How to Get Over Picky Eating

So-called "picky eating" is not just a habit of young children. Many adults are excessively selective when it comes to what they eat as well. If picky eating interferes with social activities or keeps you from getting enough nutrients, you might want to work on overcoming this behavior. You will not get over it overnight, but if you are persistent, you can learn to expand your palette and find more foods that you enjoy.

Things You'll Need

• Cookbook

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Instructions

• 1

  Try different versions of the food you like. Do not overwhelm yourself at the start by forcing down foods that you dislike. Instead, expand on what you know and love. For example, if you prefer fruits but not vegetables, try out different fruit-based juices, spreads and salads, and investigate unfamiliar seasonal varieties.

• 2

  Introduce one new snack or meal item into your diet each week to gradually break your picky eating habit. It should be an item that you can eat in combination with the foods you love. For example, instead of eating bits of cheese by itself, you could have a grilled cheese sandwich on your favorite bread, or sprinkle cheese over the pasta you like.

• 3

  Consider factors other than taste when you first try a new food. Perhaps what puts you off is the texture, color or smell, rather than the taste. If you know you dislike cooked spinach, for example, try it raw, or with an added ingredient such as garlic that changes the smell.

• 4

  Buy a photo cookbook and choose a recipe that looks appetizing to you. Follow the recipe exactly and then taste the finished product. Since you chose the food with the notion that it looks delicious, you will approach the dish with a positive, receptive attitude rather than a negative, picky one. Cook a new dish as often as you'd like until you're comfortable with eating a variety of foods.