, for example, which you can have it so many different ways: steamed, grilled, fried, mashed, in a soup blended — there's just so many different ways that you can have it, and truly, unless you try just about all of them, you won't actually know if it's a taste or texture thing. Sometimes people give up a lot quicker than they should.' Parents wrote in with more anti-picky hacks. 'We eat fast food but we don't label it or fantasize it.' 'We banned the phrase, 'I don't like it.' You can simply say, 'No thank you' or tell me if it's too spicy or crunchy. SUCH a game-changer.' 'This is honestly so good because you're still essentially asking if he likes it or not but you're getting down to the reasons as to why.' 'This is what my parents did ... and that's what helped them learn I wasn't a picky eater, I just have a texture issue.' 'The other thing I say instead of 'like' is 'want' and also, don't make a big deal about it. Just, 'OK if you don't want that right now.'' Springer tells that growing up, she wasn't regularly exposed to fare like sushi or mushrooms, which contributed to her struggles with food texture. When Springer's in-laws reported that Logan didn't like black olives, the mom's first instinct was to buy more but in the green variety. 'I thought, 'We may have just not given him enough,'' she says. Springer learned that Logan likes green olives, as long as they're presented on a charcuterie tray. 'Once he got comfortable with those, I alternated purchasing the black and green olives to have at home,' she says. When Springer wants to introduce Logan to food that she dislikes, such as sardines, grandma steps in so Springer can hide her sour facial expression. Asking your child questions like these won't necessarily prevent picky eating, but they may encourage your child to explore different types of food. According to Sarah Williams, a Texas-based registered dietitian, Springer's approach, which she calls, 'light-hearted reverse psychology,' can work with some picky eaters. 'It is actually a playful, pressure-free way to make food fun,' Williams tells in an email. 'From a nutrition standpoint, that's a great thing. As a dietitian and mom myself, I often encourage creating a low-pressure environment around food for both kids and adults.' Williams says when kids feel like they have to eat a particular food, resistance follows. 'When we allow them to explore and be curious on their own terms ... it can actually reduce anxiety around new foods and encourage more adventurous eating over time,' she explains. 'It can even create nutritional curiosities long into adulthood. That said, consistency and variety are key.' Research shows that it can take eight to 10 exposures for children to accept a new food, but as William points out, ''Accept' doesn't necessarily mean that they will like it.' She mentions variables such as temperature, taste, texture, context and even how tired a child is; all can impact whether they like a certain food. Williams suggests other approaches to minimize picky eating. 'Make mealtimes predictable and relaxed,' she says. 'Offer meals and snacks around the same time each day without distractions like screens.' 'Serve one 'safe' food with each meal,' adds Williams. 'This is something the child already likes alongside new or less familiar options.' 'Avoid pressure or bribing,' says Williams. 'Let the kiddo decide what and how much to eat from what's offered. Your job as the parent is to provide the nutrition, it's their job to decide how much of what from what you gave. Exposure over time matters more than a single bite today.' Williams sympathizes with parents who feel 'defeated' at meal time. 'Just know that it is a completely normal phase,' says Williams. 'However, approaches like Fatima's, when done playfully and without pressure, can absolutely support a healthy relationship with food.' This article was originally published on
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
My seven-year-old daughter's teacher attacked me over the school lunch I packed. Am I really in the wrong?
An Australian mum has sparked debate online after revealing a teacher 'attacked' her during a parent-teacher interview over the lunch she packed for her seven-year-old daughter. Posting anonymously to Reddit, the mother explained she had always tried her best to pack a lunch her daughter, who is a picky eater with a history of stomach problems, would eat. 'She's had bowel issues since she was a baby. Some days, dry chips are the only thing she can stomach without vomiting. Getting her to eat anything is a win,' the mum wrote. But at a recent school interview, the teacher criticised her for not packing enough fruit and said her daughter's stomach problems would improve if she stopped eating so much processed food. 'She even told my daughter that she better see fruit in her lunch tomorrow. I just felt like I was being attacked,' the woman wrote, admitting she now feels like 'the worst mum in the world'. The lunchbox in question includes a sandwich, yoghurt, packet of chips, cheese stick and, occasionally, a cookie or brownie. The mum said most days the fruit comes home 'soggy and untouched,' so she's stopped wasting money on it. 'I even got told off for taking her to the corner store some mornings for a lolly - which is just a little thing we do together after I drop the other kids off,' she added. The post quickly divided opinion, with thousands of Reddit users chiming in on whether the teacher had crossed a line - or whether the mum needed a reality check. Many were sympathetic, especially given the child's medical history. 'No teacher should be giving nutritional advice without knowing a child's medical background. If your daughter has documented digestive issues, I'd write a note to the Principal,' one wrote. 'Teachers aren't paediatricians. This woman just stigmatised a kid who already struggles to eat. That's not okay,' another user agreed. But others defended the teacher for speaking up, suggesting her concern came from a genuine place. 'Personally, I want teachers who care about my kids and want the best for them, Maybe the approach wasn't perfect, but it sounds like she's trying to help,' one user wrote. Another added: 'It's very normal for teachers to care about a child's nutrition - they see the impact of poor diets in the classroom every day.' Others pointed to the deeper issue: the child's nutrition itself. 'One parent's shame shouldn't stop a conversation about a child's welfare,' a user said. 'Yes, the teacher could have approached it better. But the real issue here is: what is this child actually eating?' Meanwhile, a few shared their own school lunch horror stories - including one parent who once received a passive-aggressive note from a teacher asking them to stop adding cucumber to sandwiches because it made the bread soggy. As for the mum, she says she felt judged and humiliated in front of her child - and believes the criticism didn't take into account the long struggle she's faced just to get her daughter to eat. 'She's not a bad mum,' one user wrote in support. 'She's just doing what she can. And that should count for something.'
South China Morning Post
22-06-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Study Buddy (Challenger): Eating disorder Arfid is more than just being ‘picky'
Content provided by British Council Read the following text, and answer questions 1–9 below: [1] Arfid, a condition identified some years ago, is not just 'being a picky eater'. Standing for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, adults and children can both be affected by Arfid. The eating disorder can lead people to reject foods based on their smell, taste, consistency or appearance, said Ricarda Schmidt from the Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the University of Leipzig in Germany. [2] Schmidt said many children and adults affected do not feel hungry, are afraid of eating or show little appetite. 'Eating is not a pleasure for them but a burden,' Schmidt said. The aversion to food is sometimes so strong that children develop deficiency symptoms or lose weight, she explained. 'These children eat so little or so restrictively that they develop physical and psychosocial impairments. For example, they avoid birthday parties or school trips because of the food.' The condition is more than just general fussiness or picky eating, a stage many children go through as they develop and which usually passes. [3] The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has recognised Arfid since 2013, and it was included as an eating disorder in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2022. But many countries do not recognise the condition, and doctors tend to classify it with other eating disorders. The number of people affected by the disorder remains unclear. [4] Little is known about Arfid's causes. A genetic predisposition could play a role, especially in those who are sensitive to smells, textures or flavours, or who have an aversion to many foods, said Schmidt. Fear of eating or other Arfid symptoms could also be triggered by early traumatic experiences, such as choking badly as a child, an allergic reaction, being intubated (having a tube placed in the throat for medical reasons) at an early age or an illness that made it difficult to swallow. [5] An analysis published in the Psychiatry Research journal by a team led by Laura Bourne from Univesity College London examined 77 studies that suggested possible therapeutic approaches. The analysis noted that the studies were fairly small and without long-term observation, but the approaches suggested were worth investigating. These include family-based therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and, in some cases, the additional administration of psychotropic medicine. Medics would need to tailor the treatment to the individual involved, depending on their main problem and its severity. [6] Concerned parents should consult a paediatrician to assess any physical effects of restrictive eating on their child. The paediatrician can also determine whether there are any gastrointestinal problems or food allergies. Parents can also try to create a relaxed atmosphere at the dinner table, even if it's difficult. A new food should be tried at least 10 times so a child can get used to it, said Schmidt. But it does not help to pressure children to eat. Source: dpa, May 27 Questions 1. According to paragraph 1, Arfid is … A. a disorder that only affects young children. B. seen among both adults and children. C. more frequent in young adults who were picky eaters in childhood. D. none of the above 2. Find a word in paragraph 1 that refers to the 'physical texture or feel of food in the mouth'. 3. Based on your understanding of paragraph 2, how do individuals with Arfid feel about food? 4. What differentiates Arfid from 'picky eating' in young children, according to paragraph 2? 5. In paragraph 2, how might Arfid affect how a child takes part in social activities? 6. In paragraph 3, the inclusion of Arfid in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and ICD-11 suggests the condition is … A. under review to determine its seriousness. B. a cultural phenomenon rather than a medical one. C. a legitimate and clinically relevant disorder. D. considered rare and insignificant. 7. List three specific early traumatic experiences mentioned in paragraph 4 that could potentially trigger Arfid symptoms. (3 marks) 8. What does paragraph 4 discuss? 9. What does the phrase 'tailor the treatment to the individual involved' in paragraph 5 suggest about Arfid? Children and adults who are affected Arfid do not feel hungry, are afraid of eating or have little appetite. Photo: Shutterstock Answers 1. B 2. consistency 3. They feel eating is a burden, a stressful and unpleasant obligation. (accept all similar answers) 4. Arfid is a severe aversion to food that leads to physical and social problems, while picky eating is a passing stage many children go through. 5. A child suffering from Arfid might avoid attending social events, such as birthday parties or school trips, where food is present. 6. C 7. choking badly as a child, an allergic reaction, being intubated at an early age or an illness involving difficulty swallowing (any three) 8. the potential factors that cause Arfid (accept all similar answers) 9. The condition's direct effects and severity vary significantly from patient to patient; therefore, a generalised 'one-size-fits-all' treatment may not be effective. (accept all reasonable answers)
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
I broke up with my boyfriend because he's a picky eater - I feel bad but it gave me too much of an ick
A woman has revealed that she is dumping her boyfriend over his 'picky' eating habits - after venting her frustrations over his limited palate of chicken fingers and mac and cheese. After going online to express her growing anxiety over his penchant for plain meals, she was eventually convinced to end things by commenters. Taking to the hugely popular Am I The A**hole forum on Reddit, the anonymous poster detailed her concerns about his lack of culinary adventurousness. His restricted diet was already becoming a burden, she said, and she feared it would only get worse with time. The post has since garnered more than 13,000 upvotes and some 2,300 comments, many from users with their own cautionary tales about dating so-called 'chicken finger men'. The woman, thought to be from the US, wrote: 'My boyfriend has tons of food restrictions and is picky in general. 'He basically can only eat chicken fingers, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and pad Thai. 'I've never seen him eat a vegetable. We just started dating a few months ago and I love him, but I eat everything and am very laid back.' She went on to say that she was already feeling the pressure of planning her day around his eating preferences, especially while on holiday. 'Even if a restaurant does have chicken fingers or mac and cheese, it won't be the same as what we get at home and I just don't want to hear about it while I'm on vacation,' she said, before ending with the question: 'AITA? I feel bad.' Following a flood of replies - many urging her to rethink the relationship - the woman later returned to the thread to confirm her decision. 'EDIT: I am breaking up with him. After seeing a glimpse into my future via your responses, I realised I cannot do this and it will eventually wreck us. Thank you.' The comments were flooded with personal anecdotes and firm opinions about the practical toll of dating such a picky eater. 'Told myself NEVER again with the picky eaters after dating a chicken finger man lol,' one user wrote. 'Somehow it will always be you who is expected to plan the meals too. 'I understand not liking some things, but unless this is medical/allergies there's a point where this is just stuck up and annoying as a fully grown man.' Another commenter slammed the boyfriend's expectation to simply accommodate him. 'Think of all the important events that involve food - family gatherings, Christmas, weddings. Is he gonna sit there and complain about the food options? 'I'd be so embarrassed, unless it was because he has a medical condition.' Some took a more humorous approach to the bleak picture painted by the woman. 'It's only been a few months. Do you want chicky fingies and choky milk for anniversary dinners? Your wedding? Never traveling with your partner?' one person asked. 'For the love of God, please do end it,' another said bluntly. 'You deserve a relationship with an adult, not a toddler.' Echoing the sentiment, one said: 'Look ahead a few years and picture your table at your wedding. 'Think about the menu options your guests will have - or would he be eating chicken fingers and chocolate milk while everyone else is having steak or fish?' Some more optimistic commenters shared stories of partners who began as picky eaters but eventually made compromises. In some cases, people felt the picky eating habits weren't quite as big a dealbreaker. 'If he's be self-sufficient I wouldn't care about what he eats or doesn't eat (or what other people think about it,' one offered. 'If other people are that judgy that they take notice or offence I wouldn't want them as friends anyway). 'But he needs to find food options himself without complaining or expecting other people to do it for him like he's a child. He could even bring his own food (not to a restaurant obviously) or get something at a supermarket. Maybe skip dinner with OP because sitting there with just a coke watching her eat will be awkward. 'On the other hand you'll never have a nice dinner date with him ever. If that's something you like maybe it's just not a good compatibility even if he'd start doing all the other things. 'I personally hate eating out most times and are not very exited most other times about it, I wouldn't care about that. But if it's something you like as a couple self-care thing than that'll possibly grow resentment one day.' Still, the overwhelming majority was convinced the girlfriend should flee before the honeymoon stage starts to sour - and it would seem the poster herself was in agreement. In a follow-up comment she penned: 'Honestly, the level of irritation I am experiencing when people on here suggest I should just let him come and listen to his complaints are really making me realise I need to end things. 'I'm not that bothered by it now but low key, I think I would be embarrassed if other people knew he could only eat chicky fingies and choky milk and the thought of taking him to an event or a dinner with friends/family and having him eat like a toddler makes me already experience second hand embarrassment.' The post joins a growing genre of viral 'ick' stories that highlight how seemingly minor quirks - such as a partner's diet - can become deal-breakers.
