Baby Steps

Trying to eat healthy can be a challenge when you’re a picky eater, but it doesn’t have to be.

In the mid 2000’s, my diet consisted of mostly of uncooked plant-based foods. And while I grew to like things I didn’t before, my food choices were very limited because I was finicky.

Some of the things I hated (and still hate to this day) were mushrooms, cilantro, Thai coconut and squash. And my pickiness made for a very difficult raw vegan lifestyle because those same foods were key players in many of the raw food recipes.

When I began eating a cooked food and animal products again, I still wanted to keep things healthy, for the most part.

I’m guessing that you’re in a similar boat, right?

Prefer to watch/listen to the video? Click “Play” on the video below.
Video NOT as detailed as the article!

So, how do you eat healthy when you’re picky?

For starters, define what “picky” is to YOU.

I was doing some research and found that people search for, “recipes for picky eaters“, and I’m like…

“HOW could anyone write a recipe book for picky eaters?”

I mean, if you’re picky, who would know what the heck you like and dislike in order to create recipes for you? lol

It just didn’t really make sense to me.

Anyway, the first thing you’ll want to do is…

1. Identify What Foods You Like

Make a list.

And from that list, pick out the healthy items and write those into a separate category.

Really think about this now.  Don’t limit your healthy choices to just fruits and veggies.

Think about other foods such as:

chicken, fish, turkey
beans & legumes
eggs
yogurt
oatmeal
nuts or nut butters

Stuff like that.

Once you have your complete list of healthy foods you like, decide if they are truly healthy.

What I mean is… if you eat oatmeal, for example; do you buy plain old fashioned oats, or the instant kind in the box of little packets in various flavors?

If it’s the latter, then try finding ways to make it healthier such as buying the old fashioned kind and putting your own sweetener – preferably something like raw honey, real maple syrup, or even unrefined evaporated cane juice [sugar] as opposed to white sugar – and other healthy add-ins like apples, cinnamon, real butter, etc.

So, look over your healthy items and decide if you can make ’em a little bit healthier.

2. Identify What Healthy Foods You Dislike

Now I want you to look over the foods you don’t like and think about WHY you don’t like them.

The reason for doing this is to see if there is something that can be done differently that would cause you to like them.

For example: I used to hate broccoli.

I tried it boiled, I tried it raw, and neither appealed to me.

Boiled was too mushy, and raw was too tough and hard to digest; and I just didn’t like the flavor of it, even with ranch dressing.

However, later down the road I tried it again; this time sautéed in butter with sea salt, garlic, a little soy sauce, and ginger.  Also, it wasn’t cooked as long so it wasn’t too soft and still had a nice “bite” to it.

I LOVED it!

I also tried it roasted on a baking sheet in the oven, with similar seasonings, and I LOVED that as well.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of first impressions, based on how it was prepared; so try the foods again, prepared differently.

Another thing you can do, if doable, is to try something you don’t like IN something you do like.

For example: I find that bell peppers in an omelet, on a pizza, or in chili are much more appealing to me than eating them alone, as a side dish, or stuffed.

You may find yourself the feeling the same with one or more of the foods YOU don’t like if you try it mixed in with something you like.

3. Don’t be scared… Try something new!

I know, I know. It can be scary venturing out and trying new foods, ESPECIALLY if you have preconceived notions about them.

One year, we had our annual family camping trip and my brother-in-law and his girlfriend roasted oysters over the fire pit.

Needless to say, I was reluctant as hell to try them (slimy, gross, disgusting OYSTERS?? *bleh*)

But I DID try one and guess what?

It wasn’t slimy!  At least, not the way she prepared them. They were actually pretty good.

Now, I haven’t added them to my not-so-vast list of foods I regularly eat (and probably won’t) but I can say I’ve tried them and “sorta, kinda” liked them.

So, be willing to at least give (healthy) foods you “think” you don’t like a try… you just never know!

As a picky eater, be sure to cover your butt

One of the main issues I ran into when my family and I were raw fooders was, because we were super-picky eaters, we suffered nutritional deficiencies that COULD have been avoided, had we known better.

“Oh you don’t need supplementation, you can get it from the fresh, raw foods you’re eating.“, they said.

HA! Yeah right.

When you’re eating a very LIMITED variety of fruits, veggies, etc, you simply cannot rely on food alone. Some argue you shouldn’t rely on food alone anyway due to soil being depleted.

But all-in-all, just know that if you’re super picky, you definitely need a good multi-vitamin supplement to fill in any gaps, due to your limited choices of healthy foods, especially if you’re not eating enough vegetables!

Here is the one I use: My personal pick for daily dietary supplement

I hope these tips on how to eat healthier when you’re picky have been helpful to you.  If so, please share this article with others who can also benefit from the information.

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More Health-Related Resources For Picky Eaters:

How To Eat Vegetables When You Hate Them

How To Drink More Water Even If You Hate It

The Picky People’s Guide to Taking Liquid Vitamins