Ask The Audience: What Foods Do You Not Like?

When I was a kid, my mom had a sign hanging over the kitchen table that read, Try It You'll Like it. (But you have to read it in a whiny little kid voice). We always had to try wahtever she made, if we didn't like it, cereal, PB&J, or starve. There are 7 years between kids 2 and 3, and 10 between 1 and 3, so the third one got lots of weird food very early. We still joke about the time #2 gave #3 vanilla ice cream at 5 months, and got in trouble because she was too young. So he took it away and she threw a fit!____My grandfather ate pretty much anything, and his philosphy was to bring me something say try this, and after I ate and liked it, then tell me what it was. Chicken liver, squid, and tongue come to mind (liked the first 2 not the 3rd). Now I'm 32 and the only things I absolutely won't eat are anchovies and salmon (unless its smoked).

I thought I liked everything, but I went through the other comments, just to see what everyone else said.

Three things I will only force myself to eat if I absolutely MUST for courtesy or diplomatic reasons:

Miracle Whip (EWWW...though I love mayo)
Anything with an exoskeleton
Artificial cherry or banana flavoring

Now, I try just about anything, though I rarely ask what it is. The idea of eating a SNAIL made my stomach turn...then I had escargot for the first time without knowing what it was...OMG, SO GOOD! Had some properly cooked, non-rubbery squid...FANTASTIC.

My father refuses to eat liver in any way, shape or form. He insists he's "allergic" though we all know he just hates it.

I had a party, and made my favorite chicken liver pate with cognac-soaked currants. I found Dad standing beside the pate, eating it like someone would take it away from him. He exclaimed "This stuff is GREAT! What is it?" I refused to tell him until the next day, just so amused to watch him eat serving after serving.

Ketchup. It's vile. I'm an elementary school teacher and when I walk through the lunch room, I'd like to barf.

green peppers.

And only since a particularly horrid incident during my first pregnancy.

I don't meat and seafood. I am a veggie/bread/fruit lover!

I don't eat
- meat that is other than well done (and no raw fish, either)
-eggs, except for hard-boiled yolks
-beets
-sauerkraut

Other than that, I have things I don't really like but I would eat them to be polite if I was a guest somewhere, etc.

Mushrooms are the first thing that comes to mind. I'm much more open to trying things since I became a mother.

I'm a very picky eater.
Don't like anything that lives in the water...
Veggies and I don't get along either. Other than potatoes, carrots, corn and iceburg lettuce (I know, those really aren't veggies) I've just started to force myself to add in asparagus, broccoli and mixed greens for salads. It's a slow process.
Don't like mushrooms or tomatoes, though I love anything make with a tomato (ie. sauce, dressing, salsa) and I'll only eat onions if they're cooked into something in smallish pieces.
Don't like rice either, any variety. I usually substitute couscous or go without.
Oh, and orange juice, at least not the real stuff though I love oranges and orange flavored things.
I think that's it, doesn't leave much room for a good diet. At 26, I've made the decision to MAKE myself try as many new things as possible and learn to cook things I don't like, for my husband's and any future children's sakes.

I avoid most processed foods, TV dinner type of stuff. Most of it tastes like it's out of a packet anyway, so I try to aim for fresh stuff whenever I can.

I don't like most junk food, fast food etc. Most is tasteless and bland except for all the relish they add. Give me a real burger anyday, and home made pizza.

I'm the same with beer. Give me a real beer, not something with 'lite' on it, that tastes of almost nothing.

I'm not keen on mint, so we use ARm & Hammer Peroxide toothpaste or Close Up (the red gel one).

I don't like that artificial banana flavor either (although I love bananas, and eat about half a dozen a week).

Runny white in eggs. Yuck. Slimy and nasty. I love oysters though!

Kidney. I dislike the smell and the taste of it.

Soda. I don't like the taste of any of them, and I don't like sweet drinks anyway. Give me sweetened iced tea, and I'll leave it every time. Drinking sweet drinks makes me thirstier anyway!

Nothing with any kind of artificial sweetener in. They all leave a nasty aftertaste.

Broccoli, smells like feet. 'Nough said :)

I'm a no-condiment girl:
no ketchup, or catsup
no piccalli
no horseradish
no steak sauce
no BBQ sauce
and
NO, NO, NO MUSTARD.

That last is really the big "no". And, it's in everything these days. My sister's just like me on this though our parents would slather all of the above on just about anything. (That's probably why!)

I used to work in a school near a Plochman's mustard plant and some days when the wind was blowing towards the classroom, I'd just about lose it.

onions, liver, cooked carrots
cilantro makes me hurl (I think I have an anti-cilantro gene)
cauliflower

probably a few others i can't think of at the moment

I don't like celery, though I'll eat it if it's disguised well enough in other things, especially if it's cooked.
I also don't eat organ meats, except for liverwurst; love that stuff, go figure.
My husband doesn't like winter squashes or licorice. My sons? It would be easier to list what they like. Sigh.

Mom of Three about Tammy K's 'innards'...

Chicken gizzards are innards... and I absolutely love them fried! MMMMmmmm

I'm pretty easy going about food, but I have a few quirks of my own:
Mayo (and that includes its polyester friend Miracle Whip) - but I will eat it as an ingredient, I just don't like it sliming up my sandwiches
Organs - but I admit that it's probably prejudice and maybe I just haven't had them prepared properly
Odd mixtures of sweet and savory mincemeat and some Middle Eastern dishes come to mind.
Tough or undercooked ground beef - totally a texture thing. If I have a hamburger the bun:meat ratio must be perfect.
Black licorice.
I think that's it.

I actually have a post in draft about this very thing; until a friend visited recently I would have told you I don't like two things: fish (except tuna in a can) and cherries. Turns out, the reality of what I don't like looks more like:

fish (except tuna in a can)
cherries, cherry flavor
basil
cilantro
thyme
olives
eggs benedict/poached (ugggggh)
beets
radishes
grapefruit
liver
okra
cabbage (except in eggrolls)

--- Could not 'keep down' if my life depended on it:

mayo or miracle whip
cooked spinach
runny or moist eggs
slimey like oysters & okra
organ meats or head cheese
cooked mushrooms
anything Lime flavored, real or artificial

--- LOATHE (hate... but would 'take one for the team' if served at someone else's house):

bitter or sour...most all
black licorice or things that taste like it (anise, fennel...)
canned peas
raw tomatoes (cant get past the smell)
mushrooms
squash ...except in the form of pumpkin pie ;-)

--- used to Loathe... but now LOVE:

brocolli, zukes, tomatoes (cooked), avocado, romaine, cauli, asparagus, cabbage, raw spinach, peppers...
legume type beans
brazil nuts
bay (but not sea) scallops
dark meat on chix or turkey

And I LOVE the fake Banana flavor mentioned above...esp in popsicles & whoopie pies.

My list could get pretty long but I am happy to say that it has shortened over the years! I like tomatoes every which way except raw (in salsa is the only exception to that). At least once a year I will try to eat a raw tomato but I just can't do it.

Interesting to read what others have posted on their verboten list. I like most of those things.... almost all vegetables & fruits for sure. But I really can't stand headcheese, & pickled pigs feet. My dad used to love both those things...smoked chubs, too, though I think I could eat them if they were served someplace I was at. And when I was growing up, we used to have something called Cannibal Sandwiches, which was raw ground round spread on thin rye bread, & topped with an onion. I actually used to eat that with gusto.....I can hardly believe it now!!

Brenda

I dont like:
Spinach (I do like it in my veggie pizza)
Asparagus
Fish
Sushi
Cold Slaw
Turnips
Radishes
Liver
Collard Greens
Beets
Lamb
Veal
Grapefruit
Pears
Oranges

Tammy K,
Who was your mother?!? Can't say we ever had innards or fungus at our house.

Seafood, innards and fungus are gross.

Starts off very easy...
I hate leafy green vegetables (although I will each spinach if it is the frozen kind and cooked well and I love cilantro)
Broccoli
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Cabbage (is that a green leafy?)
Pickles
Coleslaw (see cabbage above)
Squash
Mushrooms
Peas
Sushi

There is lots of stuff I love, but I guess that is for a different list.

Going through the other comments I realize how much food I don't like....I can't eat seafood, red meat that isn't ground up, fresh veggies(I can eat them, just don't want to. I like frozen or canned. Lol), asparagus, cilantro, bananas, pork unless its a fresh cut(pulled), honey, mushrooms, olives, guacamole,, collard greens, cucumbers, melon, capors, pieces of sundried tomatoes although I love using them as a flavoring, um....that's all I can think of for now

I'm with blossomteacher, I thought there were only a few dislikes, but I forget about the things I just never think to eat... radishes, most beans, most cooked veges...

But, because I try to encourage my kids to try new things, I always make a dish that incorporates something that isn't the best. Example: Blend beets into my mashed potatoes (YUM!), add peas to casseroles, or, if the kids insist on fish sticks, I make super cheesy mac and cheese so I can bury the fish in that :o)

And I love my mini food processor for throwing carrots, peas or other veges into things like meat loaf.

Seafood and fish will not cross my lips, except for canned tuna and it has to be cold. No hot tuna casserole for me.

I'm pretty easy to please-the exception is cooked oatmeal. Like MJ a few comments up, I like it in other things; I even coat muffin tins with uncooked oats after greasing and before filling with batter (and the batter as likely as not has oats in it). But all soggy and slimy and beige...in a bowl....in the MORNING?! Ick. I like grits and Cream of Wheat, so I guess its the texture I object to

My husband won't eat beets--he grew up in a "make-do" family, and his mom made a homemade pizza one time with beets hidden under the cheese. He hasn't had a beet since. (BTW, she's really a nice lady, only a little bit nuts).

Boiled turnips and canteloupe are the only 2 foods I've tried that I can't stand. There are several things I don't eat for other reasons, but for the most part if it's not moving I'll eat it.

Peanut butter
Mushrooms
Mutton
Baby animals of any kind
Cottage cheese
Seafood, especially the really fishy or slimy varieties
Most nuts (except cashews, pistachios and slivered almonds)
Olives

There are other things too. I'm better than I used to be. As a child I wouldn't eat anything "with ingredients in it."

Oatmeal. Won't do it. Actually I try it again every once in awhile because I'll go through stages with other food items but Oatmeal I will not eat. Well, I won't eat it in the form of hot breakfast cereal. I'll eat it as Oat flour in other things or as Fudge Oatmeal Cookies (think no-bake cookies) Yum. But otherwise, it's a no-go!

Okra
Gorgonzola
Lima Beans
Finned Fish (excluding Salmon)
Squid
Organ Meats
Lamb
Goat
Wursts
Hard Boiled Eggs
Anything with a chalky texture literally makes me shake.
FISH SAUCE!!!

I came over here, pretty proud that I only had 2 things...beans and fresh tomatoes. Then I started reading other people's comments....and it hit me. Oh yeah, I don't like most of that stuff either!! Peas, runny eggs, eggplant, cauliflower, heck most veggies, etc.

But, I've really been trying new things lately. So far I've learned to like mushrooms and oatmeal, so anything's possible!!

I don't like cooked spinach - but I love it raw. I like broccoli but not cauliflower; I'm the only one I know who doesn't like olives. No grapefruit for me either, and anything that says Cajun or Southwestern I translate as "way too spicy for me."

I'm also the only one who likes mushroom soup. I'm trying to create/find a recipe that will freeze well and doesn't use dairy or wine. That way, I make a batch and freeze bowls for just me :D

I don't do mushrooms. I think it's the gills that bother me. I've eaten sweetbreads and escargot, but only because I didn't know what it was. And I've tried them and tried them, but I just don't like beans or peas. =)

~Kate
Which Proverbs 14:1 Woman?
http://www.proverbs14-1.blogspot.com

Pears
Grapefruit
Cantalope/Honeydew melon
Cooked carrots/green peas

There's not a whole lot else that is just an absolute dealbreaker for me, but I guarantee that my MiL will somehow put it all together in one meal.

Frozen processed meats like nuggets, tenders, and fish. Also things like hot pockets, TV dinners. Other than that, I pretty much love everything. Not to keen on extreme hot peppers or sour kraut unless its on a Reuben.

In my sophomore hs health class, our teacher described some sort of malady as cottage cheese-looking. Haven't touch it since. Even looking at it makes me nauseous.

Olives and onions!

I really like almost everything. I don't particularly enjoy raw onions, except in a few things like home made salsa and "salads" (corn salad, for instance). I don't want them touching my sandwiches or lettuce-salads, though. They are too overpowering!

Cooked they are fine :)

Green peppers, raw tomato (unless it is homegrown and put on top of a hamburger), and anything with an exoskeleton.

I'm with Chocolatechic...I hate cooked spinach. Ok in salads tho. I used to *think* I didn't like raw tomato on sandwiches & salads but have recently discovered otherwise.

Another thing? Diet soda. This body never has and never will worship at the temple of Diet Soft Drinks. I NEED my sugar. ;)

radishes, beets EWW!
Parmesan cheese (aka STINKY FEET)
boiled okra
grapes
raisins (But I will eat Raisin Bran lol)
I am sure there is a lot more

Mushrooms, zucchini, the thought of squid or snails makes my stomach churn, and bell peppers and onions that aren't diced. I'll eat them if they are diced really fine and cooked with other things.

Hugs,
Melinda

Cucumbers, raspberries, and lima beans. I used to hate eggs, but I now love them if they're deviled and can tolerate them otherwise if I can put catsup on them.

Oh! And lima beans, and garbanzo beans (although I like hummus). Those are a texture problem for me.

Olives, avocados, walnuts, and pecans, although I try them all at least once or twice a year. Other past dislikes have turned into likes, but these four have not.

Amy, Nature's Gate makes some non-mint toothpastes.

Lima beans!

My husband won't touch powdered milk.

I like fake-o banana flavor (Banana runts - YUM!) but I hate real bananas. The texture make me gag.

My children are so diverse in their dislikes: My oldest won't eat bread. My second won't eat kielbasa or link sausage. My 3rd won't eat cantaloupe. My other children won't eat peas, lentils, beet... meanwhile, some of their siblings FAVORITE foods are beets and peas.

And I just can't stand brussels sprouts, which are my husbands favorite vegetable.

Organ meats, with the exception of (purchased!) pate. Don't like eggplant much, either; I've even tried growing it to see if I could get enthusiastic, but no luck.

Cooked cruciferous vegetables. Fancy way of saying that I'll eat things like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and spinach only if raw.

Ketchup and tomato soup. Which is weird because I utterly adore tomatoes in all other forms. I don't even like the smell of ketchup! (And these are two of my DH's favorite foods.)

Coffee. I think the smell is so horrid that sometimes when someone's drinking it, I think somethings drastically gone bad in the room. I can barely breathe in the kitchen when DH makes it.

The list is pretty long:
peas
mayo
mustard
cooked carrots
ranch (ranch flavored is ok)
pretty much any salad dressing/creamy condiment
runny-middle eggs
fast food hamburgers
oysters/sardines
shredded coconut
I also don't drink milk straight, but it's ok any other way.

I've gotten better over the years. My mom always figured I'd eat or starve and somehow I survived.