Are You A Newbie Fussy Eater?

[brit1984]

I used to think I could eat (and enjoy eating) "anything" then I met my wife and she introduced me to a few Thai dishes which I found a bit strange (e.g. Chicken feet). Now we live in Thailand and I have become a fussy eater. I never thought this would happen to me as I used to be very annoyed with people who refuse to eat certain things. Now I have developed a list of things I try to avoid:

Skin

Bones

Organs

Feet

Head

Insects

Frogs

Has anyone else become a newbie fussy eater after moving to Thailand?

[thrilled]

You think your fussy.i don't even eat rice.I carry peanut butter and bread whenever I travel.

[tutsiwarrior]

since I moved to Thailand I've developed diabetes and high blood pressure (old man maladies and I'm an old man) and have become a fussy eater by necessity...but in our home I have my own well equipped kitchen and I like to cook so I can control what I eat fairly easily...

get used to going to the market on yer own and looking around to see what's available...I'm lucky as there's freshly made tofu (bean curd) and nice fresh chicken breasts available (mostly what I like in stir fried dishes) as well as the veges and fruit so most of my needs are taken care of...mostly only go the the small local lotus for packaged stuff like bread, milk, juice, sauces and etc...

and when ye get to be known by the market traders ye get a nice cozy feeling...yeah...

[IMA_FARANG]

Skin........best part of the Roast Duck

Bones....the bone marrow..if bones are freshly cooked...is rich in nutrients

Organs..Duck Liver is one of my favorite dishes

Feet......Had them...but not a favorite in any way

Head....I'll pass on any cooked brain dishes...mad cow disease for one reason

Insects..No to them...with the possible excemption of deep-fried grasshopper. Crunchy. But not a big favorite.

Frogs....Haven't tried....well actually i did once years ago, but I was drunk at the time. Don;t think I would if sober. Frog Legs, however, that;s a different story.

Also never could handle snails...and don't want any soup with blood in it.

[jinjinswing]

Yes I am fussy, I won't eat animal bits like feet, liver etc but I am fair to myself in Thai recipes I just add extra veggies and add some tofu and leve all the animal bits out.

[tutsiwarrior]

Yes I am fussy, I won't eat animal bits like feet, liver etc but I am fair to myself in Thai recipes I just add extra veggies and add some tofu and leve all the animal bits out.

the thais really like the fat and the gristle...seems to go with how far up the food chain ye are...me mum's folks are poor andean latin americans and mum would forsake a nice lean chicken breast for the gristle of chicken wings and waste bits that would normally be discarded with hardly any meat at all...the wife is the same and the hotter and stinkier the better...the english have got their 'trotters' and the mexicans have got patitas en escabeche...ick, fat and gristle city...

since I was a kid I never liked fat and gristle and since I discovered tofu in California as a teenager and cooking my own I never looked back...the wife's folks are amused with my tofu stir fries: 'like that stuff, do you?...' and they recoil when I offer a slice of nice, fresh, uncooked, unpackaged bean curd bought fresh from the market to say: ' just try that!...wonderful texture...'

and then at the market in rural Vietnam: 'ooohh, still warm from the preparation, ooohh...' and the lady seller then cackles bemusedly...crazy white man...

[phuturatica]

I actually had an eating disorder back in the UK where I would hardly ever eat any vegetables and I only liked the textures of some foods in my mouth. In the UK having my own kitchen was handy because I was in control of what I could eat. Moving here was a big problem as I had to learn to adjust. Since being here I've developed gout (24 year old woman with gout! Its unbelievable!) and it was mostly because I was eating too much meat and foods high in purine and not enough vegetables. There was no balance at all/

Slowly but surely I am changing my diet and trying new vegetables but it is very challenging for me. 2 years ago you would never see me eat a salad, however now I have tried a few and enjoyed them to some extent. I think my favourite has to be the Sizzler salad bar... But only because its all you can eat and I have a choice on what salad to have on on my plate.

Organs, feet and heads are still a total no go for me... I don't mine eating meat off the bone and I don't mind skin if its not to blubbery and fatty (I prefer crispy) and as for insects and frogs... I don't mind the crunchy grasshoppers and crickets. Also ants cooked in rice are quite bitter tasting and there is no real texture to them with rice. Frogs when chopped up finely and cooked into a meal taste like beef almost and it has the same texture so its fine...

For me its textures of food that I have a problem with. Sometimes the idea of what I'm about to eat is also quite daunting and I get anxious and eating becomes a chore.

Eating in Thailand is difficult to me as I can't shake off the overloading and anxious feeling I get when I order food at a restaurant. Also food disorders aren't really recognised here in Thailand. My Thai boyfriend just thinks I'm spoilt and fussy... But that's not totally the case!

[transam]

I eat once a day here. DO NOT eat Thai/Lao food, to the mrs annoyance. BUT, l have always been a fussy eater, same as my dad. Really like some Chinese and Indian food.

[tutsiwarrior]

I actually had an eating disorder back in the UK where I would hardly ever eat any vegetables and I only liked the textures of some foods in my mouth. In the UK having my own kitchen was handy because I was in control of what I could eat. Moving here was a big problem as I had to learn to adjust. Since being here I've developed gout (24 year old woman with gout! Its unbelievable!) and it was mostly because I was eating too much meat and foods high in purine and not enough vegetables. There was no balance at all/

Slowly but surely I am changing my diet and trying new vegetables but it is very challenging for me. 2 years ago you would never see me eat a salad, however now I have tried a few and enjoyed them to some extent. I think my favourite has to be the Sizzler salad bar... But only because its all you can eat and I have a choice on what salad to have on on my plate.

Organs, feet and heads are still a total no go for me... I don't mine eating meat off the bone and I don't mind skin if its not to blubbery and fatty (I prefer crispy) and as for insects and frogs... I don't mind the crunchy grasshoppers and crickets. Also ants cooked in rice are quite bitter tasting and there is no real texture to them with rice. Frogs when chopped up finely and cooked into a meal taste like beef almost and it has the same texture so its fine...

For me its textures of food that I have a problem with. Sometimes the idea of what I'm about to eat is also quite daunting and I get anxious and eating becomes a chore.

Eating in Thailand is difficult to me as I can't shake off the overloading and anxious feeling I get when I order food at a restaurant. Also food disorders aren't really recognised here in Thailand. My Thai boyfriend just thinks I'm spoilt and fussy... But that's not totally the case!

I hear ya when you talk about texture as fat and gristle still makes me want to barf...and egg whites on fried eggs the same...