andros_rex

I want to be able to eat tomatoes

https://lemmy.world/post/44708467

I want to be able to eat tomatoes - Lemmy.World

I hate all of my food aversions. It’s embarrassing to be an adult and to be a picky eater. I also would really like to be a vegan for ethical reasons, but when I tried I realized that I don’t eat vegetables regularly enough for that be healthy. It’s something I’ve worked really hard on and made some gains. Raw greens are okay, some cooked ones. But still, most cooked veggies are impossible for me. I really offended an ex boyfriend once because I gagged when I tried his soup. Sometimes when I’m stressed I regress. Sometimes even my complete last ditch safe foods (shit like Lunchables) don’t work either and I’ll go to sleep hungry. Recently Facebook decided to feed me a bunch of content on ARFID, where it’s fucking boomers in the comments with the “they’ll eat it if they get hungry enough.” The classic “it’s your breakfast tomorrow.” I can’t really eat leftovers because of that shit - getting the same bowl of canned spinach three days in a row, that combination of being really fucking hungry while smelling the foulest thing imaginable. It makes me want to punch someone in the face. There’s no fucking reason to do that to kids. So much of boomer parenting is wrapped up in this fucked up need for dictatorial control. I’m a grown adult who will sometimes not eat for two days because my stomach decides everything is unsafe. I have lots of coping strategies from a lifetime of dealing with this, and I still couldn’t eat a tomato. Ketchup upsets and disturbs me more than human shit does - I’ve had a panic attack from a packet squirting on me. I actively don’t want this to be the case. I would love to be able to get really into things like heirloom tomatoes, or try all kinds of fun soups. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a good kid and eat my dinner, but I just fucking couldn’t. It’s a thing that is wrapped up endlessly in shame and embarrassment, and then on top of it all, people tell you it’s a choice to be this way. People are so shitty about something that has absolutely no impact on them.

Mar 25 at 2:30amWeb
Show threadARealAlaskan22h ago

I think maybe trying tomatoes in a different form would help. Or whatever you chosen food is.

Ketchup is blended up tomatoes and corn syrup. I think it is super gross. The humble tomato, however, is a wonderful food. Eat the right tomato, in the right way, for you, will (potentially) change your mind. For instance, I am particularly about my textures. I love sundried tomatoes in oil. They are bright and punchy in flavor, and they are chewy, not mushy. If you like those things, try a bruschetta salad. The right breed can matter too. I think the Roma tomato is superior for sandwiches because of its flavor and lack of wetness, so the sandwich doesn’t get sloppy. Ripeness is important, tomatoes should be firm.

I bet, if you figured out what it is about a food you despise, you could find ways that you might like it. I have a million food particularities, but a pretty diverse pallet, because I have tried those foods in different ways to eliminate what I don’t like.

Show threadAvalokitesha20h ago

Not trying to rain on your parade, but I have yet to find anything positive about tomatoes at all 😅 they taste bad, have this really gross skin that weirds me out texture-wise, and inside is full of glibber.

That being said, in general your advice is sound - I can’t eat shrimp because of the texture, but I love the flavor. Ground small enough so I don’t have to feel it against my teethe when chewing and I’m a happy camper!

I’m lucky enough that I can get myself to try almost everything at least once - but if I don’t like it after that I will refuse to eat it without remorse. I think the second part for me made trying more stuff easier, because the trying was my way to give myself permission not to like it?

Only thing I really couldn’t bring myself to try is chicken feet. I was a bit disappointed since lots of people were raving about it, but still - I genuinely tried. That’s enough for me!

Show threadduckythescientist20h ago
Have you had really high quality tomatoes? My mom had an amazing garden when I was growing up. The tomatoes were fantastic! We’d sometimes cook with them or put them in things, but most of the time, we’d just slice them and add a little salt. I have yet to find tomatoes at a grocery store that hold a candle to what we grew.
Show threadAvalokitesha20h ago

Yes. They still suck because I hate tomato flavor and texture. The only way I tolerate it is in things like Bolognese, but there’s enough other flavor to override the core tomato flavor.

On another note, I would really appreciate if my saying “I dislike A” was just once not met with the attitude of “surely you just haven’t done A right”.

Like, I’m not even saying don’t say what you were going to. Just… Don’t insist it’s my fault? You could’ve just said, “that sucks, but I found that with tomatoes quality makes a huge difference - maybe if you can get your hands on high-quality ones it’s worth trying again” and it would just feel so much different.

Sorry for going off on you a little, I’m sure there was no I’ll intent on your side, but it’s reactions like yours that always make me very hesitant to even talk about food with new people. Which is kinda sad, because food can be a very awesome topic of conversation.

Show threadKichae12h ago

Find some vine ripened cherry or grape tomatoes from the local farmer’s market during the early/mid summer (or grow your own – there’s something incredibly satisfying about growing tomato plants, as they grow so large and so quickly). These will be incredibly sweet and berry-like compared to your standard grocery store beefsteak or plum tomato.

If you can handle eating those, you can, potentially, gradually work your way toward gradually less flavourful tomatoes, recontextualizing them as boring berries rather than slimy vegetables. If you can’t, you can start researching believable and sympathetic excuses that don’t make people give you Spock eyes.

Show threadPossibly linux9h ago
Don’t look at content about eating disorders. It will make everything way worse.