Food & Cooking✓ Follow-up at 8 weeks1,780 views
I'm an extremely picky eater and it's embarrassing as an adult
An adult picky eating expansion plan using gradual exposure, cooking control, and understanding food aversions to broaden a limited diet.
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Follow-Up Result
8 weeks laterExpanded diet from 15 safe foods to 30+ by trying one new food per week
The Problem
I eat like a 5-year-old. My diet is basically chicken nuggets, plain pasta, bread, and cheese. I can't eat at most restaurants, I dread dinner parties, and I've lied about food allergies to avoid explaining why I won't eat anything. Textures make me gag, strong flavors overwhelm me, and the thought of trying new foods gives me genuine anxiety. I know it's affecting my health and my social life but I can't just "try it."
The Plan
Week 1-2: Understand Your Aversions
Identify what specifically bothers you: texture, flavor, smell, appearance, or temperature? Most picky eaters have texture issues
Make a list of foods you DO eat and find patterns — if you like crunchy things, try new crunchy foods first
Start with "food bridges": foods similar to what you already eat. Like cheese? Try a mild mozzarella stick. Like chicken nuggets? Try grilled chicken strips
Cook new foods yourself — having control over preparation reduces anxiety significantly
Consider whether this might be ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) — it's a real condition and therapists can help
Week 3-4: Gradual Expansion
Try one new food per week — just one bite. You don't have to like it, you just have to try it
Prepare new foods in familiar ways: roast vegetables with cheese, blend spinach into a smoothie, add new ingredients to pasta
The exposure rule: research shows it takes 10-15 exposures to a new food before you might like it. One try isn't enough
Don't force yourself to eat things that make you gag — that creates negative associations. Go slowly
Celebrate every new food you tolerate, even if you don't love it — expanding your range is the goal
Resources
"Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating" (works for adults too) by Katja Rowell
ARFID awareness resources — check if your picky eating is clinical
r/ARFID — supportive community for extreme picky eaters
A therapist specializing in food aversions — CBT and exposure therapy can help
Follow-Up Result
8 weeks in: I've added 15 new foods to my diet. Started with food bridges — I liked plain pasta so I tried pasta with butter and garlic, then pasta with a mild tomato sauce. I liked cheese so I tried quesadillas, then added peppers to the quesadillas. Cooking everything myself was the key — I could control the texture and seasoning exactly. The biggest win was eating at a restaurant with friends and ordering something other than chicken fingers for the first time in years. I tried roasted broccoli (with cheese, obviously) and I actually liked it. I still have strong aversions to some textures but my world is expanding. My doctor says my nutrition has already improved based on my latest bloodwork.Know someone with this problem?
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