What Childhood Foods Did You Dislike?

[lisab]

Don't you think that the sharp edges could do some internal damage?

I think there were only two things that I didn't like to eat: overcooked bell pepper, because of it strong bitter taste; and undercooked mushrooms, because of its gummy texture.

I loved salad of chicory with a sauce of creme fraiche and pieces of orange, together with battered deep-fried chicken and a sprinkle of lemon. I also loved melon with raw ham, a sauce of mustard on bread, with a sprinke of cress.

Wow...and to think most American kids grow up on chicken nuggets and tater tots!

 

[Astronuc]

Don't you think that the sharp edges could do some internal damage?

Hasn't so far. My stomach seems to digest things pretty well. I also like to chew the ends of chicken bones.

I was eating with a friend at a japanese restaurant. He ordered shrimp, and the chef cut off the tails and was going to discard them. I asked him if I could have them. He gave a me a look (as in WT*), but scrapped them over to me. They were nice and crunchy.

 

[Monique]

Hasn't so far. My stomach seems to digest things pretty well. I also like to chew the ends of chicken bones.

I was eating with a friend at a japanese restaurant. He ordered shrimp, and the chef cut off the tails and was going to discard them. I asked him if I could have them. He gave a me a look (as in WT*), but scrapped them over to me. They were nice and crunchy.

I don't know about that. The main component of the exoskeleton is chitin, which we don't have the enzyme for to digest. I'd be very careful with eating indigestible sharp things, make sure to chew it up well.

 

[Ouabache]

I don't know about that. The main component of the exoskeleton is chitin, which we don't have the enzyme for to digest..

Yup, this is true. And the exoskeletons of most insecta are composed of chitin. How many bugs do we eat?
And chitin is a natural source of glucosamine. So perhaps consuming well chewed shrimp tails may improve lubrication between the bones in our body.

 

[Monique]

Actually I must nuance myself, we do produce an enzyme that can digest chitin: Chitotriosidase. It however is mostly produced in activated macrophages and its specific function in humans is unknown. There is a related enzyme AMCase, that is present in the GI tract and the lungs. I don't think it is proven though that exoskeletons can be digested, it is more likely that the enzyme has an anti-fungal function.

http://www.jbc.org/content/276/9/6770.short?cited-by=yes&legid=jbc;276/9/6770

 

[lisab]

On rare occasions, we'd have TV dinners, which rather new, and very expensive, back then. Oh they were absolutely horrible, but somehow we happily ate them because they were a novelty.

 

[Evo]

Everything I've found said that it is not digestible Monique, you were correct, it seems.

Chitin is found in the exo-skeletons of shrimp, crabs and other shellfish. The
Chitosan has the unique ability to attach itself to lipids or fats. There are no calories in Chitosan since it is not digestible. Chitosan attaches to fat in the stomach before it is metabolized. The Chitosan traps the fat and prevents its absorption in the digestive tract. The fat binds to the
Chitosan fiber and becomes a large mass which the body cannot absorb. This large mass is then eliminated from the body.

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...f-cC7P&sig=AHIEtbRTB8afP2XtKzOPx68fTr0Iks8D9w

 

[FrancisZ]

I loved Veal Parmigiana...

[PLAIN]http://www.roccovinos.com/veal%20parmigiana.jpg


I hated...reviled...asparagus...

[PLAIN]http://sacredmedicinesanctuary.com/images/asparagus.jpg


We even used to sing a song about it: "This is the Dawning of the Age of Asparagus...Age of Asparaguuuuus... Asparaguuuuus! A-SPA-RA-GUS!"

 

[Math Is Hard]

We had a member here who once claimed to have Asparagus Syndrome. I kid you not.

 

[Evo]

We had a member here who once claimed to have Asparagus Syndrome. I kid you not.

I remember that!

 

[FrancisZ]

It's a slimy, vile weed. And when prepared poorly (as was often the case), it's dual-textured--slimy and crunchy!

 

[Ouabache]

I hated...reviled...asparagus...

We even used to sing a song about it: "This is the Dawning of the Age of Asparagus...Age of Asparaguuuuus... Asparaguuuuus! A-SPA-RA-GUS!"

I hope you've given them a second chance. The young tender spring shoots are delicious brushed with olive oil and grilled lightly on the outdoor grill.

 

[turbo]

I hope you've given them a second chance. The young tender spring shoots are delicious brushed with olive oil and grilled lightly on the outdoor grill.

I like it lightly steamed. When picking asparagus, flex each stalk, and the tender top will separate cleanly from the more fibrous (chewier) base. I'll have to re-build the asparagus bed near my garden spot. It was badly neglected by the previous owner and needs attention.

 

[FrancisZ]

I hope you've given them a second chance. The young tender spring shoots are delicious brushed with olive oil and grilled lightly on the outdoor grill.

I wish I were a better person honestly, and would; but I know I just can't. I feel the same way about veggie burgers. I tried one once, the same day I basically contracted tonsillitis; so even though I know it wasn't necessarily the veggie burger's fault (how often does a person use that in a sentence), I just can't look at one the same way again. My gag reflex takes control.

 

[lisab]

I wish I were a better person honestly, and would; but I know I just can't. I feel the same way about veggie burgers. I tried one once, the same day I basically contracted tonsillitis; so even though I know it wasn't necessarily the veggie burger's fault (how often does a person use that in a sentence), I just can't look at one the same way again. My gag reflex takes control.

My aversion to beets has a similar beginning.

Lucky for me, my parents would *never* force a child to eat anything. Too bad one of my aunts had a different philosophy, and she forced me to eat beets once. It was the first and last time anyone had ever forced me to eat something...also the first and last time I ate beets.

 

[Evo]

My aversion to beets has a similar beginning.

Lucky for me, my parents would *never* force a child to eat anything. Too bad one of my aunts had a different philosophy, and she forced me to eat beets once. It was the first and last time anyone had ever forced me to eat something...also the first and last time I ate beets.

I love pickled beets.

 

[Proton Soup]

Actually I must nuance myself, we do produce an enzyme that can digest chitin: Chitotriosidase. It however is mostly produced in activated macrophages and its specific function in humans is unknown. There is a related enzyme AMCase, that is present in the GI tract and the lungs. I don't think it is proven though that exoskeletons can be digested, it is more likely that the enzyme has an anti-fungal function.

http://www.jbc.org/content/276/9/6770.short?cited-by=yes&legid=jbc;276/9/6770

cleaning up dead parasites, perhaps?

 

[turbo]

In the winter when my mother made New England boiled dinners (sometimes with corned beef, sometimes with cheap shoulder/neck roasts), there would be lots of potatoes, onions, and root vegetables, along with left-over roast. She'd cut that up into a hash and brown it in a skillet, while cooking some fried eggs and making some toast. Best breakfasts ever. At school, I'd buy a can or two of corned-beef hash when it was on sale. It was never even close!

 

[FrancisZ]

My aversion to beets has a similar beginning.

Lucky for me, my parents would *never* force a child to eat anything. Too bad one of my aunts had a different philosophy, and she forced me to eat beets once. It was the first and last time anyone had ever forced me to eat something...also the first and last time I ate beets.

Yeah, I don't believe in that either. My grandparents--Depression era folk--were really good about eating habits. They never forced anything. You could eat or not. And my mother always tried (heroically, I would even say) to encourage us to eat better types of foods. My father on the other hand, was down right mean about food to the point of tears.

I think your eating habits just naturally change over time (hopefully for the better). I never used to like soup as a kid, now I love it.

If you have someone like my mother around, I guess you always end up hearing that little voice in your head (like a good conscience), reminding you to make better choices. Which is also why I hadn't eaten a Poptart until about age 22.

It happened one day in the Science building at Seton Hall. The school cafeteria was a bit of walk from there, and the food was usually rather expensive and flavorless anyway; so I decided just get something out of the vending machine instead making the trek and wasting my money.

Trouble is, after a while, there is only so much candy you can eat. And I started to fell bad about eating crap so consistently, after a week or so. So I tried the granola bars for a few days thereafter; and then the oatmeal raisin cookies, until that basically fizzled out. And then finally, one day, I remember looking at the Strawberry Poptarts (being my last choice) and wondering to myself out loud, if maybe that was semi-nutritious enough to eat. Almost instantly, I heard my mother's voice come to my imagination...

She'd say: "No, don't eat that! It's full of preservative! It's not even really food! Besides, they're lousy anyway!"

And I actually said to myself (after apparently YEARS of effective brainwashing): "No...I'm not allowed to eat that."

Then I felt sudden burst of pride: "Wait a minute? I'm 22 years old--I'll eat a damn Poptart if I want to!" So I bought it. And ya'know what? It did suck.

 

[jtbell]

According to my mother, when I was a little kid, I would eat everything in a fruit cocktail (the cubes of pears, peaches, etc.) except for the grapes. When she asked me why I didn't eat the grapes, I said, "Because they're round!"

 

[Dembadon]

I had an extremely difficult time eating pasta that didn't have a colored sauce (garlic & oil, alfredo, pesto, etc.). Now I love them, but still don't like ricotta cheese. All of the vegetables we ate were boiled to the consistency of mashed potatoes; I feel your pain, Georgina!

I also had a difficult time eating the meat in stews. When I was younger, probably 5-8 years old, I thought that the reason for chewing my food was to make it small enough to swallow. While this specific reason was certainly valid, believing that it was the only reason led to some issues. When I would chew on an irreducible piece of meat, I would enter an endless loop. Like a helpless robot, I'd chew and chew until my system administrator fixed the issue.

 

[mugaliens]

Hated collard greens; loved spaghetti.

Nothing's changed.

 

[Evo]

I had an extremely difficult time eating pasta that didn't have a colored sauce (garlic & oil, alfredo, pesto, etc.). Now I love them, but still don't like ricotta cheese. All of the vegetables we ate were boiled to the consistency of mashed potatoes; I feel your pain, Georgina!

I also had a difficult time eating the meat in stews. When I was younger, probably 5-8 years old, I thought that the reason for chewing my food was to make it small enough to swallow. While this specific reason was certainly valid, believing that it was the only reason led to some issues. When I would chew on an irreducible piece of meat, I would enter an endless loop. Like a helpless robot, I'd chew and chew until my system administrator fixed the issue.

Stew meat has to be cooked a really long time because first it gets tough, then continued cooking breaks the tissues down and it gets tender again.

 

[Paulie323]

I personally hated ABSOLUTELY HATED!

- Mushrooms
-Onions
-Mayo
-Mustard
-Beets

and...
FIG NEWTONS!

 

[lisab]

I personally hated ABSOLUTELY HATED!

- Mushrooms
-Onions
-Mayo
-Mustard
-Beets

and...
FIG NEWTONS!

Mustard? Hmm, when I was a kid, I loved mustard so much that when we'd play Clue, I'd always want to be Col. Mustard.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

and...
FIG NEWTONS!

Blasphemy!

 

[Evo]

Blasphemy!

Ooooh Fig Newtons! The raspberry Newtons are great too.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Ooooh Fig Newtons! The raspberry Newtons are great too.

I loooooooved Fig Newtons with milk.

How can anyone here not like a product named Newton?

 

[GeorginaS]

All of the vegetables we ate were boiled to the consistency of mashed potatoes; I feel your pain, Georgina!

No kidding, huh? I recently visited my parents a few provinces over from me, and for dinner one evening they served store bought potato salad and store roasted chicken -- which, we were in good shape so far -- and asparagus.

Now, asparagus and I have long reconciled since my childhood when the stuff came out of cans and had the same consistency as boiled rhubarb. I've had it gently pan fried and grilled on a barbecue. Oh my. Asparagus is a lovely, bright, crispy, crunchy, rich vegetable. Very nice. And my parents had purchased a beautiful bunch of them from a farmers' market. I watched as my mother filled a frying pan with water and boiled the ever-livin' beejeebeez out of them.

To be fair, I gave it try when it was on my plate. I stuck a piece of asparagus with my fork and when I raised the fork, the vegetable remained on my plate. Bad sign. I scooped it up, and oh yeah, there was that crazy, bitter, flavour and squashy consistency that immediately engaged my gag reflex. My eyes watered. Oh jeez. And I had to sit and eat that crud when I was kid and not allowed to leave the table until it was finished. But now! Now I could say, "Uh, yeah. Who wants my asparagus?" My mother asked me if I didn't like the vegetable, and rather than say, "Only when you've had at it first" I just said, "No, I don't like it."

Topic. Loved, loved, loved Kraft peanut butter on buttered toast, topped with banana slices, and brown sugar. The mere thought of that makes me retch, now.

I can't stand Kraft peanut butter any more. All it tastes like is icing sugar. I couldn't stand natural peanut butter when I was a kid, and I can't tolerate anything but, now. I think our sweet tooths change with age, don't they?

 

[Math Is Hard]

Topic. Loved, loved, loved Kraft peanut butter on buttered toast, topped with banana slices, and brown sugar. The mere thought of that makes me retch, now.

You totally forgot the marshmallow creme!

 

[Evo]

The only thing I've ever used canned asparagus for is asparagus soup. That's not too bad. I cannot find anything that canned spinach can be used for except to become too thin. For a couple of years the only thing I ate was 2 hard boiled eggs and a small can of spinach, the only beverages were black coffee and water, per day. I actually lived on less than 200 calories a day! My metabolism shut down. And yes, I did end up in the hospital suffering from malnutrition.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Geez, evo! Were you in prison?

 

[xunxine]

I used to hate veggies. When my mum puts them on my plate, I'd get rid of them quickly out of my sight by eating them all first. Then on to whatever else on my plate that I don't hate.

Now that I can speak for myself, I tell my mum that I still hate veggies. She would say, "But you love them when you were little! You'd eat them first!"

(right... misunderstood...)

 

[Evo]

Geez, evo! Were you in prison?

No, I was living alone age 16-18. I cannot believe that I was satisfied, but I was. I don't remember ever feeling hungry. Boy has that changed!

I could still live off of hard boiled eggs and canned spinach, I'd just need more.

Back then I'd open the can of spinach and pour in some vinegar and salt. I'd eat it standing over the counter, I wouldn't even sit to eat. Now I mix in lemon pepper instead. Yes, I still eat it, I confess, I had a can last week.

And I loved it!.

 

[Evo]

I used to hate veggies. When my mum puts them on my plate, I'd get rid of them quickly out of my sight by eating them all first. Then on to whatever else on my plate that I don't hate.

Now that I can speak for myself, I tell my mum that I still hate veggies. She would say, "But you love them when you were little! You'd eat them first!"

(right... misunderstood...)

That's so funny, I do that, I eat the worst parts first.